West African / African American ART CONNECTIONS

The Mint Museum of Art Education Department developed this teaching guide to complement the exhibition Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color (on view through February 27, 2010) and as an ongoing curriculum resource.

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1 CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS)

7th grade Social Studies

COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will use the five themes of geography and geographic tools to answer geographic questions and analyze geographic concepts. OBJECTIVES 1.01 Create maps to illustrate information about different people, places and regions in Africa. 1.02 Generate, interpret, and manipulate information from maps to pose and answer questions about environment and society. 1.03 Use tools such as maps and artifacts to compare data on different countries of Africa and to identify patterns as well as similarities and differences.

COMPETENCY GOAL 12: The learner will assess the influence of major religions, ethical beliefs, and values on cultures in Africa, Asia, and Australia. OBJECTIVES 12.01 Examine the major belief systems in selected regions of Africa and analyze their impact on cultural values, practices, and institutions. 12.02 Describe the relationship between and cultural values of selected societies of Africa and their art and assess their significance in contemporary culture. 12.03 Identify examples of cultural borrowing, such as language, traditions, and technology, and evaluate their importance in the development of selected societies in Africa.

COMPETENCY GOAL 13: The learner will describe the historic, economic, and cultural connections among North Carolina, the United States, Africa, Asia, and Australia. OBJECTIVES 13.02 Describe the diverse cultural connections that have influenced the development of language, art, music, and belief systems in North Carolina and the United States and analyze their role in creating a changing cultural mosaic.

6th-12th grade Visual Arts

COMPETENCY GOAL 5: The learner will understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures. (National Standard 4) OBJECTIVES 5.01 Demonstrate an understanding that the visual arts have a history, purpose and function in all cultures. 5.02 Identify specific works of art as belonging to a particular culture, time and place. 5.03 Discover relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and cultural/ethnic groups. 5.06 Recognize and discuss the aesthetic diversity of various cultures.

2 INTRODUCTION

Loïs Mailou Jones (1905-1998) was an African-American artist who produced a West African / African American diverse body of artwork over her 70-year career. From textile design and Impres- ART CONNECTIONS sionist-style paintings, to Haitian- and African-inspired watercolors and paintings, Jones’s work embodied various styles of art prevalent during the 20th century.

Ubi Girl from Tai Region is an example of her African-inspired works. Here, Jones combines abstraction with realism and painting with design, creating a representation of the new cultural and visual climates of post-World War II African and African-American communities.

Ubi Girl from Tai Region combines motifs (objects forming a distinct design element) from different regions of Africa, in particular West Africa Tai( region refers to a region within Cote d’ Ivoire). Jones’s African-inspired contemporary style offers a “visual map” to explore the diversity and vastness of African culture: “By combining the motifs from various regions of Africa, I try to explore on canvas a sense of the underlying unity of all Africa.”1

Things to look for in Ubi Girl from Tai Region: • Painted face: Many West African cultures welcome young men and women into adulthood following elaborate initiation ceremonies. This image was LOÏS MAILOU JONES. American, 1905-1998 inspired by a young Cote D’ Ivoirian initiate. Colors signify various cultural Ubi Girl from Tai Region 1972 values in West Africa. White, for instance, often signifies purity. acrylic on canvas, 43 ¾ x 60 inches • Geometric shape motif: Elaborate design motifs adorn a variety of West Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Hayden African textiles. Collection–Charles Henry Hayden Fund. 1974.410 • Mask profile: Masks are one of the most prominent art forms in Africa. Masks are created for functional purposes such as religious ceremonies or ritual performances.

GUIDE OVERVIEW

This guide offers a “visual map” to explore Loïs Mailou Jones’s contemporary artwork and West African contemporary art within the context of African and African-American culture.

