Media Advisory: Wake Forest Museum of Anthropology celebrates 50th anniversary

The family-friendly event will celebrate MOA’s 50 years of exhibitions and education with a variety of performances, activities and crafts from cultures around the world including:

– Chinese lion dancers from the Hung Gar Kung Fu Academy,

– Storytelling, games, piñatas and hands-on crafts,

– Multicultural dress-up with clothing from Africa, Asia, and Latin America

– Activities by the Forsyth County Library’s Bibliobus (Spanish-language bookmobile)

“Family days like this provide an opportunity for members of the community, both children and adults, to learn about cultures other than their own in a fun and interactive way,” said Museum Educator Tina Smith.

A full schedule is available here.

In 1963, E. Pendleton Banks, chair of what was then the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Wake Forest, founded the Museum of Man to broaden learning opportunities for anthropology students. The museum was housed in the basement of Tribble Hall.

The Museum of Man moved to Reynolda Village in 1975, increased its focus on educating the general public and introduced education programs to meet the needs of local school systems.  Since that time, MOA’s programs have served more than 320,000 students. Many patrons first introduced to the museum though school fieldtrips now bring their own children to visit the exhibits.

In 1987, the museum moved to its current location on the Wake Forest campus and was renamed the Museum of Anthropology (MOA). Relying primarily on donations from collectors, organizations and Wake Forest faculty, students and alumni, the MOA has expanded its collections to include ritual and everyday objects that span the globe and the centuries. The collections currently include more than 29,000 archaeological and ethnographic artifacts.

The Museum of Anthropology is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

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About Wake Forest University: Wake Forest University combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.