October 18, 2017
1:30–3:30 p.m.

Get inspired by art, old and new! Participants will first learn about uli, a traditional Igbo art form was created by women to decorate their bodies and the outside walls of their houses, and about the Nsukka Group, an artists’ movement that looked to uli and its fluid lines and symbols to inspire their contemporary practice. Then, paint your own masterpiece onto fabric.

This workshop is presented as part of the museum’s series of Workshop Wednesdays. Every first Wednesday of the month, stop by the museum for drop-in classes from trained teachers. Stay for as little or as long as you like to complete your masterpiece. All skill levels and ages welcome; participants under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. While registration is not required to attend, please remember that these events are first-come, first-served. Visit here for a full list of upcoming workshops.

Free and open to the public

Image credit: Chike C. Aniakor
b. 1939, Nigeria
Visual Incantations
1996
Ink on paper
56.5 x 38.5 cm (22 1/4 x 15 3/16 in.)
Purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, 96-18-1
Photograph by Franko Khoury

October 21, 2017
1:30–4:30 p.m.
Adult audiences only

Join National Museum of African Art for a screening and discussion of the critically acclaimed film Moolaadé (Burkina Faso, 120 min., French and Bambara with English subtitles). From famed Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene (often called “the father of African film”) Moolaadé follows the story of Collé, a brave mother who refuses to allow her daughter to undergo female genital cutting. By standing against local tradition, Collé ignites a cultural upheaval in their small village.

Then, stay for light refreshments and a candid conversation with the museum’s head of education and scholarly initiatives Lanisa Kitchiner, educator and activist Kakenya Ntaiya, and president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities Lynn Pasquerella. We will explore the experiences of girls, cultural norms and defenses, universal human rights, and what this film can teach us about our present moment in the United States. In a society that values diversity and pluralism, can and should parental rights be limited with respect to religious practice and cultural norms?

Moolaadé is presented as part of the museum’s Africa in Reel Time series. Join us every month for a screening and discussion! Visit here for a full list of upcoming films.

Free and open to the public.

October 21, 2017
2–5 p.m.

Join the National Museum of African Art for an incredible immersive afternoon of Maasai dancing, storytelling, and music! Visiting Maasai herdsman, warriors, and crafters will perform their famous “jumping dance” and multipart harmonies. They will also share stories new and old through traditional storytelling and a documentary on the contemporary life of their community. Maasai artisans will guide a special workshop on bead-making, giving you a chance to get in on the action. The Maasai are known around the world for the steadfast preservation of their deep cultural roots while embracing and utilizing contemporary technologies—don’t miss the chance to experience it for yourself.  
  
 Presented in collaboration by World Artists Experiences

Free and open to the public