GUIDE OBJECTIVES

Students will examine Africa, the West African region, and selected artworks through a cultural lens. Students will explore the relationship between African and African-American culture through a comparison and contrast of Loïs Mailou Jones’s West African-inspired work and West African art works. As a result, students will be able to: • Describe the relationship between West African culture and contemporary American visual arts. • Describe some of the diverse cultural connections that have influenced art in the United States. 3 LOÏS MAILOU JONES. American, 1905-1998 Ubi Girl from Tai Region 1972 acrylic on canvas, 43 ¾ x 60 inches Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Hayden Collection–Charles Henry Hayden Fund. 1974.410 4 I. AFRICAN ART

A. CULTUR AL GEOGR APHY Vegetation of Africa

Africa is… FRANCE

PORTUGAL SPAIN ITALY TURKEY

• A continent three times the size of the United States of America GREECE SYRIA TUNISIA LEBANON IRAQ IRAN ISRAEL MOROCCO • Comprised of 53 political countries JORDAN ALGERIA WESTERN LIBYA EGYPT SAHARA SAUDI ARABIA • Comprised of over 1,000,000,000 people MAURITANIA MALI NIGER SENEGAL ERITREA CHAD GAMBIA SUDAN BURKINA DJIBOUTI • Comprised of thousands of diverse ethnic groups (people who share certain GUINEA GUINEA FASO BISSAU ETHIOPIA SOMALIA COTE NIGERIA SIERRA D’IVOIRE LEONE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC LIBERIA BENIN distinctive cultural characteristics, such as language, religion and art) GHANA CAMEROON TOGO EQUATORIAL KENYA GUINEA UGANDA GABON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO RWANDA OF CONGO BURUNDI Tropical rain forest TANZANIA VEGETATION OF AFRICA map: Tropical grassland ANGOLA MOZAMBIQUE ZAMBIA Desert and dry shrub • What can you infer from this map about Africa’s diverse regions? ZIMBABWE MALAWI NAMIBIA Temperate grassland BOTSWANA • What is Africa’s relative location? How have its Northern neighbors affected Mediterranean shrub SWAZILAND SOUTH LESOTHO Africa’s history? AFRICA • Why would you think the majority of Africa’s population lives in the tropical or grassland regions? Regions of Africa

TUNISIA REGIONS OF AFRICA map: MOROCCO

WESTERN • What can you infer from this map about Africa’s diverse regions? ALGERIA SAHARA LIBYA EGYPT

• Compare and contrast the green color coded areas on this map with the green MAURITANIA MALI SENEGAL NIGER ERITREA CHAD GAMBIA SUDAN BURKINA DJIBOUTI GUINEA FASO color coded areas on the VEGETATION OF AFRICA map: how are they similar BISSAU GUINEA SOMALIA COTE SIERRA NIGERIA ETHIOPIA LEONE D’IVOIRE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC LIBERIA BENIN GHANA CAMEROON and different? TOGO KENYA EQUATORIAL UGANDA GUINEA GABON DEMOCRATIC CONGO REPUBLIC RWANDA OF CONGO BURUNDI

TANZANIA Northern Africa ANGOLA Thematic maps of Africa illustrate its diversity and the difficulty in characterizing MOZAMBIQUE Western Africa ZAMBIA

ZIMBABWE MALAWI the continent as a whole. Political boundaries and vegetation regions, for Central Africa NAMIBIA BOTSWANA

Eastern Africa SWAZILAND example, do not overlap. Similarly, the continent’s diverse ethnic groups and SOUTH Southern Africa AFRICA LESOTHO their art cannot be characterized as a single culture.

Despite this diversity, African art can be said to share certain traits. Some basic definitions about what is historically considered “traditional African art” are listed below; these characteristics can be compared and contrasted with the characteristics of “contemporary African art.”

B. CHARACTERISTICS OF “TRADITIONAL” AFRICAN ART: • Made from natural materials such as wood, clay and metal. Why? • Abstract forms and figures, often with distorted bodies and facial features. Why? • Employs animals from the region or ancestral animals as subject matter, often distorting the animal’s appearance through form and color. Why? • Functional to the particular culture; used in ceremonies, initiation rites and spiritual rituals, or serves a utilitarian purpose. Why? • Communal or used for a common good in the society; made for a public interest such as communicating with ancestors of a particular ethnic group. Why?

