“Health, Hair, and Heritage” Discussion at National Museum of African Art
The Sanaa Circle, a friends group of the National Museum of African Art, will present a panel in the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center Pavilion, Friday, June 7, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.; it is FREE and open to the public, but RSVPs are required. The panelists will discuss contemporary hair, health, and beauty in reference to the heritage and history of Africa. The discussion will be moderated by Diana N’Diaye, curator of The Will to Adorn Festival program.
Johnnetta Betsch Cole, director of the National Museum of African Art, will begin the evening with opening remarks. A reception will follow with hair models featuring images of contemporary beauty. The panelists will be available for additional conversation during the reception.
Panelists include:
- Dr. Monte Harris, a Sanaa committee member and internationally recognized plastic surgeon, lectures and leads discussions on the role of hair in an individual’s perceptions of beauty and identity. As the leader of the Center for Aesthetic Modernism and Do Good H.A.I.R. Project, Harris provides comprehensive health guidance for women seeking to achieve personal beauty that aligns with their ancestral heritage.
- Karen Milbourne is a curator at the National Museum of African Art. Her expertise includes the arts and pageantry of western Zambia and contemporary African art. She has curated the exhibitions Artists in Dialogue: António Ole and Aimé Mpane (2009) and Artists in Dialogue 2: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira (2011). She also served as coordinating curator for the exhibitions Yinka Shonibare MBE (2010) and Central Nigeria Unmasked (2011).
- Gina Paige is president and founder of African Ancestry Inc., the nation’s leading genetics-based people ancestry-tracing company, sparking global interest, dialogue and focus on the importance of people knowing who they are.
Click here for more information and to reserve your free ticket .
The National Museum of African Art is America’s only museum dedicated to the collection, conservation, study and exhibition of traditional and contemporary African art.
