Date: Fri 10-Sep-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: MARION

Quick Words:

Kente-African-textiles

Full Text:

National Museum Of African Art Opens Kente Cloth Exhibition September 12

(with 2 cuts)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A national touring exhibition on kente cloth -- the best

known of all African textiles -- will open at the Smithsonian on September 12.

"Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity" will be on

view through January 2.

The traveling exhibition is presented in Washington, D.C., by the National

Museum of African Art, and Anacostia Museum and Center for African American

History and Culture. It will be presented in two adjacent locations at the

Smithsonian: The Museum of African Art (950 Independence Avenue S.W.) and the

Arts and Industries Building (900 Jefferson Drive S.W.).

The exhibition and its national tour are made possible by Ford Motor Company.

"Wrapped in Pride" examines the history and use of traditional Ghanaian Kente

cloth and explores the impact contemporary kente production has had in Ghana

and the United States. On view are nearly 700 objects, displayed as individual

works of art or in recreated weaving and market environments typical of those

found in Ghana.

"Visitors to this exhibition not only will enjoy viewing many beautiful and

colorful textiles woven by Ghanaian artists, but also, will recognize objects

from their daily lives incorporating kente designs in creations such as

quilts, jewelry, hair accessories, cummerbunds and bowties, children's

clothing and toys," Roslyn Walker, director of the Museum of Africa Art, and

Steven Newsome, director of the Anacostia Museum and Center for African

American History and Culture, said in a joint statement.

"Wrapped in Pride" is a collaborative exhibition organized by the UCLA Fowler

Museum of Cultural History and the Newark Museum, Newark, N.J. The exhibition

has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities; the

National Endowment for the Arts; the Getty Grant Program for the publication;

and from foundations, corporations and individuals.

The presentation at the museum traces the roots and symbolism of the

strip-woven cloth in Asante and Ewe cultures, and its widespread use there as

garment and ceremonial cloth. In one section, hand-woven cloths and strips,

looms and other weaving implements convey the artistry, technique and history

of kente. The names given to traditional kente patterns reveal a sophisticated

array of proverbs and history within a complex variety of warp and weft

designs.

Anacostia Museum's special section of the exhibition, titled "Kente in

Washington, D.C.," will be presented in the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries

Building. This exhibition component explores the many ways African Americans

and others in the Washington area have incorporated kente in the home, in

politics, in religion and spirituality and in celebration and performance.

Hours at the National Museum of African Art and Arts and Industries Building

are from 10 am to 5:30 pm daily.