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Spirits of the Forest, People of the Herd: African Art in Two Worlds

On view March 18 – June 8, 2014

Curated by Dr. Chris Steiner of Connecticut College, Spirits of the Forest, People of the Herd: African Art in Two Worlds(March 18 – June 8, 2014), is an exhibition of art and artifacts from two very different regions on the African continent: the forests of coastal West Africa and the mountainous plains of Uganda. In one case, art serves to manifest the presence of spirits that guide and control religious and social life; in the other case, art is tightly integrated into the everyday needs of pastoralists whose very existence revolves around the welfare and fertility of the herd.

The “People of the Herd” section features the domestic, decorative and ceremonial objects of the pastoral Bahima of western Uganda.  This traditional world of herding now no longer exists, the victim both of civil war and the pressures of globalization.   The objects exhibited, wooden milk pots, gourd storage vessels, baskets, beaded containers, and jewelry, all explore the role of “beauty” in the material culture of a nomadic African people, and demonstrate how functional form and aesthetic preferences are seamlessly bound together in their visual world.

In “Spirits of the Forest” objects from several New England collections are on loan to showcase the arts of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Featured in this section of the exhibition are masks and ritual objects from the Gio/Dan and Mende ethnic groups that communicate the relationship between the world of the living and the spirits of the forest. Here the exhibition examines how material objects express religious beliefs, and how objects help regulate social relationships and political hierarchy in small-scale African village societies.

Out of Africa Mask
Wooden mask, Dan/Gio people, Liberia. 19th/20th century. Collected by Connecticut artist/muralist Alfred J. Tulk in Ganta, Liberia, 1933. Private Collection.

 

Filed Under: Past Exhibitions Tagged With: african art, exhibitions

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Monday: CLOSED
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We are located just off I-95. Take Exit 83 and follow the cultural attraction signs.

Calendar

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26
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6:00 PM - Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- The Plant Family: Gilded Age Gossip, Gifting and the (Income) Gap
5
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11:00 AM - Free First Saturday
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10
6:00 PM - Exhibition Discussion: The Circle Game at the Mystic Noank Library
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5:30 PM - Chromatopia Gallery Talk
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11:00 AM - Science Saturday
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6:00 PM - Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- Love and Brutality: The Mysterious Saga of Gallows Road
26
27
2:00 PM - Alexandra Stoddard Exhibition Opening
28
29
30
31
1
2
6:30 PM - Night at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum - February
3
4
11:00 AM - Free First Saturday
1:00 PM - Harriet Tubman: A Woman with a Railroad
5
Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- The Plant Family: Gilded Age Gossip, Gifting and the (Income) Gap
Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- The Plant Family: Gilded Age Gossip, Gifting and the (Income) Gap
Wednesday, January 4, 2023    
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
  • Lecture
  • Special Event
Registration after 12/29: $15 Members / $20 Non-members The Lyman Allyn Art Museum will host Thames River Heritage Park’s winter lecture series, “Stories from the [...]
More Info
Free First Saturday
Free First Saturday
Saturday, January 7, 2023    
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Lyman Allyn Museum
  • Children's Programs
  • Special Event
Join us in the art studio from 11 am - 1 pm and create your own Print of an Egyptian Symbol! While you're here, explore [...]
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Exhibition Discussion: The Circle Game at the Mystic Noank Library
Exhibition Discussion: The Circle Game at the Mystic Noank Library
Tuesday, January 10, 2023    
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Lecture
Join the Lyman Allyn Art Museum at the Mystic Noank Library for a lecture on the new exhibition, The Circle Game, on display at the [...]
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Chromatopia Gallery Talk
Chromatopia Gallery Talk
Wednesday, January 18, 2023    
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
  • Lecture
  • Special Event
Color is all around us, but what do we really know about it? Join Director of Exhibitions Jane LeGrow for an engaging look at how [...]
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Science Saturday
Science Saturday
Saturday, January 21, 2023    
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Lyman Allyn Museum
  • Children's Programs
  • Special Event
This fun drop-in program, designed for children ages 7-11, encourages participants to explore the intersections between art and science. January 21: Beautiful Banjos TWANG! Learn about [...]
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Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- Love and Brutality: The Mysterious Saga of Gallows Road
Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- Love and Brutality: The Mysterious Saga of Gallows Road
Wednesday, January 25, 2023    
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
  • Lecture
  • Special Event
Registration after 1/19: $15 Members / $20 Non-members The Lyman Allyn Art Museum will host Thames River Heritage Park’s winter lecture series, “Stories from the [...]
More Info
Alexandra Stoddard Exhibition Opening
Alexandra Stoddard Exhibition Opening
Friday, January 27, 2023    
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  • Exhibition Opening
  • Special Event
Join us in celebrating the opening of Alexandra Stoddard: A Colorful Life. See this pop-up exhibition, meet Alexandra Stoddard, and enjoy coffee, tea, and light [...]
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Night at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum - February
Night at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum - February
Thursday, February 2, 2023    
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
  • Special Event
Grab your friends and join us for drinks and art-making on the first Thursday of every month! Tickets include two drinks, light bites, and creative [...]
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Free First Saturday
Free First Saturday
Saturday, February 4, 2023    
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Lyman Allyn Museum
  • Children's Programs
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Join us in the art studio from 11 am - 1 pm and create your own portrait of our "Heroes in History"! Celebrate Black History [...]
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Harriet Tubman: A Woman with a Railroad
Harriet Tubman: A Woman with a Railroad
Saturday, February 4, 2023    
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lyman Allyn Museum
  • Children's Programs
  • Special Event
Presented by Adwoa Bandele-Asante Join us for an interesting and interactive afternoon of learning with a live performance of Harriet Tubman: A Woman with a Railroad [...]
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Events on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- The Plant Family: Gilded Age Gossip, Gifting and the (Income) Gap
Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- The Plant Family: Gilded Age Gossip, Gifting and the (Income) Gap
4 Jan 23
New London
Events on Saturday, January 7, 2023
Free First Saturday
Free First Saturday
7 Jan 23
New London
Events on Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Exhibition Discussion: The Circle Game at the Mystic Noank Library
Exhibition Discussion: The Circle Game at the Mystic Noank Library
10 Jan 23
Events on Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Chromatopia Gallery Talk
Chromatopia Gallery Talk
18 Jan 23
New London
Events on Saturday, January 21, 2023
Science Saturday
Science Saturday
21 Jan 23
New London
Events on Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- Love and Brutality: The Mysterious Saga of Gallows Road
Thames River Heritage Park Lecture- Love and Brutality: The Mysterious Saga of Gallows Road
25 Jan 23
New London
Events on Friday, January 27, 2023
Alexandra Stoddard Exhibition Opening
Alexandra Stoddard Exhibition Opening
27 Jan 23
Events on Thursday, February 2, 2023
Night at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum - February
Night at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum - February
2 Feb 23
New London
Events on Saturday, February 4, 2023
Free First Saturday
Free First Saturday
4 Feb 23
New London
Harriet Tubman: A Woman with a Railroad
Harriet Tubman: A Woman with a Railroad
4 Feb 23
New London

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Lyman Allyn Art Museum
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