C. CHARACTERISTICS OF “CONTEMPORARY” AFRICAN ART: • Made from synthetic materials such as enamel based paints or man-made dyes, factory-printed textiles, and plastic. Sometimes incorporates foreign, mass-produced objects (i.e. mirrors, buttons, tin cans, etc.). Why? • Often includes bright colors and shiny, reflective qualities. • Work features areas of geometric patterning and/or flat planes of solid color. • Employs a wide-range of subject matter. Often references themes from modern life or contemporary events. Why? • Functional to the particular culture; used in ceremonies, initiation rites and spiritual rituals, or serves a utilitarian purpose. Why? • Communal or used for a common good in the society; made for a public interest such as communicating with ancestors of a particular ethnic group. Why? 5 Vegetation of Africa

FRANCE

PORTUGAL SPAIN ITALY TURKEY

GREECE SYRIA TUNISIA LEBANON IRAQ IRAN ISRAEL MOROCCO JORDAN ALGERIA WESTERN LIBYA EGYPT SAHARA SAUDI ARABIA MAURITANIA MALI NIGER SENEGAL ERITREA CHAD GAMBIA SUDAN BURKINA DJIBOUTI GUINEA GUINEA FASO BISSAU ETHIOPIA SOMALIA COTE NIGERIA SIERRA D’IVOIRE LEONE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC LIBERIA BENIN GHANA CAMEROON TOGO EQUATORIAL KENYA GUINEA UGANDA GABON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO RWANDA OF CONGO BURUNDI Tropical rain forest TANZANIA Tropical grassland ANGOLA MOZAMBIQUE ZAMBIA Desert and dry shrub ZIMBABWE MALAWI NAMIBIA Temperate grassland BOTSWANA Mediterranean shrub SWAZILAND SOUTH AFRICA LESOTHO

6 Regions of Africa

TUNISIA MOROCCO

WESTERN ALGERIA SAHARA LIBYA EGYPT

MAURITANIA MALI SENEGAL NIGER ERITREA CHAD GAMBIA SUDAN BURKINA DJIBOUTI GUINEA FASO BISSAU GUINEA SOMALIA COTE SIERRA NIGERIA ETHIOPIA LEONE D’IVOIRE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC LIBERIA BENIN GHANA CAMEROON TOGO KENYA EQUATORIAL UGANDA GUINEA GABON DEMOCRATIC CONGO REPUBLIC RWANDA OF CONGO BURUNDI

TANZANIA Northern Africa ANGOLA MOZAMBIQUE Western Africa ZAMBIA

ZIMBABWE MALAWI Central Africa NAMIBIA BOTSWANA

Eastern Africa SWAZILAND

SOUTH Southern Africa AFRICA LESOTHO

7 II. WEST AFRICAN ART

Some basic background about West Africa will help provide context for Loïs Mailou Jones’s featured work and selected works from The Mint Museum’s African Art Collection.

A. CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY West Africa is… Guinea Coast – Peoples of Africa • Comprised of 15 countries including Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Benin, SENEGAL GAMBIA Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, TOGO 2 1 BENIN BISSAGOS GUINEA GHANA NIGERIA ISLANDS GUINEA 3 Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal BISSAU 10 28 27 4 COTE 25 5 26 20 D’IVOIRE 9 17 6 18 24 7 12 16 19 21 • Comprised of 300 million people (60% are under the age of 25) SIERRA 14 13 8 15 23 30 LEONE 22 29 11 LIBERIA • Home to hundreds of ethnic groups that cannot easily be divided by CAMEROON

1 Fu lbe 16 Fon political, linguistic, religious or cultural borders 2 Bijogo 1 7 Y o r u b a 3 Baga 18 Edo/Benin Kingdom 4 T e m n e 19 Urhobo 5 Mende 20 Igbo 6 Dan 21 Ibibio 7 Baule 22 Anang 8 Y a u r e 2 3 Ejagham GUINEA COAST-PEOPLES OF AFRICA map: 9 Bondoukou region 24 Mbembe 10 Senufo 25 Igala 11 Akan 26 Chamba • What can you infer from this map about the diversity of the African 12 Asante 2 7 Kulere 1 3 A k a n / T w i f o 28 Ko r o A c h e 14 Aowin 29 Ke a ka continent? 15 Fa n t e 30 Bamum • Do ethnic group boundaries match political boundaries? Why or why not?

