Join us in welcoming our new summer interns Alana Okonkwo and Bamelak Tesfaye!
Alana Okonkwo (she/her) is an Undergraduate at Stanford University majoring in Archaeology and African & African American Studies with a research focus in cultural heritage restitution. She is beyond grateful to have the opportunity to intern at the Fowler Museum through the Cardinal Quarter Fellowship Program at Stanford. Alana says, "I was eager to intern specifically at the Fowler Museum because the Fowler is trailblazing amongst university museums in returning cultural belongings that have been illicitly taken." After participating in this internship, Alana hopes to apply the Fowler's heritage restitution model to Stanford University's Archaeology Collections and the Cantor Museum.
Bamelak Tesfaye (she/her) is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California, majoring in History with a concentration in Intellectual History. She is thrilled to have landed her dream internship at the Fowler Museum through the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship Program. Bamelak chose to intern at the Fowler because of the opportunities to combine her passions for historical research and Indigenous studies. After completing this internship, Bamelak is confident that she will gain a more grounded understanding of the curatorial field and better determine which museums are the right fit for her.
#summerinterns#internship#museuminterns#gettyintern#museums
Helena Hernmarck created this woven work of art for the Fowler’s 2016 exhibition “The Box Project: Uncommon Threads,” which featured contemporary fiber artworks from a selection of international artists.
Seen from a distance, Hernmarck's tapestries present a powerful, unified impression. Up close, her compositions dissolve into innumerable color mixtures interlaced as warp and weft. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1941 and after graduating from art school in Stockholm in 1963, she moved her studio to Canada and later to England before settling in the United States in the mid-1970s. Hernmarck now maintains an active studio in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
We are highlighting Hernmarck’s work as part of Immigrant Heritage Month, which was presidentially proclaimed this year as a way to learn more about the history of our Nation’s diverse and varied immigrant communities.
Image: Color Triptyk, 2005 Helena Hernmarck b. Sweden, active Ridgefield, Connecticut Wool yarn woven in double weave with strips from sequin manufacturing Cotsen Collection, T-2506a-b.
#immigrantheritagemonth#weaving#textileart#textiles#tapestry#fiberart
Our new digital collection search tool is now LIVE! 🖥️🔍
We've expanded our online collection to bring you more works than ever before, and navigating through them just got easier. Search by object type, cultural group, or geography to discover thousands of works from around the globe in the Fowler's collection.
Find out more about the stories behind the art with associated archival records and provenance research for hundreds of African works in the Fowler's care. Have insights or stories to share? You can contribute too! Plus, you can now request images or plan a research visit (fees may apply). Start your search at the link in bio!
Image 1: Artist Unknown (Asante peoples, Ghana). Man’s cloth (kente, 1930s-1940s). X86.1988 Anonymous Gift. Photo by Don Cole
Image 2: Artist Unknown (Sa’dan Toraja peoples, Tondon, South Sulawesi, Indonesia). Granary façade (early 20th century); Wood, paint; Fowler Museum at UCLA, XX85.855; Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Kuhn
Image 3: Artist Unknown (Totonicapan, Guatemala). Mask (20th century); Wood, paint, glass; Fowler Museum at UCLA, X2020.3.38; Gift of the Jim and Jeanne Pieper Collection
#FowlerMuseum#DigitalCollection#AfricanArt#ExploreCulture
Part of PST ART: Art & Science Collides, ‘Sangre de Nopal/Blood of the Nopal: Tanya Aguiñiga & Porfirio Gutiérrez en Conversación/in Conversation’ opens July 21 at the Fowler Museum at UCLA.
Co-presented by @mcasantabarbara and @fowlermuseum , this exhibition offers an expanded understanding of the scientific and Indigenous origins of cochineal, a red dye developed by the Zapotec peoples.
Artists Tanya Aguiñiga and Porfirio Gutiérrez work with natural fibers and dyes and share a profound care and passion for the traditional ecological knowledge of the Indigenous Oaxacan diaspora as well as concern for the socio-political crises that affect Indigenous communities on both sides of the Mexico–U.S. border. New commissions and existing works from the artists will be featured alongside Oaxacan textiles from the Fowler collection.
Join us for an opening celebration Sat July 20, 6–9 pm with an Indigenous welcome, live music, and 🌵-themed refreshments. Details at the link in bio.
