AFRICA: A Legacy in Memory

April 3rd, 2004 will mark the opening of Hamline’s sesquicentennial with the festival, Africa: A Legacy in Memory. The centerpiece of this festival will be the critically acclaimed pan-African exhibition, Material Differences, curated by the Museum for African Art in New York. The exhibition is a selection of approximately one hundred works of traditional African art, including a 19th century wooden chair of the Dan people from our collection, along with the recently acquired storage pot from Burkina Faso, which was purchased through the generosity of the Alumni Art Acquisition Fund. Material Differences will be among the largest exhibitions of African art to be exhibited in Minnesota, and Hamline will be its first venue outside of New York.

Leonardo Lasansky, Chair of the Department of Studio Arts and Art History, and Rees Allison, Chair of the Department of Music, have organized Africa: A Legacy in Memory, which is devoted to the artistic and cultural achievements of the continent of Africa and its unequivocal influence on the age of modernity. This festival acknowledges much of the rich traditions that remain in the memories of African peoples. It recognizes these oral traditions, encompassing history, kinship, dance, and music that have been passed down from generation to generation as legitimate sources of knowledge and history.

Over the course of the two-month festival, a number of exceptional events will take place. The keynote address will be delivered by internationally renowned Africanist Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., professor at Harvard University. Among his many accomplishments, most recently Dr. Gates completed the book companion to the six-hour BBC/PBS television series, Wonders of the African World. Other events will include performances by contemporary and traditional African musicians and lectures presented by prominent Africanist Art Historians. In addition, interactive classroom activities, workshops, and guided tours for children will be among the events.

Due to Professor Lasansky’s efforts, Hamline has had a twenty-year long relationship with the Museum for African Art. Most recently, Holly Johnson (’02) and Alisa McCusker (’02), both recipients of the Genevieve Rust Ehlers Endowed Museum Internship Scholarship, received the opportunity to intern while students at Hamline. Subsequently, both students were hired as staff members at the Museum in New York. Alisa McCusker, who was on staff in the Curatorial Department at the Museum and majored in Art History and minored in Studio Arts, was instrumental in the negotiations in obtaining Material Differences for Hamline University. Currently, Alisa is finalizing plans for graduate school in African Art History. Holly Johnson, who majored in Art History and Anthropology with a minor in Management, is now on the Development Staff and works closely with the director of the Museum. In a recent interview with Johnson, she mentioned how Frank Herreman, Director for Exhibitions, expressed his pleasure with the work of Hamline interns and looks forward to working with future interns.

Professor Lasansky and Frank Herreman had an opportunity to meet while this exhibition was being conceived. Professor Lasansky recalls his first visit, “As we sat in Frank’s office, he was reviewing images from private and public collections from around the world and asking me what I thought of them. I was quite moved by this.” Lasansky realized that this would be a wonderful opportunity to inquire about the possibility of having such an exhibition come to our campus. “It has long been a dream of mine for such an exhibition to be the centerpiece of a festival acknowledging the arts of Africa. African art holds deep personal significance for me. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Roy Sieber, who was a treasured teacher and had a profound influence on the scholarship of African art. He was a very close personal friend of my family for over fifty years. One of the last photographs taken of Roy was in my parents’ home.” This photograph is featured in the preface of the Material Differences catalogue.

Hamline is deeply appreciative of the alumni who have made this exhibition possible. Africa: A Legacy in Memory will honor Hamline’s 150th anniversary. This festival will be a benchmark of key missions of Hamline University: the appreciation, celebration and value of cultural diversity.





				Two Recent Hamline Alumnae Instrumental in Obtaining Pan-African Exhibition April 3rd, 2004 will mark the opening of Hamline’s sesquicentennial with the festival, Africa: A Legacy in Memory. The centerpiece of this festival will be the critically acclaimed pan-African exhibition, Material Differences, curated by the Museum for African Art in New York. The exhibition is a selection of approximately one hundred works of traditional African art, including a 19th century wooden chair of the Dan people from our collection, along with the recently acquired storage pot from Burkina Faso, which was purchased through the generosity of the Alumni Art Acquisition Fund. Material Differences will be among the largest exhibitions of African art to be exhibited in Minnesota, and Hamline will be its first venue outside of New York. Leonardo Lasansky, Chair of the Department of Studio Arts and Art History, and Rees Allison, Chair of the Department of Music, have organized Africa: A Legacy in Memory, which is devoted to the artistic and cultural achievements of the continent of Africa and its unequivocal influence on the age of modernity. This festival acknowledges much of the rich traditions that remain in the memories of African peoples. It recognizes these oral traditions, encompassing history, kinship, dance, and music that have been passed down from generation to generation as legitimate sources of knowledge and history. Over the course of the two-month festival, a number of exceptional events will take place. The keynote address will be delivered by internationally renowned Africanist Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., professor at Harvard University. Among his many accomplishments, most recently Dr. Gates completed the book companion to the six-hour BBC/PBS television series, Wonders of the African World. Other events will include performances by contemporary and traditional African musicians and lectures presented by prominent Africanist Art Historians. In addition, interactive classroom activities, workshops, and guided tours for children will be among the events. Due to Professor Lasansky’s efforts, Hamline has had a twenty-year long relationship with the Museum for African Art. Most recently, Holly Johnson (’02) and Alisa McCusker (’02), both recipients of the Genevieve Rust Ehlers Endowed Museum Internship Scholarship, received the opportunity to intern while students at Hamline. Subsequently, both students were hired as staff members at the Museum in New York. Alisa McCusker, who was on staff in the Curatorial Department at the Museum and majored in Art History and minored in Studio Arts, was instrumental in the negotiations in obtaining Material Differences for Hamline University. Currently, Alisa is finalizing plans for graduate school in African Art History. Holly Johnson, who majored in Art History and Anthropology with a minor in Management, is now on the Development Staff and works closely with the director of the Museum. In a recent interview with Johnson, she mentioned how Frank Herreman, Director for Exhibitions, expressed his pleasure with the work of Hamline interns and looks forward to working with future interns. Professor Lasansky and Frank Herreman had an opportunity to meet while this exhibition was being conceived. Professor Lasansky recalls his first visit, “As we sat in Frank’s office, he was reviewing images from private and public collections from around the world and asking me what I thought of them. I was quite moved by this.” Lasansky realized that this would be a wonderful opportunity to inquire about the possibility of having such an exhibition come to our campus. “It has long been a dream of mine for such an exhibition to be the centerpiece of a festival acknowledging the arts of Africa. African art holds deep personal significance for me. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Roy Sieber, who was a treasured teacher and had a profound influence on the scholarship of African art. He was a very close personal friend of my family for over fifty years. One of the last photographs taken of Roy was in my parents’ home.” This photograph is featured in the preface of the Material Differences catalogue. Hamline is deeply appreciative of the alumni who have made this exhibition possible. Africa: A Legacy in Memory will honor Hamline’s 150th anniversary. This festival will be a benchmark of key missions of Hamline University: the appreciation, celebration and value of cultural diversity.