The African Arts Market at Durango Arts Center
The African Arts Market at Durango Arts Center
The African Arts Market exhibition opens in the Barbara Conrad Gallery of the Durango Arts Center on Tuesday, November 3rd. This multifaceted program will showcase traditional and contemporary African culture with 12 days of public exhibits, lectures, performances and workshops. All events are free and open to the public (exception is a drumming workshop fee of $20.)
The curator and producer of the nearly two week event, Nancy Fredrick Conrad, sees this as “an unprecedented opportunity for our community to meet and visit with a diverse group of internationally recognized artists, musicians, photographers and local representatives of global non-profit organizations. Each is putting his or her talents toward building bridges of understanding between our cultures.” The program will raise funds for African aid not-for-profits, the DAC, and the artists. In addition to the gallery sales, a small canvas show by 30 local artists will be exhibited and auctioned off in a silent auction that will last throughout the African Market exhibit, ending at 3:00 p.m. November 14.
All events are at the Durango Arts Center, 802 East 2nd Avenue. Tues – Sat 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with evening presentation times noted below
Calendar of Events
November 3 Exhibit opens in the Barbara Conrad Gallery Silent Auction Benefit of 6”x6” canvases by local artists begins
November 3-14 Artist demonstrations throughout the day – in the Gallery.
November 4 “African Art: Function and Meaning:” presentation by Dr. Joshua Fisher, Visiting Instructor of Art History, Fort Lewis College.
November 5 “Engineers Without Borders” project in Yua, Ghana 2009: presentation by Kate Dorrell, NAU, photojournalist.
November 6 Friday evening reception to welcome and meet artists – 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
November 6 Drumming workshop with Akeem Ayanniyi, 9th generation Yoruba talking drummer. In the Dance Studio, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
November 10 “Citizen Journalism in Africa and Beyond:” Andrew McGregor, photographer and founder of The Tizano Project.
November 11 “The Devil Came on Horseback” film about Darfur crisis by Annie Sundberg and Rikki Stern. Sundance Official Selection 2007.
November 12 “Make All Children Smile in Zimbabwe” by Judy Duke
November 14 Silent Auction Benefit ends 3:00 pm. Gallery closes at 5:00 p.m.
The artists: Award winning, internationally recognized photographers and African artists whose work will be featured in the gallery exhibit and offered for sale:
Photographers
· Phil Borges – http://philborges.com/
· Nick Brandt – http://nickbrandt.com/
· Suzi Moore McGregor- http://www.photosbysuzimooremcgregor.com/
African Artists
· Moussa Albaka – of Niger; internationally acclaimed silversmith of Tuareg jewelry, UNESCO Seal of Excellence Award winner
· Akeem Ayanniyi – Nigerian drummer and artist now living in Santa Fe; founder of Agalu, Yoruba Cultural Troupe of Nigeria
· Mamadou Bah – from Guinea; baskets and artwork from Ghana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
· Alaji Duwara – born in Zambia, now a trader and importer of highest quality textiles from Ghana, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Zaire and antique trading beads from West and East Africa and Venice, Italy.
Moussa Albaka
Moussa Albaka, an internationally acclaimed artist and UNESCO Seal of Excellence Award winner will be an honored guest at the Durango Arts Center Nov 3-14. He will discuss and demonstrate the art of Tuareg jewelry making as well as offer his unique jewelry for sale.
Moussa Albaka is from Niger, Africa, and as a metal-smith he designs gorgeous jewelry using sterling silver, Tuareg silver and semi-precious stones. His techniques include engraving intricate geometric designs, using decorative inlay, and a lost wax process. Many of his pieces show the repoussé style by which Albaka hammers a shape on the reverse side which creates a raised design on the front. The repoussé style is a slow process taking hundreds of hours, but it maximizes the touch, feel, and visual beauty of the bracelet or necklace and amulet. Albaka draws on the immense wealth of Tuareg traditional motifs to create absolutely contemporary designs in finely engraved settings. His rings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces and elaborate pectoral compositions are highly appreciated by couturiers and fashion designers throughout the world. He also fashions veil weights jewelry which follows the Tuareg tradition of using an elaborate, inventive design. This jewelry is worn by women to hold their head cloths in place.
Moussa Albaka is from Agadez which is just south of the great Saharan desert. Niger is landlocked and the drought cycles are evident. Moussa was born in a nomad tent and as a young man traveled with camel caravans. The Tuareg are semi-nomadic but their artwork remains intact and is highly distinctive. This folk art is mostly passed down through the male side of the family to families of the “enad” or blacksmith caste. Moussa was taught by his father and uncles and in turn he teaches his sons and nephews who work for him. Moussa Albaka is an acclaimed artist and is highly regarded by his peers.
Moussa also sells some leather items such as Tuareg purses known as Ilbay, traveling bags, cushions, and jewelry boxes made by his sister Houa Albaka.
Akeem Ayanniyi
Akeem Ayanniyi, the ninth generation of his family to play the traditional Yoruba talking drum, will be an honored guest at the Durango Arts Center Nov 5-6. Ayanniyi will be teaching a drumming workshop Friday, Nov. 6, 6-7:30 p.m. Cost of the workshop is $20 each. Yoruba talking drums will be available for those without drums for an additional $5.
Akeem Ayanniyi leads Agalu. The “Ayan” prefix of Akeem’s name Ayanniyi indicates that he descends from a family lineage that can be traced back 700 years to the Yoruba deity of drumming, Ayan Agalu. Ayanniyi, from the Western Nigerian town of Erin Oshun near the historic art center of Oshogbo, has been performing since the age of five and has toured much of Africa as well as Germany, Brazil, Sweden and the United States as a performer and teacher. He settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1993 and founded Agalu in 1998. Agalu, the Yoruba Cultural Troupe of Nigeria is an ensemble of remarkable dancers and drummers from Oshogbo, Nigeria. With dazzling versatility and vitality, they keep alive traditional Yoruba stories, rituals and mythology through exciting masquerades. These include drumming, creation and transformation dances.