Although West Africa is often defined as a distinctive region, cultural diversity does exist, specifically within the arts. To best understand this cultural diversity, it is useful to consider the region’s vast and complex history.

In the 15th century, France, Britain and Portugal claimed West African territories and instituted the Atlantic slave trade. In the late 19th century, European countries split up their territories and developed colonies in the region in what was called the “Scramble for Africa.”

This scramble resulted in arbitrary political designations of countries’ borders that disregarded established African social and cultural divisions. The race to claim the most territory sparked a tidal wave of strife and hardship for Africans across the continent.

Yet in 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan colony to achieve independence under President Kwame Nkrumah. This ignited a regional flame of revolt; all West African colonies were freed from European rule by 1974. Unfortunately, government instability, corruption and civil wars still plague many of these newly autonomous nations. This instability is linked to independence, as Africans inher- ited European-style governments that few knew how to run.

B. DEFINING “CONTEMPORARY” AFRICAN ART Since European contact, West Africa has experienced significant cultural change. This change has influenced Contemporary African art. Contemporary art refers to art created by living artists. Although it is linked to the post-Colonial era, contemporary art is not necessarily defined by this cultural turning point. African art has changed and developed continually since the time of the continent’s first inhabitants. While “traditional” categorizations of art leave out recent developments in Western-influenced African art, this does not mean that traditional art is extinct. 8 Guinea Coast – Peoples of Africa

SENEGAL GAMBIA TOGO 2 1 BENIN BISSAGOS GUINEA GHANA NIGERIA ISLANDS GUINEA 3 BISSAU 10 28 27 4 COTE 25 5 26 20 D’IVOIRE 9 17 18 6 7 12 24 SIERRA 14 16 19 21 8 13 15 23 30 LEONE 22 29 11 LIBERIA CAMEROON

1 Fulbe 16 Fon 2 Bijogo 17 Yoruba 3 Baga 18 Edo/Benin Kingdom 4 Temne 19 Urhobo 5 Mende 20 Igbo 6 Dan 21 Ibibio 7 Baule 22 Anang 8 Yaure 23 Ejagham 9 Bondoukou region 24 Mbembe 10 Senufo 25 Igala 11 Akan 26 Chamba 12 Asante 27 Kulere 13 Akan/Twifo 28 Koro Ache 14 Aowin 29 Keaka 15 Fante 30 Bamum

9 C. WEST AFRICAN ART AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE Instead, what was once considered “traditional art” remains in production in West African countries alongside Western-influenced art. The art showcases diverse styles, forms, purposes and materials as widespread as the region’s cultural and geographic diversity.

EXPLORE two contemporary artworks from The Mint Museum’s African collection:

The abstract forms and figures characteristic of “traditional” African art are often realized in the form of masks. This mask shares many of the characteristics of “traditional” art while having significance today.

Masks are often characterized as the major African art form. Masks serve numerous functions in African cultures; they are central elements in various cultures’ religious, ritual and social activities. Masks exemplify political authority, initiate youths into adulthood, assist the spirits of the deceased in their transition to the afterlife, teach social values and entertain.

This helmet mask, which covers the entire head, is the only mask worn by a female in all of Africa. It is worn in initiation rites for West African girls of the Sande Society. The society plays a significant cultural role: it instructs young girls between the ages of 12 and 15 in their future roles as wives and mothers, and as members of the local community. The helmet mask is characterized by features that express the culture’s aesthetic ideals and values regarding women.

