MILWAUKEE, WI.- Celebrate the exhibition “African Sculpture: Bamana Art from Mali” before it opens to the public with internationally renowned Ko-Thi Dance Company. Eat, drink and view the exhibition. Ko-Thi performs a native dance of Mali with a myriad of traditional instruments, authentic costumes and infectious music. Free for members showing a current membership card! Non-members can purchase tickets for $20 at the Admissions Desk the night of the event. Opening night Print Media Sponsor: The Business Journal. Opening night Radio Sponsor: V100. The exhibition will be on view from March 1 - May 11, 2003.
Afternoon Programs
Gallery Talks
Tuesdays, March 25 and May 6, 1:30 p.m.
Tour the featured exhibition with Jacqueline Robinson, a recent Fulbright Fellow in Mali. Exhibition ticket required.
Evening Programs
What Art Does for People, What People do for Art
Thursday, March 6, 6:15 p.m.
Exhibition Coordinating Curator Patrick McNaughton, Ph.D., presents the expressive culture of Bamana, exploring the relevance of aesthetic and the power of form while discussing the roles of art and artist in social life, personal imagination and spiritual force. Free with general admission. Exhibition ticket not included.
MAM/West Conversation with Jacqueline Robinson
Monday, March 10, 5:30 p.m., MAM/West at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield Robinson was a recent Fulbright Fellow in Mali. Free. Space limited. Reservations: 262-790-8930.
Drumming Circle Evening
Thursday, March 13, 6:15 p.m.
Bring your own drums and join Ghana master drummer/dancer Habib Iddrisu and Milwaukee drummer Jahmes Tony Finlayson as they demonstrate the power of traditional West African drumming. Limited instruments to share. Free with general admission. Exhibition ticket not included.
Crossing Boundaries: A Conversation About Bamana Art, Artists and Culture Thursday, April 3, 6:15 p.m. Jacqueline Robinson traveled to Mali to study culture and its influences on West Africa and the U.S. She discusses how traditional artists, particularly female artists, use their art to shape identities and reinforce cultural memory in modern day Mali. Free with general admission. Exhibition ticket not included.
Café Mosaic
Wednesday, April 30, 5:30 - 9 p.m.
Delve into provocative discussions about diversity as you journey through the African Sculpture exhibition. Part of a series hosted by Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM). $10. Register at ypm.mmac.org.
Culture as Invention of Everyday Life in Mali
Thursday, May 1, 6:15 p.m.
Visual anthropologist Jean-Paul Colleyn, exhibition co-curator, discusses culture as a modern tool for solving current problems in Mali. Video illustrates the urban scene, secret art and the entertainment of Mali today. Free with general admission. Exhibition ticket not included.
Other Activities
First Fridays
Fridays, March 7, April 4 and May 2, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Free entry and tours of the African Sculpture exhibition. Sponsored by Miller Brewing Company. $15/$10 members.
Family Sundays - Out of Africa
Sunday, April 27, Noon - 4 p.m.
Explore, learn, and create masks and puppets. At 1:30 p.m. artist, storyteller and poet Ashley Bryan performs A Tender Bridge: Black American Poetry, Spirituals and African Folktales. Free with general admission. Exhibition ticket not included. Sponsored by Midwest Express Airlines and Fortis Health.