SAVANNAH, GA – May 2, 2022 – The Savannah African Art Museum has announced it is hosting two upcoming workshops for participants of all ages to commemorate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day on May 7 and June 11, respectively, at the Upbeat Village Terracotta Gallery, 201 East 37th St., Savannah. The nonprofit will also host a Juneteenth celebration, a day reserved for the commemoration of the abolishment of chattel slavery in the United States.
- May 7 – “Making an ‘All About Mom’ Collage”: Africans are known as storytellers; that is how their history is passed on to future generations. This workshop is an opportunity to create a piece of art that lets participants – children and adults alike – demonstrate how interested they are in their moms’ and mother figures’ stories. Attendees will create collages about their mothers or mother figures, highlighting things like her birthplace, things that bring her joy, her taste in music, books and art, and places she’s visited or would like to travel to. Participants may choose to create a timeline with images and dates. The museum will supply attendees with a canvas, paint, crayons, markers, fabric, glue, and magazines. Participants are encouraged to bring personal photos, other visuals or mementos, keepsakes, written words, etc., to create collages that tell their moms, “Yes Mom, I see you, happy Mother’s Day!” The event will be held from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- June 11 – “Making an ‘All About Dad’ Collage”: Africans are known as storytellers; that is how their history is passed on to future generations. This workshop is an opportunity to create a piece of art that lets participants – children and adults alike – demonstrate how interested they are in their dads’ and father figures’ stories. Attendees will create collages about their fathers or father figures, highlighting things like his birthplace, things that bring him joy, his taste in music, books and art, and places he’s visited or would like to travel to. Participants may choose to create a timeline with images and dates. The museum will supply attendees with a canvas, paint, crayons, markers, fabric, glue, and magazines. Participants are encouraged to bring personal photos, other visuals or mementos, keepsakes, written words, etc., to create collages that tell their fathers, “Yes Dad, I see you, happy Father’s Day!” The event will be held from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
All workshops will be held on the second floor of the museum’s Upbeat Village Terracotta Gallery. Please note that it is stair access only, no elevator or wheelchair access available. However, the main museum building does offer elevator and full wheelchair access for tours.
The Museum’s second annual Juneteenth Celebration will be hosted at the museum on Saturday, June 18 from 12-4 p.m. honoring the past and embracing the future with tours of their Central & West African collection, music, crafts, storytelling, African food samples, resource/information tables, and more. Ghana native and Savannah-based fine artist, William Kwamena-Poh, will return with paintings for sale (original, limited edition, and prints). Savannah’s Diaspora Marketplace will join the celebration with authentic African merchandise for sale including clothing, jewelry, fabric, masks, statues, wall hangings, books, and so much more. The community is invited to this free event.
“We are so excited to bring these free, engaging workshops to the community so they can learn more about and engage with African art and culture, especially our new Cowrie Shell Exhibit. We wanted to host Mother’s Day and Father’s Day workshops because family lineage, community and continuity of such are very highly prized in African culture, and it is important that we honor and demonstrate that. We hope the community will join us for these workshops and further their exploration of their family stories,” said Savannah African Art Museum Education Community Outreach Liaison, Lisa Jackson. “We also invite all to the museum for our Juneteenth Celebration where there will be something for everyone to engage and enjoy!”
Workshops are free but reservations are required. To register, please visit www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org/workshops. Participants must be age 6 or older.
To learn more about the museum, the Juneteenth celebration, and the museum’s newest collections, please visit www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org and follow Savannah African Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @SavannahAfricanArtMuseum.
Savannah African Art Museum is a nonprofit institution that introduces all audiences to African art and culture. Its mission is to provide engaging experiences that educate and start conversations about the power, diversity, and spirituality of African art.
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