Reports of the Museums and Research Institutes 



47 



large-format film celebrating the 100th anniversary of flight, 

 which will be distributed worldwide, was initiated. An elec- 

 tronic field trip featuring the How Things Fly gallery was 

 produced and broadcast in conjunction with Ball State Uni- 

 versity. 



National Museum of African Art 



Roslyn A. Walker, Director 



The National Museum of African Art celebrates the rich 

 visual traditions and extraordinarily diverse cultures of 

 Africa and fosters an appreciation of African art and civiliza- 

 tions through its collections, exhibitions, research, and 

 public programs. 



Acquisitions 



Among the most significant art works acquired by the mu- 

 seum in the past year were a Dogon figure from Mali, a Baga 

 mask from Guinea and a mbala maternity figure from the 

 Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition, the museum 

 acquired a 1972 mixed-media work by Alexander "Skunder" 

 Boghossian titled Devil Descending, (a gift of Basilio F. Ciocci 

 in memory of Rainmondo Ciocci and Elvira Maone Ciocci) 

 and a 1943 oil painting by Gerard Sekoto titled Boy and the 

 Candle. 



The first level of the National Museum of African Art 

 houses several permanent exhibitions drawing on the mu- 

 seum's collection: "Images of Power and Identity," "The Art 

 of the Personal Object," and "The Ancient West African 

 City of Benin, A.D. 1300— 1897." In addition, in collabora- 

 tion with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the museum 

 offers "The Ancient Nubian City of Kerma, 2500—1500 

 B.C.," a loan exhibition of works from the permanent collec- 

 tion of the Museum of Fine Arts, featuring objects from 

 Kerma, an ancient Nubian city that was located on the Nile 

 River. The exhibition was organized by the Museum of Fine 

 Arts, Boston, and its Department of Ancient Egyptian, Nu- 

 bian, and Near Eastern Art; all objects are from the Harvard 

 University-Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Expedition. 



Also located on the first level is the Sylvia H. Williams 

 Gallery, which was the location of the exhibition "A Con- 

 crete Vision: Oshogbo Art in the 1960s." In addition, the 

 first level was the site of "Celebrating Our New Collection 

 Catalogue." 



The first level is the location of the Point of View 

 Gallery that presents small temporary exhibitions that focus 

 on specific themes or objects. This gallery was the site of 

 "Hats Off! A Salute to African Headgear," "The Arristry of 

 African Currency," and "Identity of the Sacred: Two Niger- 

 ian Shrine Figures." In addition, on view on the first level 

 was "Audible Artworks," a selection of African musical 

 instruments. 



The museum's second-level gallery was the site of the ex- 

 hibition "Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African 



American Identity," which examined the history and use of 

 traditional kente cloth and explored the impact contempo- 

 rary kente production has had in Ghana and the United 

 States. The exhibition was presenred jointly by the National 

 Museum of African Art and the Anacostia Museum and Cen- 

 ter for African American History and Culture. Also on view 

 was "Transatlantic Dialogue: Contemporary Art In and Our 

 of Africa," the first exhibition to chart the interrelationship 

 between contemporary African artists who have lived or 

 worked in the West and African American artists who have 

 traveled primarily in West Africa. 



The museum's educational offerings, which spring from 

 the permanent collections and special exhibitions, provide 

 audiences with provocative and insightful views of the world 

 of African art. An array of tours, workshops and focus pro- 

 grams gave students of all ages their first encounters with 

 real works of African art. 



Among the highlights was a Kwanzaa celebration, 

 cosponsored with the Smithsonian's National Museum of 

 Natural History and Anacostia Museum and Center for 

 African American History and Culture, which highlighted 

 African and African American collections at the Smithson- 

 ian, with many varied programs for youth and adults. A 

 panel discussion on "Kente Is Not Just a Cloth: Reflections 

 on Kente" brought together scholars from Ghana and the 

 United States who explored kente cloth production, design, 

 aesthetics, and use in Ghana, the United States, and around 

 the world. Another panel discussion was organized on the 

 topic of "Perspectives on Art of the Oshogbo School" with 

 panelists offering diverse views regarding the history, devel- 

 opment, and importance of art and artists from the Oshogbo 

 school. 



The museum also participated in "Art Night on the Mall," 

 offering nine musical programs introducing audiences to 

 African musicians and instruments during extended summer 

 hours on Thursday nights. 



In addition, workshops and demonstrations by pracricing 

 artists engaged attentive audiences eager to meet and talk 

 with African artists. For example, Nyamekese Osei-Tutu, an 

 Asante master weaver, demonstrated and discussed kente 

 weaving techniques and Gilbert "Bobbo" Ahiagble, an Ewe 

 master weaver from Ghana, demonstrated and discussed 

 kente weaving. Week-long workshop gave local art teachers 

 the opportunity to work with African and African American 

 artists represented in the museum's exhibition "Transatlantic 

 Dialogue." 



The museum also continues to make itself accessible to 

 people with special needs. Tours for hard-of-hearing visitors 

 were made possible through a portable FM Assistive Listen- 

 ing System. This system also allowed hard-of-hearing visitors 

 ro 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 year, the museum published informational 

 materials to accompany exhibitions. 