Helmet Mask 20th century Things to look for and discuss: Mende, Sierra Leone HAIR Wood, raffia Elaborately carved coiffures (hairstyles) are associated with womanhood and Gift of Philip Adams, Mint Museum Collection wealth. Elaborate hairstyles imply that someone has time and money to spend on self-adornment. • How does this coiffure relate to Western contemporary hairstyles and their associated meanings? • How does our culture perceive elaborate hairstyles or hairdos? • What would be the reasons to spend time and money on elaborate hairstyles? FACIAL FEATURES A prominent forehead contrasts with small facial features. The eyes are downcast, suggesting that women should be modest and not look directly at someone else. Scars on each cheek (scarification) have religious meaning and are also associated with status and family clans. • How does the cultural attitude toward women compare with our culture? • Compare scarification with our culture’s use of tattoos. NECK Large rolls are associated with womanhood (fertility), beauty and wealth. • What does our culture associate with womanhood? Why? • Compare and contrast our culture’s ideal of beauty with the Mende’s. How is it similar or different? MASK SURFACE A smooth surface is associated with smooth skin: applications of oil, herbs and even mud enhance beauty and also protect the member from witchcraft and evil spirits. 10 Helmet Mask 20th century Mende, Sierra Leone Wood, raffia Gift of Philip Adams, Mint Museum Collection 11 Things to think about: YOUTH INITIATIONS • Think about the West African initiation ceremonies. How do these rituals compare and contrast with rituals, changes or milestones that occur in our culture for youth between 12 and 15 years of age? • Brainstorm a list of “events” that demonstrate maturity or a break from childhood, such as: • Obtaining a driver’s license • Attending middle and high school • Dating • Staying out late • How does this list relate to our culture’s expectations for youth at maturity? • Compare and contrast with the Sande Society’s expectations for young women: do these events determine our cultural group identity OR our individual identity?

Woven textiles play important roles in various African cultures. Textile motifs and designs may symbolize a particular culture’s myths or values or suggest the status of the person wearing it.

This particular textile is meant to be worn as not only adornment but also to convey meaning about the individual wearing it. Cordless phones were considered status symbols in Nigeria during the late 20th century. Even if the individual wearing it could not afford to purchase a cordless phone, he or she recognized that wearing its image implied increased status.

Things to think about • Think about the idea of identity in our culture. How does clothing with logos, symbols or name brands suggest status within a group? • How does the adornment with symbols suggest individuality within or without the group?

COMPARE AND CONTRAST the two contemporary African works: Cordless Phone Cloth late 20th century Kaduna, Nigeria Consider these two works in relation to cultural change. Read the text Cotton with commercial dyes, batik Mint Museum Collection accompanying the images. It will help you answer the questions below. Essential Questions: • What is culture? How does culture change? What does art tell us about culture? • How has West African art changed? How and why has it stayed the same? • How is contemporary African art the result of cultural innovation and diffusion?

Culture is the shared attitudes, knowledge and behavior of a group of people. Culture can reveal itself in the language, religion and art of specific groups. An examination of a culture, specifically its art, can help us make inferences and draw conclusions about a particular culture and how it has changed over time.

Two ways that culture changes are through innovation and diffusion. Innovation is something new that is introduced for the first time in a culture. New ideas, technological inventions and patterns of behavior are types of innovations that change a culture. Diffusion refers to the spread of these ideas, inventions and patterns of behavior from one group to another. Whenever one culture comes in contact with another culture, diffusion is possible. 12 Cordless Phone Cloth late 20th century Kaduna, Nigeria Cotton with commercial dyes, batik Mint Museum Collection 13 It is important to note that the 20th century “has seen change of a different sort: the creation of entirely new art forms that respond to social and cultural situations peculiar to twentieth-century Africa.”2 For example, “by the 1960s, when the countries of West Africa gained their independence, a survey of the visual arts would have included fine art and design departments at universities, self-taught sign painters, masked performers, potters, weavers, dyers, and sculptors in various media.”3 West African nations were exposed to an influx of information, cultures and aesthetics that undoubtedly created responses in an ever-evolving visual culture.

III. AFRICAN-AMERICAN ART

A. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Just as African art evolved in response to the cultural changes of the 20th century, so did African-American art. During the time period of West African independence (1960s and 1970s), African-American art was responding to the Civil Rights movement and other social movements, including the new nationalistic spirit of independent African nations. African-American artists were challenged and motivated to turn to African themes in their art.

