[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 4, 1999

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize one of New York 
City's premier cultural institutions, the Museum of African Art, and to 
invite my colleagues to visit the Museum over the August recess. 
Founded in 1984, the Manhattan-based Museum is the only independent 
museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historical and 
contemporary African art.
  The Museum for African Art is dedicated to increasing public 
understanding and appreciation of African art and culture. Through 
exhibitions and catalogues of the highest aesthetic and scholarly 
merit, the Museum offers definitive research and scholarship on African 
cultural groups and their regional influences.
  The Museum provides thematic comparison and exploration of artistic 
ideas reflected in the great variety of cultures in Africa, innovative 
methods of display and interpretation of African art to involve 
audiences directly in the exhibition process, and programs that 
stimulate lifelong learning and appreciation of African art and 
culture.
  In April 1999, the Museum opened a groundbreaking exhibition entitled 
``A Congo Chronicle: Urban Art and the Legend of Patrice Lumumba.'' 
Consisting of 50 paintings by famed African artist Tshibumba Kanda-
Matulu and several other urban artists of the time, this exhibition 
offers a uniquely personal encounter with the African independence 
movement as it was born and took hold among the population.
  African art aficionados are looking forward to the September 
unveiling of the exhibit, Liberated Voices: Contemporary Art from South 
Africa. Featuring close to 100 works, including paintings sculptures, 
installations, photographs, and videos made since Apartheid ended in 
1994. This exhibition highlights major trends in contemporary South 
African artistic practice. The exhibit will focus on the diverse works 
of young artists in today's South Africa. Through their personal 
experiences Museum visitors will gain a greater insight into this 
dynamic country.
  Mr. Speaker, the Museum for African Art is a unique resource. I hope 
all of my colleagues will have the opportunity to visit the Museum to 
learn more about African art and its influence and significant 
contributions to our culture and society.

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