April 17, 2008 - August 24, 2008 (new closing date)
Sublevel 1
Treasures 2008 showcases artwork made of ivory ranging from small personal objects, such as containers and jewelry, to large public objects, such as carved tusks and staffs. Dating from between the 15th and 20th centuries, these rarely seen ivory masterpieces are from the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art's collection and special loans from private collections throughout the United States.
Catalogue: $45 (paper)
March 12, 2008 - September 2, 2008
Sublevel 1, Sylvia H. Williams Gallery
This is the first solo exhibition of works by El Anatsui, one of Africa's leading contemporary artists, who was originally from Ghana and has lived in Nigeria since 1975. Having experimented with a variety of media, his most recent focus is on the use of discarded metal objects -- tops from food tins or wrappers from flattened metal liquor bottles -- hundreds or even thousands of which are joined together to resemble weavings that both reflect the tradition of Ghanaian strip cloths and the abstraction of modernist paintings. El Anatsui indicates that the word gawu (derived from Ewe, his native language) has several potential meanings, including "metal" and "a fashioned cloak." The term, therefore, manages to encapsulate the medium, process, and format of the works that will be on view, reflecting the artist's transformation of discarded materials into objects of striking beauty and originality.
Related publication: $35.95 (paper)
March 12, 2008 - Indefinitely
Sublevel 1
While the artist El Anatsui addresses global ideas about the environment, consumerism and the social history and memory of the "stuff" of our lives, his use of recycled materials also recognizes that human creativity and ingenuity are employed in creating something from available resources, including items that are discarded. The artist's "cloth" works also celebrate the woven and stamped textile traditions that remain vibrant in Ghana and Nigeria today.
February 15, 2007 - March 22, 2009 (new closing date)
Sublevel 1, North Gallery
On view are 88 pieces from this comprehensive 525-piece collection of African art representing 20 African countries and 75 peoples and covers 5 centuries of African art, including most major styles ranging from a highly abstract Cameroon mask to a naturalistic carved wooden male figure from Madagascar. Many of the works inspired such 20th-century artists as Picasso and Juan Gris.
Catalogue: $39.95 (paper)
June 14, 2006 - Indefinitely (new closing date)
Sublevel 1, near Museum Store
(2003, filmed 2001, 15 min., videotape on DVD, Georgia Papageorge) This video uses coastal landscapes of southern Africa and Brazil to explore the concepts of rift, synchronicity, and transcendence, concepts that the artist infuses with deep spiritual meaning.
January 14, 1998 - Indefinitely
Sublevel Three
Drawn from the museum's extensive collection of 140 ceramic works, on view are 14 vessels representing various regions of the African continent, including five objects that have never been exhibited in the museum. The vessels are representative of master potters, primarily women who display their dexterity by hand-building a variety of vessels. A few pieces from an important group of 85 vessels from Central Africa are on display, along with a beer container from the Chewa of Malawi, a water vessel from the Yoruba of Nigeria, and water and oil containers from the Berber of Algeria.
The Museum Store offers a wide selection of merchandise inspired by the collections and the arts and cultures of Africa.
Although the African Art Museum does not have an on-site café, many Smithsonian museums do.
