Acquisitions 



Among che most significant wotks acquired by the museum 

 in the past year were a superb and rare carved wooden face 

 mask from the Lele peoples of Zaire and a carved wooden face 

 mask, "Oloju-foforo," attributed to Yoruba artist Bamgboshe 

 of Osi-Ilonn, Nigeria (d. c. 1920). Another noteworthy acqui- 

 sition was "Spoon," a conceptually complex modern bronze 

 sculpture by Amir I. M. Nour (b. 1939), a contemporary sculp- 

 tor who was born in the Republic of Sudan and has lived in 

 the United States most of his adult life. 



Outreach Efforts 



The museum presented a wide range of public programs. The 

 year's offerings included tours, workshops, lecutres, gallery 

 talks, panel discussions, films, musical performances and pro- 

 grams for educators. 



An extensive series of programs were offered in conjunction 

 with the exhibition "Ancient Nubia: Egypt's Rival in Africa." 

 One highlight was an interdisciplinary panel discussion on 

 "The Art and Culture of Ancient Nubia." Participants in the 

 standing room only program included historian Ismail 

 Abdallah, College of William and Mary; archaeologist David 

 O'Connor, The University of Pennsylvania Museum; cultural 

 anthropologist Ann Jennings; and archaeologist Nettie K. 

 Adams, The Webb Museum of Anthropology. In addicion, the 

 museum published a gallery guide for young audiences. 



Also this year the museum launched an ongoing program 

 for young audiences called "Let's Read about Africa." The 

 weekend program introduces young visitors to African cul- 

 ture, visual traditions and the joy of reading. 



The National Museum of African Art continues to make it- 

 self accessible to people with special needs. Tours for hard-of- 

 heanng visitors were made possible through a portable FM 

 Assistive Listening System. This system also allowed hard-of- 

 hearing visitors to participate in educational programs in the 

 workshop and lecture hall. Sign language interpreters for deaf 

 visitors were available upon request for all museum programs. 



Publications 



Throughout the yeat, the museum's curatorial staff published 

 exhibition catalogues and additional informational materials 

 to accompany exhibitions. This included a 52-page illustrated 

 book, "Mohammad Omer Khalil, Etchings, Amir I.M. Nour, 

 Sculpture," published in con]unction with the exhibition of 

 the works of two Sudanese-born artists. In addition, the mu- 

 seum published gallery brochures in conjunction with two ex- 

 hibitions: "Grace Kwami Sculpture: An Artist's Book by Atta 

 Kwami" and "Art from the Forge." The museum also co-pub- 

 lished with the Smithsonian Institution Press the anthology 

 African Nomadic Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender edited by 

 architect and architectural historian Labelie Prussin. In this 

 handsomely illustrated book, Prussin identifies the three basic 

 elements that distinguish nomadic from sedentary architec- 

 ture: mobility, gender and ritual. 



National Museum of American Art 



Elizabeth Broun, Director 



The National Museum of American Art and its Renwick Gal- 

 lery offered thematic exhibitions and relevant public pro- 

 grams on American art to audiences in Washington, and 

 through traveling exhibitions and online programs, to 

 museum-goers nationwide during 1995. The museum made 

 important additions to its permanent collections of American 

 art and crafts in all media. Significantly expanded electronic 

 outreach and important strides in development and increasing 

 private revenue were also major accomplishments. 



The White House Collection of American Crafts exhibition 

 and its complementary Internet tour showcased 72 outstand- 

 ing examples of contemporary craft by some of America's 

 most innovative artists in glass, ceramics, wood, metal, and 

 fiber. These works were originally assembled by former 

 Renwick Gallery curator-in-charge Michael W Monroe for 

 display in public and private rooms of the White House in 

 recognition of the Year of American Craft in 1993. First lady 

 Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed a press preview and a re- 

 ception for the White House Collection of American Crafts 

 exhibition. After its Washington premier at NMAA April 26 

 through September 4, che show began a six-city national tour 

 in Rochester, New York. 



An in-depth survey of the American daguerreotype 

 through some 150 surprisingly varied examples, curated by 

 NMAA senior curator Merry Foresta and John Wood of 

 McNeese State University in Louisiana, was provocatively ti- 

 tled, Secrets of the Dark Chamber: The Art of the American 

 Daguerreotype. The use of fiber optic lights in the installation 

 was a firsc for the museum. These lights permuted easy view- 

 ing of the images on their silvered surfaces. The exhibition 

 catalog, published by Smithsonian Press, was named best 

 photography book of che year by The New York Times Book 

 Review. 



Free Within Ourselves: African-American Arc from che 

 Museum's Collection curated by Lynda Hartigan was a chance 

 for the museum to display a broad selection from what has be- 

 come che country's most extensive public collection of African- 

 American art. Nearly 200 works by some 100 

 African-American artists from the early 19th century to the 

 present in all media made it possible to see che scope of the 

 African-American contribution to the visual arts in America 

 as never before. The show introduced the museum's firsc pho- 

 tography by African-Americans. A lively reception for the 

 exhibition drew a large component of artists and their fami- 

 lies. The show's Family Day attracted a record number of par- 

 ticipants for art demonstrations and hands-on activities, 

 storytelling, and dance and dramatic performances. In con- 

 junction with the exhibition, the education and curatorial 

 departments of the museum produced "African American Art- 

 ists: Affirmation Today," a 30-minute video on the life and 



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