What one culture sees as utilitarian can sometimes have a much more complicated presence elsewhere. Consider the simple woven basket. For many African ethnic groups, the basket is much more than just a way to carry things. It’s a method of communication, an integral part of important ceremonies, and an art form.
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Lompoc Museum will put this significant symbol of African culture into perspective during its latest exhibit, “Weaving through Africa,” on display through the end of February at the museum’s Centeno Gallery.
The exhibit will feature baskets made by African weavers, who often use their creations to carry goods to and from the market. But the pieces are also much more.
The exhibit is a cooperative celebration of Black History Month between the Lompoc Museum and Club Arcturus, featuring items from the collection of guest exhibitor Ester La Pollo, owner of MamaAfrika.com.
Born in the small east African nation of Eritrea to an Eritrean mother and Italian-American father, La Pollo has long been enamored with African cultures—so much so that 10 years ago, she founded a website through which she sells traditional African art from a dozen African countries using fair and ethical trade policies. She’s also is a speaker who addresses those same fair and ethical trade issues, sustainable development, and African art.
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Her interest in African culture has grown through the past 12 years, and through her pursuit of knowledge about the subject, she realized Africa was largely under-represented in textbooks, art galleries, and museums. She also noticed she had developed quite a collection of her own through the years of daily-use items found in an Eritrean household, from baskets for serving popcorn during a coffee ceremony to woven stands to hold the coffee pot to Coptic crosses.
The collection has grown into a movement to reach out and teach people about Africa’s diverse art history and its different art forms—like baskets. m
Arts Editor Shelly Cone majored in underwater story weaving. Contact her at scone
@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 9-16, 2012.
