George and Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art A Guide for Teachers
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Introduction The George and Leah McKenna African American Art Museum was founded in 2003 to honor the late mother and father of Dr. Dwight L. McKenna. Natives of New Orleans and graduates of Xavier University, the McKenna’s devoted their lives to educating African American children and adults. Their devotion and commitment to the enrichment of young lives was inherited by their son. He is a well-respected physician and advocate for Black children, in particular boys and young men in the New Orleans community. Dr. McKenna discovered his passion for collecting original African-American art in the late 1970’s. His vision is to share his art collection with the Metropolitan New Orleans area and beyond. The distinct collection consists of an outstanding range of one-of-a-kind originals showcasing innovative Black artists and artisans. The museum strives to promote and celebrate the significant accomplishments of African American artists. His mission is to provide unique art exhibits and educational programs that explore the diversity of African American Art and culture. The artwork is housed in a masonry antebellum Greek revival-style building and dates back to the 19th century Civil War era. Built by Natchez Steamboat Captain Thomas Leathers for his family, it was acquired by Dr. McKenna in 1997.
African Roots of African American Art African Americans are the descendants of hundreds of different ethnic groups in West and Central Africa. Many of the Africans that were taken to the United States, Caribbean, and South America during Slavery were from distinct kingdoms in the Ivory and Gold Coast. Some of the groups included the Fon, Ewe, Akan, Yoruba, Kongo, Wolof, Fanti, Igbo, Mende, Twi, Mandinka, Mende, and Bamabara. Each of these groups had their own distinct cultures, customs, cosmology, spiritual practices, and socio-political traditions and customs. Each of these traditions was reflected in the art and aesthetic produced by these people. The art represented a myriad of styles, forms, subjects, and uses. For instance Benin was popularly known for its bronze work, whereas Gabon worked primarily in copper. The Adinkra symbol of Sankofa can be found in the ironwork of many homes throughout the United States. Many of the masks that we see in museums and homes were once used for ceremonial and religious purposes. During enslavement in the Americas, thousands of ethnic groups were forcibly intermingled, thus dismantling African American knowledge of specific African traditions, as the many cultural expressions were mixed together. During slavery, however, individuals retained knowledge and skills that were passed down through the generations.
The Creation of African American Arts Traditions Within the framework of the African Aesthetic, there was no separation between art and life…meaning African art was not created for “art’s sake.” Art was incorporated in the major functions of daily communal and urban life. Enslaved African people were often bought and sold based on their skills. These Africans were then forced to use their skills for the benefit of the slaveholders. Thus many of the homes of early Americans were built and furnished by skilled enslaved Africans. Generally, the enslaved Africans did not have the liberty to create anything for themselves. Nor did they have the resources to work with precious metals. However, at various moments throughout slavery, they used their craftiness and ingenuity to create drums, wooden figurines, and quilts for themselves. On a grander scale, African designs can be found in architecture, clothing, handcrafted furniture and quilts. Since these people were deemed as the property of someone else, their work would be credited to their owners. Although enslavement proved rather a difficult period for the creativity of Black artisans, there are instances where some early artists’ work was credited to the creator. This can be seen in the case of Scipio Moorehead who produced a 1773 ink drawing of Phyllis Wheatley which served as the cover piece for a book of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.