Ethiopia at the Crossroads, The Walters Art Museum
Tuesday, February 13
2:30-3:30 pm, via Zoom
The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is offering us an extraordinary tour celebrating the artistic traditions of Ethiopia from their origins to the present day with “Ethiopia at the Crossroads.” This visiting exhibition—which The Washington Post described as “Excellent”—showcases more than nine centuries’ worth of what curator Christine Sciacca calls the “amazing cultural production that came out of Ethiopia.” Over the past several decades, the museum has developed one of the most significant collections of Ethiopian art outside Ethiopia, and the 220-plus works in the exhibition are largely drawn from its holdings. The objects are impressively diverse, including richly painted triptych icons, colorful illuminated manuscripts, a variety of metalwork, ancient coins, contemporary paintings and multimedia art, and even a gold-embroidered black velvet cloak that belonged to Emperor Haile Selassie.
Seated in the Horn of Africa between Europe and the Middle East, Ethiopia is an intersection of diverse climates, religions, and cultures. Home to over 80 different ethnicities and religious groups, a large portion of the historic artistic production in Ethiopia is connected to the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), all of which have early roots in Ethiopia.)
This is an FHNN/LFV collaborative program which is open to FHNN and LFV members and volunteers only. Register online. FHNN members and volunteers who need assistance registering should email information.fhnn@gmail.com with Ethiopia in the subject line.