Savannah African Art Museum Student Activity Guide (in collaboration with SCAD Museum Education)

SAVANNAH AFRICAN ART MUSEUM STUDENT ACTIVITY GUIDE

Š Savannah African Art Museum Graphic Design Department [Kuba Cloth Credit]

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE MUSEUM.......................... 1 MAP OF AFRICA..................................... 2 LEARNING ACTIVITIES SCAVENGER HUNT.............................. 3 HISTORY................................................... 5 MATH........................................................ 7 ART............................................................. 9 MUSIC....................................................... 11 GLOSSARY................................................ 13 FLOOR PLANS......................................... 15

CONTACT US PHONE 1 (912) 721 - 7745 EMAIL visit.saam@gmail.com www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org Find and follow us on social media

@savannahafricanartmuseum

WELCOME TO THE SAVANNAH AFRICAN ART MUSEUM SAVANNAH AFRICAN ART MUSEUM is a non profit institution that introduces all audiences to African art and culture. Our mission is to provide engaging experiences that educate and start conversations about the power, diversity, and spirituality of African art. The museum currently holds a collection of over 1,000 objects that originate from West and Central Africa.

This collection is a showcase of many African ceremonial and spiritual objects from the 19th and 20th centuries. They are made from various materials such as ceramics, metal, and wood. These objects cover much of the continent of Africa. New works that originate from West and Central Africa are continuously being added to the collection.

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1. Guinea 2. Sierra Leone 3. Liberia 4. Côte d’Ivoire 5. Mali 6. Burkina Faso 7. Ghana 8. Togo 9. Benin 10. Niger 11. Nigeria

17. Republic of the Congo

12. Chad

18. Democratic Republic of the Congo

13. Cameroon

19. Angola

14. Central African Republic

20. Tanzania

15. Equatorial Guinea

21. Kenya

16. Gabon

22. Zimbabwe

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SCAVENGER HUNT Africa is a large continent that is home to many tribes with different cultures, each of which has its unique folklore and mythology. The Savannah African Art Museum has many artifacts that represent the spirituality of African people in some way.

S PL I T UP ! TI ME TO GO ON A SCAVEN GER H UNT !

LOOK OUT FOR ANIMALS! A very common thread in African folklore is the inclusion of animals, who are usually there to help other animals or humans solve a problem, or as characters in a fable meant to teach a lesson. To begin, find any depiction of a significant animal (such as a crocodile, hippo, lion, etc.) and explain what important role that animal played in a story.

FIND THE SPIRITS OF THE KONGO! Nkisi figures were very important to the Kongo people. They were seen as representative of spirits and usually when there were disagreements the arguing parties, under the guidance of a nganga, would insert a nail or other sharp object into the sculpture as a sort of contract. If either party did not obey the agreement, the spirit within the Nkisi Nkondi figure would punish the ones who did not uphold the agreement. Pick one and explain the functions of the Nkisi Nkondi and the importance of the glass within the sculpture.

FIND THE EGUNGUN WITHIN THE YORUBA TRIBE! Find the Egungun within the museum; they were used for various events which involved connecting with the ancestors by the Yoruba people. Find it and explain the importance of them, how they would be used, what the multiple faces mean, and why they were made of different fabrics!

LOOK FOR A MASK! There are also many masks in the museum, and these would be used for anything from celebrations to war preparation. Pick a mask and explain its purpose (if known).

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HISTORY Time to play a game! The mission is to associate artifacts in the museum with their countries and cultures of origin and to be able to relay information learned on the tour or in class about those countries and cultures. The student with the highest number of points wins the game!

R E ADY TO P L AY A GAME ? HE RE ’S HOW TO START !

SET UP OF THE GAME. The museum will have a collection of tiles to play the matching game with. Each pair of tiles has a picture of an artifact in the museum’s collection. In order to begin the matching game, tiles must be set up, face down, in matrices of either squares of rectangles.

PLAY ONE-ON-ONE. Children will play the game one vs. one, taking turns. They have two tries, first to flip over one tile, the other to try and find its match. If the match is successfully found on the second try, then an extra two tries are rewarded.

Continue until all tiles are collected by the two students.

RELAY THE INFORMATION YOU LEARNED! Students must go through the tiles they have collected and say which country/ culture the artifact pictured is from and then one fact on geography, government, or economics as learned from the class the day before, or one fact learned on the tour. One point is awarded for merely collecting the tile in the game, two points for collecting and also being able to supply fact.

DECIDING THE WINNER. Count all the points you have earned. The student with the highest number of points wins!

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FEEL FREE TO TAKE NOTES HERE!

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MATH There’s some really cool objects in the museum that will help you learn some magic skills on mathematics, and all these art objects will be the clues for you. You’re going to be testing your multiplication skills and if you’ve never played the game, Mancala, now your chance!

Find someone you want to play against, and let the games begin!

M U LT I PLI CATI ON AND MA NCAL A! FIND YOUR FAVORITE ART OBJECTS IN THE ROOM! Step closer to them. Do you see the shells, stones or repeated forms of triangles or squares? Count the objects, and the number you get will be your first clue!

