66
…as I go into the museum every morning, I see the work of Odili Donald Odita and Nnenna Okorie, specially commissioned for the opening of this brand-new building in 2022. Although the Museum has existed since 1969, its old building was destroyed by the flood of 2008. In the light well is Nnenna Okorie’s installation, Spirit Dance. It is an exhilarating feeling to be confronted each day with art that comes from familiar spaces. I feel empowered in this homely space
THE new year has brought in a lot of changes for me. Since resuming here at the University of Iowa as the Mellon Curatorial Fellow, Stanley Museum of Art, I have been showered with so much love – enough to keep me warm in this frigid season! As much as we complain about the polar vortex, I know the heat has been intense in Lagos. A special shout out to Lauren Lessing, Director of the Stanley Museum and Cory Gundlach, Curator of African Art. Thanks to Sayuki, Fernanda, and all curatorial team members for their support and care.
There is a lot to learn about the pioneering work of Roy Sieber, whose exhibition of African Art in 1956 and Dissertation in 1957 became the basis for stimulating interest in African Arts at the State University of Iowa. The collection of Max and Betty Stanley, which developed into a diverse array of works from the continent, and the well-kept archives provide a basis for provenance work.
Roy Sieber supervised many Ph.D.s at Indiana University. He was the supervisor of my doctoral advisor, Professor Cornelius Adepegba of blessed memory at Ibadan. Roy S. also supervised dele jegede, Emmanuel Odita, Babatunde Lawal, and Christopher Roy. C. Roy was a good friend of Prof Adepegba. My supervisor always spoke to his students with relish about both Roys. As I pan through the early catalogues of exhibitions curated by C. Roy, I appreciate the dedication and commitment to African art scholarship at Iowa. This University boasts of the oldest programme in African art history and MFA in the US.
So, as I go into the museum every morning, I see the work of Odili Donald Odita and Nnenna Okorie, specially commissioned for the opening of this brand-new building in 2022. Although the Museum has existed since 1969, its old building was destroyed by the flood of 2008. In the light well is Nnenna Okorie’s installation, Spirit Dance. It is an exhilarating feeling to be confronted each day with art that comes from familiar spaces. I feel empowered in this homely space.
https://web.facebook.com/peju.layiwola
