African art in general and West African textiles in particular are vibrant and changing.

West Africa is the heartland of African textile production. From the Kente cloth of Ghana and mud cloth of Mali to the indigo Adire cloth of Nigeria and printed cottons of Guinea both tradition and innovation are evident. The evolution of traditional crafts, the ingenuity of individual artists, and commercial global market forces have all influenced the design, color, meaning and function of West African textiles.

Contemporary bogolan (mudcloth) textile by Boubacar Doumbia.

African art has never been frozen in time. The exciting patterns, designs, and color combinations of the cloth coincide with changes in culture, religion and trade networks.

In this exhibit you will see examples of some of the changes in cloth over time. While traditional mud cloth is painted in great symbolic detail, commercial works are produced quickly with pleasing designs and, often, western markets in mind. Fine artists from Mali using traditional vegetable dyes with original designs now exhibit their mud cloth in contemporary art galleries in Europe and the United States.

Many of the textiles to be exhibited have been donated to the Museum, often by faculty. These textiles were collected by professors with a range of specialties in African Studies while traveling, working and living in Africa. They illustrate the longstanding vitality of the work of Michigan State University in West Africa.

This magnificent display of textiles illustrates how cloth has been transformed and refigured over time. It is hoped that visitors will enjoy the artistry and skill of the producers represented by the textiles but also understand this practice in its cultural and historical contexts. African art belongs to the past and to the present. This exhibit will bring the viewer to a deeper understanding of Threads of Change in West African Textiles.

Guest curator: Chris Worland
Also of interest
MALI IN MICHIGAN: ART, RELIGION, AND POLITICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

This year-long series of exhibits, programs and events at Michigan State University is sponsored by the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH), the Public Humanities Collaborative, the Center for Advanced Study of International Development (CASID), and the MSU Museum.

Visual Griots: An Exhibit of Photography by African Youth
September 15, 2008 - March 15, 2009
MSU Museum - Heritage Gallery
This exhibit of photos by Malian youths, which debuted at Smithsonian, is curated by Shawn Davis and is a project of the Academy for Educational Development, Washington, D.C. A team of Malian and U.S. photographers went into the villages of Damy and Kouara to put cameras in the hand of youth, empower them to document their lives, and help them better connect with their communities and the world. The exhibit will involve outreach and civic engagement activities, especially with Lansing, Mason, and Lansing Special Education classrooms.

learn more:
http://museum.msu.edu/Exhibitions/Upcoming/visual_griots_of_mali.html

Islamic Manuscripts of Tombouctou Photography Exhibit
September 28-October 11, 2008
RCAH LookOut! Gallery - Snyder Hall
These photographs by Alexandra Huddleston will be in the RCAH LookOut! Gallery. Huddleston will also be a visiting Artist-in-Residence during the exhibit in Prof. David Cooper's fall 2008 RCAH Photography Workshop.

more information:
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities: (517) 355-0210, http://www.rcah.msu.edu/
Public Humanities Collaborative: (517) 432-3910, http://www.phc.msu.edu/index.php

Strengthening Civil Society through Dialogue on Faith and Community:
A U.S.-Mali Exchange Program
October 3-17, 2008
Michigan State University and the University of Bamako are partnering in an exchange program focusing on issues of Islam, faith, community and democracy. The program will provide an opportunity for a delegation of Malian clerics and heads of Islamic schools, university faculty with scholarly interests in religion, and community leaders to learn about Islam and the lives of Muslims in the U.S. as well as enhance their knowledge of civil society.

The delegation will attend seminars with MSU faculty and meet with Islamic and religious leaders in the Lansing area and other Michigan communities, and then spend a week in Washington, D.C. Alternately, in spring 2009, American clerics, scholars of religion, and community leaders will travel to Mali to learn about Islamic practice and culture, and continue to develop professional and personal linkages for sustained interaction. A second Malian delegation will come to MSU in fall 2009.

This program is led by the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) and the Center for Advanced Study of International Development (CASID), in the College of Social Science. The program is made possible by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

more information:
Center for Advanced Study of International Development: (517) 353-5925, http://www.casid.msu.edu/

Ambassadorial Visits
Former Malian Ambassador Cheick Oumar Diarrah, a visiting scholar at MSU, and former US Ambassadors to Mali Vicki Huddleston and David Rawson will be at MSU to meet with the Malian delegation and attend special events, including a presentation by Alexandra Huddleston to the Malian delegation on October 6 and a presentation to the Malian delegation by Prof. Candace Keller of the Department of Art and Art History and the RCAH on the Visual Griots exhibit on October 7.

Residential College in the Arts and Humanities: (517) 355-0210, http://www.rcah.msu.edu/

Arts and Culture at MSU
Explore your world through the vibrant cultural community that is Michigan State University. Discover the hundreds of performances, exhibitions, and special programs that enrich lives on campus, in the community, and throughout the world.

Arts and culture at MSU play a critical role in nurturing the human spirit while contributing to a richer quality of life. Museums, galleries, and gardens along with libraries, historic sites, and performance spaces provide a catalyst for cultural exchange of diverse ideas and inspirations. At the same time, audiences on campus and around the world take advantage of academic and research outreach programs such as public broadcasting, online resources, and publications.

Join us in exploring a world of arts and culture at Michigan State University. Learn more at http://artsandculture.msu.edu.