KAM relocates African gallery

A reception to celebrate the opening of the newly designed Gallery of
African Art at the university's Krannert Art Museum on Oct. 16 will include
performances by dancers, singers and a storyteller.

The reception, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the museum, will feature
traditional African dancing by Patience Mudeka of Zimbabwe and her students
at Champaign's White Street Arts Center, an African folk tale told by local
storyteller Janice Harrington, and music by Champaign-Urbana's Amasong
Chorus.

The African art gallery was moved to the museum's main level from its
former location on the lower level for a number of reasons, according to
Brigette Scott, the museum's associate director.

"To a large extent, it was a space issue," Scott said. "Many of the African
pieces are so large and dramatic - they demanded more space. They were
created in a country with lots of space, and the space they were previously
exhibited in - which was dark and had low ceilings - just wasn't fitting of
the environment the art would normally be found in.

"The new gallery has been painted a color reminiscent of the light in the
sub-Saharan region, and the ceilings are higher. Anita Glaze, adjunct
curator and professor of art history, and museum design staff members
Viktoria Ford and Mark Warwick, have created a more visually pleasing
environment for the art."

Another reason for the move, Scott said, was to accommodate the growing
size of the collection. "Donations of African art to the museum have
increased over the past few years, so as the collection grows, we want to
make sure we have the capability to display it properly."

The reinstallation showcases recent acquisitions as well as art that was
previously in storage. According to Glaze, the new gallery was designed "to
underscore the significance of Africa's contribution to world art,
particularly in sculptural form and mixed-media assemblages." Additionally,
she said, "the gallery will illustrate some of the important historical,
aesthetic and ideological patterns in the arts of Africa."

The museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 5
p.m.; Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 to 5 p.m.