TIME TO MULTIPLY! You should be given a sheet with a multiplication table on it. Write down the number you have counted, then look at the table. It is the second important clue for your final answer. For example, if you count 12 shells on an art object, you will then find that the number 12 could be reached by 3 multiplied by 4; or 2 multiplied by 6. Now, do your job, find the correct answer on the multiplication table and circle the right answer! Whoever has the most amount of correct answers will be the winner!

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TIME TO PLAY MANCALA! Find a partner! The object of the game is to capture more stones than your opponent.

HOW DO WE START? Flip a coin, or play Rock-PaperScissors to decide who gets to go first. Once that’s been decided, the player grabs all of the stones in a hole on their side and drops them, one by one, in succeeding holes in a counter-clockwise direction. This continues up until the player has run out of stones in their hand. It is then their opponents turn. The opponent then picks up stones near them, and repeat what the first player did until their hand is empty.

WAIT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I REACH THE END OF A ROW? Whenever a player reaches the end of a row, the player then starts placing the stones in a clockwise direction. Continue to pick up and drop the stones in a clockwise direction until you reach the end of the row again, then move back in a counter-clockwise direction.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO WINS? The turn only ends when the last stone in the hand falls into an empty cup. The game is over when a player empties all of the cups on their side. The winner is determined by whoever has the most stones at the end of the game. Play as many times as you want to! If you end up losing, play again and rethink your strategy, but don’t forget to have fun!

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ART Masks are carved to be worn in performances. They are presented at ceremonies that mark the major changes in the lives of individuals or for community events, such as initiations into adulthood or funeral ceremonies. They are also a representation of spiritual forces that are at work during these ceremonies.

YO U’ R E GO I N G TO B E MAK I NG YOUR OWN MASK! FIND SOME MASKS THAT STICK OUT TO YOU! There’s plenty of cool masks throughout the Savannah African Art Museum, find some that stick out to you! It can look interesting, have bright colors, textures or patterns, or maybe even a cool story behind it; pick whatever catches your eye.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE MASK(S)?

What do you find so interesting about this mask? Write down specific details about the mask(s), draw a quick sketch of it or a few patterns/materials that are on the mask down below. If you have a cell phone, take a picture! Just remember to turn the flash off!

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TIME TO CREATE YOUR OWN MASK! After researching and seeing all the cool masks at the museum, it’s time to create your self-portrait in the same style of African Masks. Focus on the colors, patterns, and materials that symbolize characteristics about yourself, and think about what you want the purpose of this mask to be. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different colors and materials!

PROUDLY SHOW OFF YOUR WORK! After finishing your mask, reflect on your project! Think about the choices you made, the process, the final project, and the meaning and symbolism behind your mask. Proudly present it to your class! Analyze the colors, patterns, and materials used for the mask and how it relates to the information that you learned at the museum.

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MUSIC Music is such an important aspect of African culture. There are some pretty cool instruments that are on display in the museum, and you can even interact with some of them! In this activity, you’re going to be learning about the importance and purpose of music and storytelling, or oral tradition, in African society.

MAK E AN D PLAY YOU R OWN I NST RUMENT !

FIND SOME INSTRUMENTS THAT YOU LIKE! Look at all the musical instruments at the Savannah African Art Museum, find a few that interest you. You can even have a go at playing the ones provided by the museum. Choose one that you think would be fun to make and play.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT? Why are you interested in this particular instrument? Write down the things you think are cool about the instrument or music and how you think you could make your own. Draw a quick sketch or take a picture!

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CREATE YOUR OWN INSTRUMENT AND TELL YOUR STORY! After seeing and playing with all the instruments at the museum and hearing all the stories, it’s time to create your own musical instrument and maybe a story to go along while you play. Focus on the colors, patterns, and materials that symbolize your unique story and think about how you’ll work with others to make a great performance. Don’t be afraid to talk to your friends and discuss your materials, techniques, and stories.

PERFORMANCE AND DISCUSSION! After finishing your musical instrument, get together with your group and perform your own oral tradition, whether it be a story, a song, or a dance. Try to relate your performance to what you saw and heard in the museum and discuss the importance of storytelling and music in your life in relation to that of Africa.

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GLOSSARY Egungun Refers to the Yoruba masquerades connected with ancestor reverence, or to the ancestors themselves as a collective force. Could also refer to all types of Yoruba masquerades or masked, costumed figures.

Mancala man·​ca·​la A competition between two players in the distribution of pieces (pebbles or stones) into rows of holes or pockets (as in a board) under various rules that permit accumulation of pieces by capture.

Nkisi Spirits, or an object that a spirit inhabits.

Nganga A term for herbalist or spiritual healer. Could also be a name for a person who possessed the skill to communicate with the Other World.

Close up of Mancala board

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Back side of Nkisi figure

TAKE NOTES HERE!

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FLOOR PLANS

First Floor: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso Benin Niger, Nigeria Rotating Themed Exhibition Space

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Second Floor: Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon Democratic Republic of the Congo Angola, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe Video/Media Room

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Photography: Billie Stultz John Villareal University of Georgia Graphic Design: Amelia Meno This activity was created as an educational adjunct by the Department of Art History’s Museum Studies program students at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Sterling Jones, Claire Marshall, Amelia Meno, Savannah Ockerbloom, Ardhyn Parks, Jie Zhang Professor James T. Janson

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