An anonymous local art collector’s souvenirs from trips to Egypt and Kenya dominate A Sense of Place From Africa to Beyond: A Traveler’s Guide to Family, Order, God, and Country, which opens today at Lake Erie College’s B.K. Smith Gallery. The 45-piece exhibit includes masks, figurines, and toys — all compiled from 30 years of African adventures. The artwork reflects the natives’ effect on contemporary music, religion, and government, says curator Cavana Faithwalker. “You see a lot of ties between your life and Africa — from their point of view,” he says. “It gives great insight into how their culture had a great influence on American art.”
A reception on Saturday afternoon at 5 features poet Mary Weems (who will also host a slam), the African Soul International dance troupe, and Vince Robinson & the Jazz Poets. Faithwalker will be there to tie it all together. “It’s a sense of human commonality, artistic achievement, beauty, and aesthetics,” he says. “[The exhibit] depicts a spiritual realm that inundates all areas of life.” www.lec.edu.
Sept. 6-Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., 2007
This article appears in Sep 5-11, 2007.
This was a phenomenal exhibit and the programming that was with it was astounding. African Soul International Drum and Dance troup was exhilarating as was poetry with Vince Robinson and the Jazzmen or Jazz Poets. I also attended the panel discussion and went back several times to see the juxtaposition of contemporary African American Art with the African art. At least i think they were all african american. Richard Howell, Dexter Davis and others.
I was at this exhibit and opening too. I agree. The African dance group even got us white people dancing! The food could have been more African though.