Growing up in the 1940s in the South, Walter O. Evans never had the chance to visit museums or galleries because of racial divides in society. In 1978, however, Evans began collecting art, starting with Jacob Lawrence's portfolio of silkscreen prints.

This spring, the Mississippi Museum of Art will host the Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art. Trustmark Grand Hall and William B. and Isabel R. McCarty Foundation Gallery, in collaboration with Jackson State University, present the collection.

"We are very excited about hosting this extraordinary exhibition in collaboration with Jackson State University. The Evans Collection represents a wide range of African-American artwork and includes several widely known artists," Jenny Tate, marketing director at the Mississippi Museum of Art, said. 

This exhibition, which is scheduled for March 28 through June 24, 2012, features 40 works by renowned African American artists from the last 150 years such as Romare Bearden and Mississippi native Sam Gilliam.

The Mississippi Museum of Art (201 Pascagoula St., Suite 102, 601-960-1515), is open Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays noon-5 p.m. The collection can be viewed for free. Visit http://www.msmuseumart.org.