B. LOÏS MAILOU JONES: AFRICAN-INSPIRED WORK Loïs Mailou Jones traveled to several countries in Africa between 1970 and 1972, including the West African nations of Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Senegal. Jones documented contemporary African art through interviews and photographs on behalf of Howard University, which funded the trip. As a result of these travels, Jones created a series of paintings which interpreted Africa’s visual culture.

Jones selected African motifs and reinterpreted them in a new context, giving them new meaning and purpose which reflected her own identity as an African- American artist. Just as these West African countries were developing their new identity as free nations, Jones was developing her own identity through a visual art lens.

Representing oneself through visual means is based on individual experience, interpretation and cultural values. The meaning derived from visual art is individualized; it relies upon the individual’s response, reaction and interaction with culture rather than the culture itself.

14 IV. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

A. GALLERY AND WRITING ACTIVITY

Examine Ubi Girl from Tai Region: • List 3 visual elements within this painting that represent a specific culture: 1. 2. 3.

Examine Helmet Mask: • Do you consider this to be a traditional African mask? • List 3 visual elements within this object that represent a specific culture: LOÏS MAILOU JONES. American, 1905-1998 1. Ubi Girl from Tai Region 1972 Acrylic on canvas, 43 ¾ x 60 in. 2. 3.

Compare the profile mask from Ubi Girl from Tai Region with Helmet Mask: • Considering that both of these artworks were made in the 20th century, how do they each refer to tradition? How do they differ in the ways they use “traditional” visual elements?

Now, compare Ubi Girl from Tai Region to the reproduction of Cordless Phone Cloth. • Which visual/cultural elements do the two artworks both reference?

Helmet Mask 20th century Mende, Sierra Leone Wood, raffia

• Why do you think images of cordless phones, cell phones or laptops are so common in contemporary African cloths? Are they likely to be as popular in the United States, Europe, Asia or South America? Why or why not?

• Think about the images and motifs used in the 2 artworks. How do you think observing another culture as an outsider inspired the use of these images or motifs? Is it the same motivation/result for each artist? Explain. Cordless Phone Cloth late 20th century Kaduna, Nigeria Cotton with commercial dyes, batik Mint Museum Collection

15 B. PRECONCEPTIONS OF AFRICA Ask students open-ended questions about Africa before starting the lesson or at any point during the lesson deemed appropriate. Follow up by asking students to explain their answers. • “Africa is….” • “Africans are…” • “African art is…” • “Africans think America is…” • “Africans think Americans are…” • “Africans and Americans are similar/different because…”

When thinking about Africa, consider how we view other continents. • Do we make generalizations about Asia or Europe in the same way that we do about Africa? • Why is the conversation about Africa always focused on problems (e.g., AIDS, drought, warfare) rather than strengths and potential?

C. VISUAL INTERPRETATION Ask students to look at Jones’s featured work and interpret or comment on the piece before reading the description. Stress the importance and value of individual interpretation.

D. CULTURAL MOTIFS Ask students to answer the following questions in response to Jones’s work: • What defines you as an American? • What defines you as an individual your family or community? • How would you communicate this visually (not using any words)?

E. CULTURAL MOTIFS, CONTINUED Ask students the following questions and have them complete an artwork that utilizes their answers. • What kind of symbols, patterns and/or designs reflect your culture? • What visual tools would you use to communicate ideas about yourself, your culture or any group you are affiliated with (family, church or school)? • How would you synthesize these symbols/patterns/designs into a piece of art that communicates your individual story?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Mint Museum of Art Education Department developed this teaching guide to complement the exhibition Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color (on view through February 27, 2010) and as an ongoing curriculum resource. Thanks to Mary Beth Ausman, Dr. Alice Burmeister and Lauren Harkey for their contributions and ideas. Joel Smeltzer, School Programs Coordinator

ENDNOTES 1 Tritobia Hayes Benjamin, The Life and Art of Loïs Mailou Jones (San Francisco: Pomegranate Artbooks, 1994), p. 98. 2 Susan Vogel, Africa Explores: Twentieth Century African Art (New York: The Center for African Art, 1991), p. 16. 3 Tom Phillips, Africa: The Art of a Continent (New York: Prestel, 1995), p. 345. 16