August 2008 Press Release:
CASTING TRADITION: CONTEMPORARY BRASSWORKING IN GHANA
"Casting Tradition: Contemporary Brassworking in Ghana" opens in July in the Exhibit Museum’s newly renovated gallery on the 4th floor.? This exhibition is a collaboration with Raymond Silverman, U-M Professor of History of Art and Afroamerican and African Studies. It is the product of a partnership between the Exhibit Museum and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Museum (KNUSTM), sponsored by the American Association of Museums, that allowed Silverman to spend five weeks in Ghana working with his colleague,?Gilbert Amegatcher, a Professor of Art and Design at KNUST, to conduct the research for the exhibition. Amegatcher then spent five weeks with Silverman at the Exhibit Museum processing the research material and designing the installation. Distance learning technology was used to create a virtual collaborative environment for their students who assisted in planning the exhibition.
The tradition of lost-wax casting has been practiced among the Akan people of Ghana for at least 500 years. "Casting Tradition" examines how the traditions associated with casting metal evolved, especially over the last 100 years. Particular attention is given to the relationship between technology, creativity, and the market.
The exhibit features over 50 brass objects commissioned from the metalworkers of the town of Krofrom, including pendants, beads, boxes, bowls, and other objects. Large photos and interpretive labels present the history of lost-wax casting in Ghana, and two multimedia displays present the casting process from start to finish, as well as a series of interviews with some of Krofrom’s brass casters.
The objects on display in the exhibition were borrowed from the U-M Museum of Anthropology and U-M Museum of Art, and from private collections in Michigan and California. The exhibit is sponsored by the American Association of Museums and seven units at the University of Michigan, including the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the Museum Studies Program, the Public Goods Council, the International Institute, the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, and Arts at Michigan.
"Casting Tradition" will also be installed at the KNUST Museum in Kumasi, Ghana.?
There will be a celebratory public reception for the exhibit on September 5, from 4-6 pm.?
FREE DINOSAUR TOURS!
Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm
Attention dinosaur fans! Join us at 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays for a free, 30-minute docent-led tour of the dinosaur exhibits. Sign up on the day of the tour. Limit: 15 people.
PLANETARIUM SHOWS
The Sky Tonight: Star Talk
Monday-Friday at 1:30 & 3:30
Saturdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 11:30, 1:30 & 3:30
Sundays, August 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 at 1:30 & 3:30
Bright stars, constellations, planets, and telescopic objects in the current night sky will be discussed in this live “star talk.” Then leave Earth and fly out into space to examine the planets in the current sky.
Origins of Life
Saturdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 2:30
Sundays, August 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 at 2:30
Starting with the Big Bang, learn about the prebiotic chemistry in the Universe, the formation of stars and solar systems, and the first life on Earth, as well as the great extinctions and our search for life beyond planet Earth.
The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather
Monday-Friday at 12:30
From the far reaches of outer space, from the bright orange planet Zula, comes the Zula Patrol! Based on the highly-acclaimed Zula Patrol TV series, this animated adventure about weather, both terrestrial and interplanetary, written for children, is a must-see for audiences of all ages.
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity
Monday-Friday at 2:30
Saturdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 12:30
Recorded narration by Liam Neeson. Features striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a supermassive black hole.
All ages admitted. Planetarium prices are $4.75 for adults, seniors, & children.
