Mission Statement

The galleries at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History are dedicated to the enrichment of visual culture on campus, in the community and throughout North Carolina. The gallery program supports the Stone Center's commitment to the critical examination of all dimensions of African American and African Diaspora cultures through its active education program and through the formal exhibition of works of art and other items.

The Brown Gallery is a non-profit making institution at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is open to the public. The gallery is committed to researching, exhibiting and interpreting, for the purpose of study, education, and enjoyment of objects, activities and documents and other materials.

Mandate Statement

The Stone Center's mandate is to promote interdisciplinary inquiry, as well as focused examinations from various interdisciplinary and disciplinary perspectives. Therefore, the Brown Gallery will recognize no restrictions as to the nature of its research and programs relative to period, medium or content approach of the art or artists or exhibitors. The cultural scope of the gallery will focus primarily on African American art and artists and those from Africa and the African diasporas, but will not exclude art and artists from other parts of the world.

Purpose

The Stone Center gallery and other exhibition spaces are intended to promote the pursuit of knowledge; the critical examination and understanding of art, culture and community; and to support the broader mission of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Stone Center Galleries will observe all professional and ethical standards as defined by the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History concerning its programs, staff, governance and fiscal management consistent with the guidelines established by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Office of Academic Affairs.

Purpose

The following functions describe the program of the Brown Gallery:

Research

Stone Center galleries are responsible for all objects committed to its care and will take all reasonable steps to ensure

• (for the purposes of education and communication) their identification and interpretation, and
• (for the purposes of preservation) their safety, security and conservation of objects entrusted to the gallery.

• The gallery will present three to four exhibitions annually.
• The programs of the Brown Gallery shall strive to represent and serve a broad range of audiences and cultures.
• The gallery will introduce the public to a broad spectrum of art forms and traditions, with selections from historic, contemporary and emerging periods.
• The gallery will display and promote work by artists at varying stages of their careers including student and emerging artists as well as professionals.
  

Interpretation & Education

• The Brown Gallery will support exhibitions with publications, lectures, symposia and workshops.
• The Brown Gallery will work with other departments and agencies to offer education programs for various audiences.
  

Promotion

• The Robert and Sallie Brown Gallery and Museum is responsible for the promotion and publication of research relating to its programs.
• The Brown Gallery will establish effective public information channels with all of its publics including artists, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students, faculty, staff and administrators, the surrounding community, media and donors.
• The gallery will use special publications, evaluations, outreach programs, interpretive programs, news releases and promotional materials as channels to communicate with its identified publics.

Exhibitions and Displays Specifications For Exhibitions Not Sponsored Wholly or In Part By the Stone Center

The Stone Center seeks to maintain a consistent set of standards for all exhibitions and displays within office and public spaces of the building. In general all exhibitions in the Stone Center should address some aspect of our mission, or the mission of the gallery and as described in the Galleries Mission Statement.

Please use the following specifications when proposing exhibitions or displays in any part of the building. These guidelines refer to all exhibitions or displays that are not sponsored solely or in part by the Stone Center. Specifications and guidelines for Stone Center sponsored exhibitions are available from the Center's Administrative Office.

Decisions on exhibitions are generally made within a month of the submission of your proposal.

• All exhibitions or displays in the Stone Center, including those mounted in office spaces and public spaces are the responsibility of the Exhibitions and Art Committee. The Committee makes recommendations to the Director of the Stone Center.
• Written proposals are required from groups interested in using the exhibition areas, and should be submitted well in advance to a member of the Stone Center's Public Relations officer. (Please note: the Robert and Sallie Brown Gallery and Museum is reserved for Stone Center initiated or co-sponsored exhibitions only ). Proposals may be submitted by e-mail, fax, or campus mail. A form is provided on the Stone Center web-site for your convenience.
• Proposals should describe the theme, content, time and duration of proposed display(s) as well as desired exhibition location, if you have a preference. All proposals will be considered to determine which groups will be granted permission to use the various exhibit cases.
• Exhibitors are responsible for mounting and removing exhibitions. Exhibitions should be planned to observe museum and gallery specifications for hanging of art and other materials. All work should be framed or mounted appropriately unless the form or structure calls for alternative display methods. Planning with the help of professionals is strongly encouraged.
• Exhibition or display installation must be coordinated with a designated Stone Center liaison.
• Exhibitions and displays should be fully articulated and explanatory text must be included unless there is a compelling artistic or curatorial reason for not doing so. Exhibition materials must not present a hazard.
• The visual content and text, including font size, of an exhibition should be clear and easy to read. In general copies or other facsimiles of actual documents or graphics should be of high quality. When in doubt check with Stone Center liaison.
  
• The sponsors and others responsible for an exhibition or display should be clearly indicated. All exhibitors not affiliated with the Stone Center must include a disclaimer (prominently displayed) that states: Neither the Stone Center nor the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill endorses the content, beliefs, viewpoints or topics of this exhibition, and all content is the responsibility of the exhibitor.
  
