via NASA
On Monday, the National Museum of African Art celebrated the opening of Earth Matters with a variety of informative and inspiring programs. These included a well-attended exhibit tour with curator, Dr. Karen E. Milbourne, a roundtable discussion including many of the artists featured in the show, and a visually stunning, deeply moving performance piece by Gabonese artist Nathalie Mbo Bikoro of her work, The Uncomfortable Truth. (Keep checking this blog for photos, stories, and links forthcoming from these events.)
The opening also inspired some buzz around the web. Check out:
- A great review of the show from the Washington Post’s Lonnae O’Neal Parker.
- A discussion of the show’s environmental focus on the BBC World Service (from 00:36.32-00:40.50), featuring interviews with artists attending the opening, including Georgia Papageorge and Jerry Buhari.
- A video from the Smithsonian’s Around the Mall blog featuring Earth Matters curator Dr. Karen E. Milbourne discussing the earth art installed around the Mall, a first for the Smithsonian.
Scenes from Zimbabwe, © JackyR, Wikimedia Commons
Earth Day was also discussed around the web with stories about real environmental action in Africa and around the world:
- Read about how African farmers throughout the continent are reconsidering their connections to the land and how they can help save it.
- YouTube spotlighted some of Africa’s most awe-inspiring natural landscapes.
- Check out how restaurants in Ghana are looking to local ingredients to revamp the restaurant scene and celebrate West African cooking.
We hope you get the chance to stop by and see all the ways the National Museum of African Art and the Smithsonian is celebrating the Earth. Until then, keep checking back here every Wednesday for links to more timely, interesting, and surprising Earth matters around the web.
Earth Matters 