Through African Eyes

If you will be in the heartland between now and January 9, 2011, you can see a remarkable special exhibit at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City called Through African Eyes: The European in African Art, 1500-Present.  It packs a powerful emotional punch AND is visually dazzling.  You really couldn't ask for more.

Here is a link to a New York Times slideshow of a few objects in the exhibit:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/04/15/arts/20100416-african-slideshow_index.html

Several of my favorite pieces are non-functional representations of functional items of Western culture--function transformed into status.  The beautiful lensless glasses featured in the New York Times slideshow are one example.  For you stitchers who are wondering what this blog entry has to do with quilting, a carved stone sewing machine is another...

I hope you get a chance to see this brilliant show.