Day Dedicated to Ghanaian Heritage at Fitchburg Museum
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Rep. Stephen DiNatale (left) with members of the Ghanaian community.
Rep. DiNatale did so at the Fitchburg Art Museum during the opening ceremony of their new exhibit “Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity.” The exhibit is set to run through June 30th, and explores the making and cultural significance of kente, a geometrically patterned cloth that is popular in Ghana.
Kente is significant not just because of its popularity, but also because of its ties to African pride throughout the U.S. and its status as a cultural icon. The Ghanaian community in Massachusetts, particularly in Worcester, is one of the largest in the world, outside of Ghana itself.
Visitors to the exhibit can expect to be immersed in kente weaving traditions and to see some of the finest examples of this festive textile. Originating in the Gold Coast of Africa, kente was traditionally worn for special occasions by men as a kind of toga, and women as upper and lower wrappers. However, the cloth’s popularity has surged in recent years, leading to kente hats, bags, ties, shoes, jewelry and accessories.
Kente has been worn as a symbol of pride by many different celebrities, including Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee, Nelson Mandela and others. A section of the exhibit will focus on the prominence of kente at different times of the year, and it’s uses in American graduation and church ceremonies where it symbolizes faith, heritage and accomplishment.
The Fitchburg Art Museum houses over 500 works of African and Oceanic art from three major donors in New England. The exhibit will debut a royal sword and feature of gold weighing kit worn by men of high standing in Ghana.
The exhibit has been made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This particular version of the exhibition was developed by the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, and is based on an earlier exhibit co-organized with the Newark Museum.
For more information on the exhibition, click here.
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