World unfolds for students at Frist
African exhibit gives first-hand view
By Sheldon Scruggs
Diversity Institute Fellow
03.27.06
When Rashieda Bolton, a 7th grader from Donaldson Middle School in Chattanooga, tried on an "Igbo Mask" from Nigeria, her classmates were impressed. Removing the elaborate head piece, Rashieda laughed.
"Cool," she said.
The students were on a class trip, not to Lagos, but to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Nashville.
The center is running an exhibit called "African Art, African Voices," which showcases the achievements of artists from 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The collection, on loan from the Seattle Art Museum, consists of paintings, sculpture, photography, masks and other ceremonial costumes.
"This exhibit is very interesting for kids and adults," said Stephanie Finley, as she strolled through the galleries with her son Max and infant daughter, Mia.
"I'm debating a field trip here with my 5th grade class," added Finley, a teacher at Stewartsboro Elementary School.
The exhibits are arranged by objects and countries, with PowerPoint presentations explaining how the objects are used and what they mean. For example, one presentation shows a wood carving of a Mercedes-Benz from Ghana, which is actually a coffin used to show the status of the deceased.
Estelle Condra, a native of South Africa who now resides in Nashville, explained the exhibits in the African Touch Gallery to students from a visiting school. Condra, who is blind, is an advisor at the center, making the exhibits visitor-friendly so that visually impaired people can handle the pieces and read information in Braille.
"This is a love of mine," said Condra, who has studied African folklore. "I've translated hundreds of stories which I dramatize orally and through dance. This exhibit is an outgrowth of studying African folklore," she said.
One of the center's exhibits is interactive. In addition to learning about African traditions through art, children can also create their own masks in the hands-on education department of the center.
Another part of the exhibit called "Lost Boys of Sudan" includes paintings by two of the so-called Lost Boys now living in Nashville. The artwork depicts their lives in villages and their struggle for survival during the civil war.
Mark Harrison, from Portland, Tenn., said he attended the exhibit because he wanted his 6-year-old daughter, Diana, to understand other cultures.
"This whole exhibit is a learning experience," Harrison said.
The exhibit will continue through April 30.