Public is invited to register for free event, “The Arts in Global Africa”
A special one-day symposium, “The Arts in Global Africa,” will be held at Mint Museum RANDOLPH on Saturday, November 15, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Presentations by leading scholars of African art will be capped by an Egungun masquerade by Oyotunji African Village Yoruba performers from Sheldon, S.C.
The symposium accompanies an exhibition of African art at The Mint Museum, Arts of Africa, which includes objects from the museum’s permanent collection along with loans from several private individuals, with a significant number drawn from the collection of Michael Gallis of Charlotte. It also marks the publication of a new catalogue titled Art in the Many Africas. The exhibition was curated by Dr. Herbert M. Cole, professor emeritus in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who also wrote an essay for the catalogue.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Michael Gallis and Dr. Cole on both the catalogue and symposium,” said Dr. Jonathan Stuhlman, the museum’s Senior Curator of American, Modern, and Contemporary Art. “Their generosity and their dedication to helping the museum develop and enliven this important area of its collection is inspirational.”
The symposium is co-sponsored by the Department of Africana Studies at UNC Charlotte.
The Mint Museum has long been a leader in exploring global themes in art and relating them to the broader community. In addition to African art, Mint Museum Randolph hosts ongoing exhibitions from its permanent collections of European Art and Art of the Ancient Americas. And at Mint Museum Uptown, Dr. Stuhlman has organized an exhibition celebrating the centennial of the Panama Canal, Connecting the World: The Panama Canal at 100, and the museum is playing host to many affiliated events emphasizing the Charlotte region’s global ties. Panama Canal at 100 is on view November 1, 2014 through February 1, 2015.
“The Arts in Global Africa” symposium speakers include Cole along with Drs. Akinwumi Ogundiran, UNC Charlotte; Henry John Drewal, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Cécile Fromont, University of Chicago; Victoria Rovine, UNC Chapel Hill. Their presentations will focus on the interactions of Africa with the wider world, especially as reflected in the arts both within and outside the African continent. The masquerade performance will begin at approximately 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a brief reception. Admission to the symposium is free and pre-registration is required at mintmuseum.org/happenings or by calling 704.337.2107.
Attendees will be able to choose a box lunch from Panera Bread at check-in on the morning of the symposium; these will be available on a cash-only basis, prices TBD.
What: Free one-day symposium, “The Arts in Global Africa”
Where: Mint Museum Randolph
2730 Randolph Road
When: Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration:mintmuseum.org/happenings or 704.337.2107
Above image:
Yaka Peoples, Democratic Republic of Congo. Initiation Mask, 20th Century. Wood, raffia, pigments.
Gift of Bob Bronson. Image © Mint Museum of Art, Inc. Collection of The Mint Museum.