Ethiopia
Traditions of Creativity
This site celebrates the expressive cultures of Ethiopia. It is a place where one can learn about the rich and diverse aesthetic traditions of Ethiopia. Please explore the resources offered here and if you wish send us a message about your experience.
Artist Profiles
At the heart of the site is a group of artist profiles that deal with the lives and work of eleven Ethiopian artists and artisans. These profiles were compiled from original research conducted by an international team of scholars who worked with the artists during the Spring of 1993 in preparation for an exhibition organized by Michigan State University Museum. Each profile is comprised of five parts: a brief autobiography, a short essay that places the artist in a cultural and social context, a gallery of examples of the artist's work, a map that locates the artist's home in Ethiopia, and a list of suggested readings for people interested in learning more about the artist and the tradition with which s/he is associated.
1994 Michigan State University Museum Exhibition
The site also includes a section that deals with the "real" exhibition, Ethiopia: Traditions of Creativity, that was installed at Michigan State University Museum in 1994 in conjunction with the Twelfth International Conference of Ethiopian Studies. Here the visitor is able to follow the evolution of the exhibition from its inception, planning, research in Ethiopia, building, installation, and evaluation.
Dialog
Visitors with comments and questions are invited to submit them to the site's webmaster. These will be posted to the site's dialog page where they will serve as the focus of discussions. The discussions are archived so that they may serve as a source of information and insight for people interested in the expressive cultures of Ethiopia.
What's Happening
News about current and future events relating to the expressive cultures of Ethiopia are posted to the site's current events section. Here visitors may find information about exhibitions, performances, new films and publications, and more.
Internet Resources
Finally, visitors are directed to the growing number of resources about Ethiopian art, history and culture that may be found on the Internet. Here "hot links" to other sites are listed for easy access.
Please direct any questions concerning this site to Raymond Silverman, who may be contacted at bonduku@msu.edu.
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