Curators to Discuss ‘The Global Africa Project’ at Spelman College

Lowery Stokes Sims, Ph.D., and Leslie King-Hammond, Ph.D., co-curators of the exhibition “The Global Africa Project” at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, will participate in “Exploring Global Africa,” a conversation about how the exhibition actively challenges conventional notions of a singular African aesthetic or identity on Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.

Sims and King-Hammond’s discussion will also survey the rich pool of new talent emerging from the African continent and its influence on artists around the world.

“The Global Africa Project” features the work of more than 100 artists working in Africa, Europe, Asia, the United States and the Caribbean. The groundbreaking exhibition includes ceramics, basketry, textiles, jewelry, furniture, and fashion as well as selective examples of architecture, photography, painting and sculpture. On view through May 15, 2011, it is the first exhibition to explore the impact of African visual culture on contemporary art, craft, and design around the world.

Sims and King-Hammond and their respective institutions collaborated on the exhibit. Sims is the Charles Bronfman International Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design. King-Hammond is the founding director of the Center for Race and Culture at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

A book signing for “The Global Africa Project” follows the discussion. The program is free and open to the public.

“Exploring Global Africa” is organized by the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, the Center for Leadership Civic Engagement at Spelman College, and the Spelman College Department of Art in collaboration with the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the English department, the African Diaspora and the World Program, the Office of Alumnae Affairs, the Women’s Research and Resource Center and the Office of Institutional Advancement. It is made possible by support from an anonymous donor to the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.

“The Global Africa Project” is made possible by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation as part of its International Cultural Engagement Initiative, with additional support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Rockefeller Foundation, HSBC Bank USA, N.A. and a group of private donors. Major support for the exhibition catalogue has been provided by Basil Alkazzi, who gave additional funds in memory of Judi Hoffman.