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Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas

The Fowler Museum at UCLA presents the opening of the Mami Wata exhibit, which runs from April 6 - August 10, 2008. Beautiful and seductive, protective yet dangerous, the water spirit Mami Wata (Mother Water) is celebrated throughout much of Africa and the African Atlantic.

Sunday, April 06, 2008
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Fowler Museum at UCLA
(enter Westwood and Sunset Blvd.)
Los Angeles, CA United States

Often portrayed as a mermaid, a snake charmer, or a combination of both, Mami Wata and the “school” of related African water spirits all honor the essential, sacred nature of water. Experience the debut of this multimedia exhibition and explore the visual cultures and histories of Mami Wata through a dynamic presentation of the rich array of arts surrounding her—sculpture, paintings, masks, posters, and more from west and central Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, and the United States. Let Mami Wata beguile you as she has done to peoples across the globe for centuries!

Opening Day: Sunday, April 6, 2008  --  12-5 pm galleries open

• 1–4 pm Kids in the Courtyard: A Mermaid’s Tail
  Get ready for the April 19th festival Splash! A Celebration of Mermaids and the Sea by fashioning watery wear perfect for a merfolk masquerade at this free, drop-in art workshop.

• 2–4 pm Fowler OutSpoken Panel: Mami as Muse
  The work of contemporary artists from Africa and the Americas demonstrates the power and continuity of Mami Wata as a source for creative inspiration. Visual artists Bolaji Campbell, Eve Sandler and Sonya Y. Clark, along with filmmaker Giovanni Savino, discuss their works in the Fowler’s current exhibition in this conversation led by curator Henry Drewal examining the relationship between Mami Wata devotion and artistic expression.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Parking is available in lot 4; pay-by-space and all-day parking ($8) available.

Special Instructions

For more information please contact

Fowler Museum at UCLA Tel: 310-825-4361
www.fowler.ucla.edu