Anthropology Museum highlights African culture for spring after-school programs

Wake Forest University’s Museum of Anthropology will focus on African culture during their spring after-school program, “Exploring World Cultures.” The four-part program, geared for children in grades 1-5, is designed to work in conjunction with the museum’s exhibit, “Spirit Influences on the Arts of Power: The David and Karina Rilling Collection of African Art.”

Programs are scheduled for Feb. 28, March 7 and 28 and April 11. Each session will run from 4:15 p.m. ­ 5:30 p.m.

The series will launch Feb. 28 with “Brass Leopards,” a program about how the leopard represents the king’s power in many parts of Africa and brass leopards serve as reminders of that power. Children will have the opportunity to create their own “brass leopard.”

On March 7, the museum will offer “A Staff Meeting,” where children will learn about the staff as a power symbol and design their own staff to represent their own “power” and “authority.”

“Guardian of the Bones” will be offered on March 28. During this program, participants will discover how the people of Gabon guard the bones of important family members who have died with a “reliquary figure.” Children will make their own figure.

The series will conclude with “Oduduwa’s Children” April 11. Students will learn about the power of the Nigerian adeala (tall, beaded style crown) and have the opportunity to make their own adeala.

Students may sign up for the whole series or individual sessions. Space is limited to 13 students per session. Cost for the series is $35 ($32, museum members). Individual sessions are $15 per session ($12, museum members).

To register, call 336-758-5282 or send an email to moa@wfu.edu.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Events