Image 1: Logo design by @adrianalaartista
Image 2: Artists Porfirio Gutiérrez and Tanya Aguiñiga talk and weave together under a cardón cactus in a field near Guitérrez’ hometown in Teotítlan del Valle, Oaxaca. Photo Javier Lazo Gutiérrez
Day of Ancestors: Festival of Masks is this Sunday in Leimert Park Village!
This annual event hosted by LA Commons celebrates the rich traditions of the African Diaspora by honoring ancestors. The Fowler has teamed up to offer art activities that draw on themes of Yoruba spirituality brought to life in the Fowler’s 2023 exhibition of Yoruba Sacred Arts.
Event is free and runs from 12 to 6 pm. The Fowler’s art-making station will be open 2:30–4:30 pm. LA Commons is located at 4343 Leimert Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008. More info at the link in bio.
Images courtesy of LA Commons.
Join the Fowler team as a Curatorial Specialist!
This full-time,18-month position offers a unique opportunity to delve into the roles, meanings, materiality, and provenance histories of African art objects in our collection. Your work will involve comprehensive cataloging, material analysis, and exploring the cultural significance of each object. You'll play a pivotal role in updating our database with new findings and insights gained through comparative studies with existing Fowler collections and will culminate in the production of educational resources and StoryMaps that showcase these objects.
Visit the link in our bio for more details and to apply. Applications are due by June 30!
#jobopening#museumjobs#africanart#art#artmuseum#curator
Don't miss out on this spectacular SALE in the museum Store!
Enjoy 25% off everything in-store through Sun, Jun 30! Whether you're browsing for unique gifts or treating yourself to something special, the Fowler Museum store has it all. Discover art books inspired by our exhibitions, exquisite jewelry, and handcrafted treasures from around the globe. ✨🛍️🌍 ✨
Hurry in and explore our eclectic collection – there's something for everyone, at prices you'll love.
#FowlerMuseum#MuseumStore#Sale#GiftIdeas#ShopLocal
#ThrowbackThursday to our online PRIDE program on Queer Latinx Arts in LA with Chicana artist Alma López Gaspar de Alba and her partner, scholar-activist and UCLA Professor Alicia Gaspar de Alba.
Their conversation traced Queer Angeleno artists’ contributions to contemporary art and Queer history in LA. They also highlighted one of the couple’s artistic collaborations, which explores the controversial life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the 17th-century Mexican nun, philosopher, composer, poet, and advocate for women. Watch the video at the link in bio!
#pride#tbt#latinx#contemporaryart#chicanx#pridemonth#losangeles#queerart
The Fowler is teaming up with @lacommons to offer art-making and more at Day of Ancestors Festival of Masks in Leimert Park Village on Sun, Jun 30!
This annual event celebrates the rich traditions of the African Diaspora by honoring ancestors. Art activities will draw on themes of Yoruba spirituality brought to life in the Fowler’s 2023 exhibition of Yoruba Sacred Arts.
Event is free and runs from 12 to 6 pm. The Fowler’s art-making station will be open 2:30–4:30 pm. LA Commons is located at 4343 Leimert Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008. RSVP at the link in bio!
Image: Courtesy of LA Commons
#leimertpark#masks#africandiaspora#losangeles#dayofancestors#festival
“Descanse en Paz: Memorial Paintings from 19th-Century Mexico” features works immortalizing departed loved ones alongside the uniquely Mexican monja coronada or “crowned nun” portrait. These portraits commemorate family members who no longer reside in the household— offering them a lasting presence in the home. On view through Nov 3, 2024.
#MexicanArt#19thCenturyPainting#ArtExhibition#descnaseenpaz#mexico
Congratulations to former Fowler student educator Anaís Orozco, who was the undergraduate student speaker at the @UCLAarts commencement ceremony on Saturday!
Orozco earned her degree from the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance and plans to work as an arts educator and program developer for a local community space or non-profit, particularly with elementary and middle school students. “I want young folks to know it's okay to express yourself,” she said. “They need the most attention because they are at a very crucial time of growth, and art can make a difference in their lives.”
Read more about her work cultivating community through arts education at the link in bio.
Photos by Lucza Brewer / UCLA Arts
