New facility will expand access to institution’s growing collection
Dr. Robert R. Jennings, Lincoln University’s president, is extending an invitation to the community to share in the opening of the new African art center.
The public is invited to help Lincoln University celebrate the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Danjuma African Art Center on Saturday, April 12, at 12:30 p.m.
General Theophilus Y. Danjuma, a Nigerian Jukun soldier, politician, businessman and retired chief of army staff and minister of defense under Olusegun Obasanjo, is the benefactor of the African Art Center. Currently chairman of South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETRO) of Nigeria, General Danjuma will attend the opening dedication and reception as the university’s guest of honor. The center is named for Danjuma for his outstanding support of the development of the center and his ongoing commitment to its success, a university news release said.
The Danjuma African Art Center will feature the collections of Corine Thompson in memory of her late husband, Eugene Thompson, as well as those of Dave and Karina Rilling. A temporary installation of lithographs and relief prints will include artists representing Nigeria, Cuba, Senegal, and South Africa, the release said.
Founded in 1854, Lincoln University has been consistent in its outreach to diverse communities and people of African descent. African students have always been a strong presence on campus and a vital part of the university’s ability to integrate international perspectives in its teaching. The university has been extremely fortunate to receive donations of African art and artifacts from its students, faculty, visiting scholars and dignitaries. This material culture – sculptures, masks, vases, totems, pottery, and jewelry − evidence the spiritual and cultural practices of countries such as Nigeria, Congo (DRC), Ghana, Cameroon, Liberia, Ethiopia and Angola, the release said.
The university’s art collection is constantly growing and has become a significant resource for academic inquiry and a means to affirm the rich heritage that connects the Lincoln University community to its history of engagement with students of African descent. To RSVP contact Ursula Graves at 484-365-7434 or ugraves@lincoln.edu.
