One well-kept secret on campus may be the art galleries at the Hale Black Cultural Center. With a total of 150 pieces of artwork located throughout the center, the Hale Center has one of the largest black art collections in the country. “That’s based on the fact that many culture centers and other places that deal with black art have reproductions. We want to have authentic pieces of artwork. We want to have quality,” said Lawrence Williamson Jr., program manager of the Hale Center.The Richmond Barthe and Elijah Pierce Galleries in the Hale Center consist of different styles and forms of painting that radiantly illustrate the black experience from nationally recognized artists. The majority of these artists, which include Smokey Brown and Ralph Bell, are from the Columbus area. “Tentatively, Columbus has one of the greatest art communities, especially as it relates to black artists in the country,” said Williamson. “These people need to be seen, and the Hale Center along with the King Complex offers opportunities for these artists to be seen.”The largest collection at the Hale Cultural Center is the Samella Lewis collection which consists of 35 pieces of artwork from famous black artists such as Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, Elizabeth Catlett and Paul Goodnight. The Beverly Turner collection is the second largest. This collection consists of 32 pictures of black abolitionists who made contributions to society, such as the Rev. George Lee, Emmett Louis Till, Charles Eddie Moore and Samuel Ephesians Hammond. Traditional artifacts and masterpieces from Africa, South Africa, and Caribbean highlight the ethnic experience in the collections. This includes valuable artwork from tribal groups such as the Benin, Dan, Dogon, Zula, and Yoruba.The value of these works of art in the Hale Center is estimated at $160,000. Most of the artwork has been donated, on loan or permanent loan to the Hale Center from the artists. Williamson said the objective at the Hale Culture Center is to expose a variety of black artwork to the community. “You can come in here and say ‘I don’t like that piece of art’ – well you’re exposed to it. Exposure is important when it comes to any museum, and gallery, and culture center,” Williamson said. The second objective is to have people start to talk about the artwork displayed at the center, he added.Larry Winston Collins, instructor at Columbus College of Art and Design, has mixed media paintings displayed at the Hale Culture Center. Collins said he sees his artwork as a vehicle to express himself and he wants it to have an impact on students. “I see it as a gift I have been given in order to make people aware of the contributions that blacks have made. I like art that makes a statement, and says something. Art needs to be inspirational,” Collins said.Williamson hopes that when students view the artwork, they will take with them a small treasure from the secret. “If you can leave The Ohio State University, The Frank Hale Black Cultural Center remembering the name of one of the artists, we have done our job, because more than likely you would not have known any of these artist,” Williamson said.