Museum Day

CONSTRUCTING THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN ART
New Museum Spaces For African Art

Museum Day will be held on March 28, 2007 at the Harn Museum of Art. Two sessions are scheduled for morning and afternoon panels. Please submit panel or paper proposals to co-chairs, Carol Thompson and Susan Cooksey.

Co-chairs:

• Carol Thompson, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, carol.thompson@woodruffcenter.org
• Susan Cooksey, Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, secook@ufl.edu

The recent surge of growth in art museums has included the construction of an extraordinary number of new spaces devoted to African art. Examples include: De Young Museum; Detroit Institute of Art; Museum for African Art; High Museum; Denver Museum of Art. Additionally, other museums have now reconfigured existing space, dedicating it exclusively to African art exhibitions. What do these new developments reveal about the interest in African art by collectors, audiences and museum curators, educators, and other staff? To what extent were these constituents or others involved in the planning and implementation of the space? What were their agendas and how were they realized or transformed (negotiated) throughout the planning, construction, and installation of these spaces? Can we prognosticate about the future direction of museum collections and presentations of African art (didactic strategies, visitor response/ interactivity; acquisition strategies and direction of collection growth), and, what if any effect will this have on African art history and other related disciplines? Finally, how can we use the experience of those directly involved in the configuration of these spaces to help those planning projects in the future?

Tentative Agenda

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