BUENA VISTA -- Gail Benson says history buffs, like herself, enjoy poking around the past.

And they like to share what they've found with others, said Benson, a longtime member of the Buena Historical Society.

For these history aficionados, township resident Ralph Hunter is kind of a hero, a man who not only immersed himself in the past but collected enough artifacts and other historical materials to start a museum.

On Wednesday night, Hunter will share his experiences in breathing life into the history of black residents throughout South Jersey.

"Ralph Hunter isn't just an inspiration to African-Americans," Benson said. "He's an inspiration to anyone interested in history."

Hunter's efforts led to the creation of the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, which found a home in the township's Martin Luther King Center.

"He's spent his entire life looking for history wherever he went," Benson said. "And how he did that is of great interest to anyone who is interested in history."

History and Hunter have a way of running into each other. And the 66-year-old Newtonville resident knows those meetings can come in unlikely places.

Last year, Hunter was walking down Michigan Avenue in Atlantic City when he came upon a family moving out of an old home. One thing led to another and the next thing he knew, Hunter was digging through several inches of mud and dirt in a crawlspace beneath the house.

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Events schedule

BUENA VISTA -- An effort to create a centralized location to offer counseling and aid to western Atlantic County's vulnerable children and families was an outstanding success, an organizer said Wednesday.

The Martin Luther King Center in Newtonville soon may become the resource site where troubled families can receive immediate help, according to the Rev. David Mallory of the First Baptist Church in Richland.

Mallory, who also manages the state Division of Youth and Family Services office in Bridgeton, said a forum held here Tuesday to organize a collaboration among community leaders who would create the service was well received.

"We had 165 people attend from all over Atlantic and Cumberland counties who were very interested in learning what they can do to help," said Mallory, who organized the event. "We'd like to start using the Martin Luther King Center as the site of a regional social service collaborative to serve western Atlantic County."

Another meeting has been set for April 7 to move ahead with the plan.

Randy Jenkins, a Detroit-based consultant affiliated with the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore, led Tuesday's seminar.

Jenkins suggested the group:

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Tyrone Hart Sr.'s art reflects "the strength of the family." His work will be on display at the African American Heritage Museum in Newtonville through April.

Where: The African-American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, 661 Jackson Road, Newtonville
 

When: Through April 30. Opening reception 2 p.m. Sunday
 

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, closed Sundays and Mondays
 

Telephone: (609) 704-7262
 

Admission: Free
 

Web: www.aahmsnj,
 

www.folkart.com/thart

Any artist would tell you that he uses his craft as a way of expressing what he feels.

That much is true for Tyrone Hart Sr., but he has other goals, too.

Hart's art reflects the importance of the traditional family.

"(What's important is) the strength of the family; it doesn't really matter where they are. The father is the leader. The mother is the teacher, the ruler," he said.

In his painting, "Nomads," on display at the African-American Heritage Museum in Newtonville through April, Hart, 48, shows a family traveling through the Egyptian desert.

"This shows their struggles in the desert," he said. "The father is the leader. The lesson is (for men) to be that leader, be that strength."

His own experience growing up wasn't exactly traditional.

"My father was never there, that's why I can cherish it even more. I was raised by six strong women. I had the love, but sometimes you need a man's hand," he said.

Museum founder Ralph Hunter Sr. invited Hart to display his work in honor of Women's History Month.

"He emphasizes the strength of black women. He tells the marvelous story of the black woman," Hunter said.

Looking over "Nomads," Hunter notes that the father is leading the family into the desert, his long staff conjuring an image of Moses.

The mother is in the foreground, using her body to shelter the children from whipping sands.

Most of Hart's work consists of portraits of black women. The images range from classical strength to modern sensuality.

Some are more playful, such as "Flavors," a portrait of three women. "That is strawberry, cinnamon and chocolate. I wanted to show the different flavors of black women," Hart said.

Other portraits are deadly serious and seek to show centuries of oppression.

"Emotions" shows a black man from the shoulders up. His mouth makes an exaggerated grimace while his eyes seem soft.

"This shows the unfairness of society. Just because you're a different color, you are judged before anyone even knows what you are about," Hart said. "I wanted to show the kindness in his eyes, but also the power."

Hart began painting as a boy, but put it aside to enter a career in garment sales. He later found his way back after working as a sign painter.

He began creating art after a car accident in 1993. A second wreck in 2000 left him unable to return to his job, but offered the opportunity to focus on his art.

Entirely self-taught, Hart has been a full-time artist since the 2000 accident that still forces him to wear a leg brace.

He works out of a studio in his Pleasantville home, where he lives with his wife and the three youngest of his four children.

The African-American Heritage Museum will hold a reception for Hart and Lennox Warner, whose sculptures also are featured.

The reception will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday and is open to the public.

Warner is an Atlantic City artist who specializes in African and Egyptian-styled wood sculpture.

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