• The Stone Center will not approve exhibitions or displays
  1. used primarily to promote the sale of art or other materials by an individual or group of artists;
  2. used for commercial purposes, or for promotion of events, persons, products, etc.;
  3. used solely for the purpose of selling art work;
  4. used solely for promoting political candidates or political parties; or
  5. used for promoting religion or religious denominations and doctrines.
     

Any sale of items included in an exhibition or display are subject to University guidelines.

Exhibitions or displays are scheduled, generally, during periods when Stone Center sponsored exhibitions are not mounted.

Although there is limited security in the public areas of the Stone Center the safety of all items included in an outside exhibition (not sponsored by the Stone Center) are the responsibility of the exhibitor and the Stone Center accepts no responsibility for their security, including damage or theft.

All items exhibited at the Stone Center must accept responsibility for the risk of damage or theft. The Stone Center will not be responsible for displayed items that are damaged or stolen.

Non- Stone Center exhibitors assume all risk of damage and loss to Stone Center facilities and fixtures damaged as a result of the installation, de-installation and managing of an exhibition.

Policy Governing Use of Stone Center Exhibition Spaces

1. Stipulations for Use of Stone Center Exhibition Spaces
   1. Exhibition spaces in the Stone Center are reserved for Center exhibition programming and projects.
   2. On occasion, exhibition spaces become available for UNC at Chapel Hill individuals, organizations and groups, and to a limited extent, individuals, organizations and groups from communities outside of the campus. Those groups organizations and individuals interested in Stone Center exhibition spaces should consult Gallery and Exhibition Guidelines.
   3. Any exhibitor not affiliated with the Stone Center must include a disclaimer (prominently displayed) that states: Neither the Stone Center nor the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill endorses the content, beliefs, viewpoints or topics of this exhibition, and all content is the responsibility of the exhibitor.
   4. The Stone Center reserves the right to only approve exhibitions that are consistent with its Mission and Statement of Purpose and. Any exhibitor approved by the Stone Center must submit a statement that their exhibition will not include defaming material, or material which could lead to a breach of peace or which advocates the violation of local or state criminal laws.
   5. The Stone Center will not approve exhibitions or displays used primarily to promote the sale of art or other materials, for advertising for commercial enterprises, for promoting political candidates or political parties, or for promoting religion or religious denominations and doctrines.
   The Stone Center reserves the right to refuse any exhibition that does not meet the above qualifications or to remove exhibitions that are found to violate these provisions after installation.
2. Exhibition Spaces Available For Use
   
   When approved the following areas may be used for exhibitions:
   • Lobby Gallery Areas: Approx. 50 Linear ft. on three walls with 14-16 ft. ceiling ht.
   • Robert and Sallie Brown Gallery and Museum: Approx. 250 Linear ft. on seven wall surfaces with approx. 14 ft. Ceiling ht.(*only available for Stone Center sponsored or co-sponsored projects)
   The Lobby Gallery area has very little space for floor standing exhibitions. Proposals for these types of exhibitions or displays will generally not be approved.
3. Application For Use
1. A fully completed, signed, Stone Center External Exhibition Application Proposal Form should be submitted by all exhibitors at least six months (at least one-year is recommended) in advance of use to the Stone Center Art and Exhibitions Committee. Applications will be reviewed in January, April and August of each year on a first-come/first-served basis, with scheduling priority given to exhibitors who have not previously used Stone Center spaces.
2. The Stone Center External Exhibition Application Proposal Form includes:
• Name of group or individual, contact person, address, telephone number.
• Written description of the purpose and nature of the exhibition and types of material to be exhibited.
• Monetary value of the work to be exhibited if applicable.
• Information regarding the exhibitor's insurance policy if applicable.
• The dates and space requested for the exhibition.
• A description of any publicity or media contacts that will be initiated by the exhibitor, and
• An Exhibitor Agreement Form
4. Exhibitor's Guidelines
1. The Stone Center is committed to providing space for gallery and museum-quality exhibitions.
2. Labels and signage for exhibitions should be professionally rendered, clearly stated with museum-quality standards. Labels should not be taped to walls or gallery surfaces and any adhesive materials should not damage gallery surfaces.
3. The exhibitor's name and telephone number may be posted for reference, however, prices may not be indicated on labels or anywhere in the exhibition.
4. The exhibitor assumes total responsibility for the transportation of all work to and from the Stone Center.
5. Exhibitors must de-install exhibitions as scheduled. The Stone Center will dispose of abandoned exhibition materials after reasonable effort has been made to contact the exhibitor. The Stone Center will not be responsible for any damages incurred while removing exhibitions and exhibition materials that are not removed promptly according to schedule. Any costs for removal will be passed on to the exhibitor.
6. If receptions or other programming are held in conjunction with exhibitions: Separate forms are required. The exhibition organizer should discuss any reception or program plans well in advance with the Administrative Manager of the Stone Center.
5. Liability
   
   All exhibition areas must be left in satisfactory condition and exhibitors assume liability and shall be held liable for any damage resulting from misuse or negligence.

For questions or concerns not addressed here, contact the Stone Center Gallery Assistant at 919-962-9001.

Proceed to the Stone Center External Exhibition Application Proposal Form.