African-influenced art displayed at WSU

Two art exhibitions, “Bearing Witness: Contemporary Works by African American Artists” and “African Sculpture from the Harris Cline Collection,” that attest to the influence of African art and culture in the United States opened in January at the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art. There are several events in February associated with these exhibitions.

“Bearing Witness” originally was developed at Spelman College, an institution devoted to the education of African-American women. The exhibition, featuring 24 artists, is an eclectic mixture of media, from textiles and collage to painting and sculpture. The exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance with the Kansas Arts Commission.

Three artists in “Bearing Witness” — Amalia Amaki, Nanette Carter and Faith Ringgold — will give lectures and workshops at WSU in February.

Amaki will give a free lecture from 4-5 p.m. Feb. 25 in 210 McKnight East. Her free sculpture workshop 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Ulrich Museum is for people 12 years and older, and reservations are required.

Four of Amaki’s works “Fan Series: Baby Doll in a Case;” “Number 1 Fan #2;” “Souvenir Case #2;” and “Fan Series: Overcome Evil With Good” are adorned with jeweled fragments, buttons, beads and pearls. Her art is a composite of childhood days and memories of family gatherings.

Carter’s work focuses on the rhythms of nature with its harmony and discord and its similarities to human life. Carter, who studied at the L’Accademia di Belle Arti in Italy, will give a free lecture from 4-5 p.m. Feb. 11 in 210 McKnight East. Her free drawing workshop from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Ulrich Museum also is for people 12 years and older, with reservations required.

Ringgold is best known for her painted story quilts — art that combines painting, quilted fabric and storytelling. The former public school teacher who was born in Harlem won several awards with her first book “Tar Beach.”

“Bearing Witness” will display two of Ringgold’s quilts.

Ringgold will give two free multimedia presentations: “More Than 30 Years Making Art,” 7:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 26, CAC Theater and “Story Quilts and Children’s Books,” 2-4 p.m. Feb. 27, Hughes Metropolitan Complex. Books signings will follow each lecture.

The Ulrich Museum is also hosting “Family Day: Celebrating the Arts” with crafts, games and more related to “Bearing Witness” 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 20.

As a companion to “Bearing Witness,” the Ulrich will exhibit “African Sculpture from the Harris Klein Collection,” a selection of traditional West African works. The exhibit includes masks and ritualistic objects, as well as a large selection of Ashanti weights used for determining the value and weight of gold. The works were originally collected for Klein by American sculptor Chaim Gross, who had been influenced by the abstract character of African sculpture.

“Bearing Witness: Contemporary Works by African American Artists”
is one of the current exhibitions at the Ulrich Museum. The exhibition,
featuring 24 artists, is an eclectic mixture of media, from textiles and
collage to painting and sculpture. Among the pieces displayed is
Faith Ringgold’s “Marlon Riggs: Tongues Untied, a Painted Story Quilt,”
an acrylic on canvas with pieced and quilted fabric. Ringgold will give
two multimedia presentations at WSU in February.