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1, No. 1 - November 28, 2001 ‘Africa Embodied’ to Open at Tang “Africa Embodied: The Language of Adornment,” the first student-organized exhibition at Skidmore’s Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, opens Thursday, Nov. 29, in the museum’s Winter Gallery. The exhibition showcases a range of textiles, masquerades, sculpture, beadwork, brass jewelry, pottery, and even a few African barbershop signs. An opening reception featuring a dance and drum performance and refreshments is scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 29. The public is welcome. Admission is free. The show will run through Dec. 14. The objects in the exhibition illustrate how various African cultures use body art to communicate ideas and beliefs related to social organization, spirituality, and gender roles. All of the objects in this exhibition address the body, either by providing surface decoration or in some way representing the human form. Many of the objects communicate the status of their owner within his or her community, while others help to clarify the gender role of the wearer. Some works provide a means of communication with the spiritual world, while others aid communication within society by allowing people to express themselves non-verbally. “Africa Embodied” was curated by students in Professor Lisa Aronson’s “African Body Arts Seminar.” Entrance to the exhibition is free and open to the public. The Tang is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and closed Mondays and public holidays. In connection with “Africa Embodied,” Ghanaian weaver Gilbert “Bobbo” Ahiagble will visit Skidmore and the surrounding community for a series of lecture-demonstrations. Ahiagble, a master kente cloth weaver, comes from the Ewe area in the Volta region of southeastern Ghana. Well-known for weaving Ewe-style kente (a ceremonial cloth hand-woven on a horizontal treadle loom), Ahiagble has gained international recognition for his exceptional work both as a weaver and a teacher. Using his own equipment, he explains the various parts of the West African loom, its heddles, treadles, beater, and wooden frame. He talks about how the loom works, and demonstrates the weaving process, including how to make the colorful weft-float patterns, and how the feet and hands function while weaving. While in the Saratoga area, Ahiagble will visit the Greenfield and Schuylerville elementary schools, as well as Albany’s Giffen Memorial Elementary School, for demonstrations with pupils. He will be a featured guest at the Dec. 8 Tang Family Saturday Program, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the museum. Tang Family Saturday Programs are free and open to the public. For more information on Bobbo's artistry, click here: http://www.africancraft.com/artist/bobbo/ Skidmore Intercom Skidmore College 815 North Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518.580.5000 intercom@skidmore.edu |