FACT SHEET

EXHIBITION	Spirits in Steel: The Art of the Kalabari Masquerade
DATES	April 25 through October 12, 1998
CONTENT	This exhibition, the first major museum presentation in New York devoted to the work of Sokari Douglas Camp, features thirteen life-size steel sculptures drawing on themes from the artist's homeland in Nigeria. Based on traditional masquerades of the Kalabari people of the Eastern Niger Delta, the sculptures capture the movement and meaning of the Water-Spirit Masquerade, a festival procession featuring the guardian spirits of the Kalabari people. Sokari has created five new works for the Museum's installation, which also includes more than twenty-five African masks from the collections of the American Museum of Natural History and the British Museum, as well as a rare Kalabari funerary screen from a men's meeting house, also from the British Museum. Three videos, made by Sokari and filmmaker Jane Thorburn, and a selection of photographs, which were taken by the artist as she observed masqueraders donning their costumes, depict how the masquerade invokes the water spirits of the Niger Delta.
BACKGROUND	Sokari Douglas Camp was born in Nigeria and studied art in London, where she now resides. Through her work, Sokari transforms what could be seen as a purely Kalabari event into an experience that bridges the gap between Africa and the West.
ORGANIZATION	Organized by Enid Schildkrout, chair and curator, Department of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History. The exhibition is based on Play and Display: Steel Masquerades from Top to Toe, an exhibition organized by the Museum of Mankind, the British Museum.
PROGRAMMING	The Museum's Department of Education is planning a series of programs for adults and children in conjunction with the exhibition. The Spirit Ensemble: The Music and Dance of Africa, a participatory family evening celebrating African music and dance, is scheduled for Monday, May 4. Sokari discusses her work at a "Meet the Artist" evening on Friday, May 15, and leads a high-school workshop on Saturday, May 16. In addition, a lecture, film, and performance program is planned for September. (Details will be announced.)
PUBLICATION	The exhibition is accompanied by Play and Display: Steel Masquerades from Top to Toe. Published by the British Museum, the booklet is available in the Museum Shop for $13.95.
SPONSORSHIP	This exhibition is made possible through the support of The Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund.

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For more information, contact the Museum's Department of Communications, 212-769-5800.

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