2022 was quite a busy year for African Art Beats.
- It started with an exhibit showcasing our artists at the Ven Embassy Row Hotel in February for Black History Month.
- In March, Souleymane Konaté (Côte d’Ivoire) presented Yeleen (Light), a series of whimsical paintings on canvas.
- In April, Bienvenue Fotso (Cameroon), a young female artist, showed Fipan-Grass, an exhibit focused on gorgeous portraits of medicinal plants that boost the immune system.
- In May, we were in Dakar for the Biennale of Contemporary Art with an exhibit by Manel Ndoye (Senegal).
- In October, many of you met Méné (Côte d’Ivoire) and viewed his exhibit Shaping Dreams. The exhibit was highlighted in a Washington Post article by Mark Jenkins. You may read it here.
- In November, we had a pop-up exhibit at the French Embassy during the Beaujolais & Beyond Gala.
- And in December we hosted a wonderful and enthusiastic group of members of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee before closing the year with an Open House.
MORE ART IN THE METRO AREA
In October, The Rubell Museum DC, dedicated to contemporary art, opened in Southwest DC in a 1906 building that formerly served as a historically Black public school. “The museum’s historic setting in a place of learning invites the public to explore what artists can teach us about the world we live in and the issues with which we are wrestling as individuals and as a society” said Mera Rubell.
Admission is free for DC residents. Online reservations are recommended.
Omar Ba: Political Animals, at the Baltimore Museum of Art
Omar Ba (Senegal) is a leading contemporary African artist. His work explores the exercise of power and his images encompass a range of subjects—from African dictators to U.S. foreign aid—as well as real and imaginary creatures, which weave a rich social tapestry. The exhibit runs until April 2023.