West African / African American
A RT CON N EC T IONS
The Mint Museum of Art Education Department developed this teaching guide to complement the exhibition
Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color (on view through February 27, 2010) and as an ongoing curriculum resource.
Mint Museum of Art | 2730 Randolph Road | 704.337.2000 | mintmuseum.org
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C U R R IC U LU M CON N EC T IONS
North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS)
7th grade Social Studies
COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will use the five themes of geography and
geographic tools to answer geographic questions and analyze geographic concepts.
OBJECTIVES
1.01 Create maps to illustrate information about different people, places and
regions in Africa.
1.02 Generate, interpret, and manipulate information from maps to pose and
answer questions about environment and society.
1.03 Use tools such as maps and artifacts to compare data on different countries
of Africa and to identify patterns as well as similarities and differences.
COMPETENCY GOAL 12: The learner will assess the influence of major religions,
ethical beliefs, and values on cultures in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
OBJECTIVES
12.01 Examine the major belief systems in selected regions of Africa and analyze
their impact on cultural values, practices, and institutions.
12.02 Describe the relationship between and cultural values of selected societies
of Africa and their art and assess their significance in contemporary culture.
12.03 Identify examples of cultural borrowing, such as language, traditions,
and technology, and evaluate their importance in the development of selected
societies in Africa.
COMPETENCY GOAL 13: The learner will describe the historic, economic, and
cultural connections among North Carolina, the United States, Africa, Asia, and
Australia.
OBJECTIVES
13.02 Describe the diverse cultural connections that have influenced the
development of language, art, music, and belief systems in North Carolina and
the United States and analyze their role in creating a changing cultural mosaic.
6th-12th grade Visual Arts
COMPETENCY GOAL 5: The learner will understand the visual arts in relation to
history and cultures. (National Standard 4)
OBJECTIVES
5.01 Demonstrate an understanding that the visual arts have a history, purpose
and function in all cultures.
5.02 Identify specific works of art as belonging to a particular culture, time and
place.
5.03 Discover relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history,
aesthetics, and cultural/ethnic groups.
5.06 Recognize and discuss the aesthetic diversity of various cultures.
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I N T RODUC T ION
Loïs Mailou Jones (1905-1998) was an African-American artist who produced a
diverse body of artwork over her 70-year career. From textile design and Impressionist-style paintings, to Haitian- and African-inspired watercolors and paintings,
Jones’s work embodied various styles of art prevalent during the 20th century.
West African / African American
ART CONNECTIONS
Ubi Girl from Tai Region is an example of her African-inspired works. Here,
Jones combines abstraction with realism and painting with design, creating
a representation of the new cultural and visual climates of post-World War II
African and African-American communities.
Ubi Girl from Tai Region combines motifs (objects forming a distinct design
element) from different regions of Africa, in particular West Africa (Tai region
refers to a region within Cote d’ Ivoire). Jones’s African-inspired contemporary
style offers a “visual map” to explore the diversity and vastness of African
culture: “By combining the motifs from various regions of Africa, I try to explore
on canvas a sense of the underlying unity of all Africa.”1
Things to look for in Ubi Girl from Tai Region:
• Painted face: Many West African cultures welcome young men and women
into adulthood following elaborate initiation ceremonies. This image was
inspired by a young Cote D’ Ivoirian initiate. Colors signify various cultural
values in West Africa. White, for instance, often signifies purity.
• Geometric shape motif: Elaborate design motifs adorn a variety of West
African textiles.
• Mask profile: Masks are one of the most prominent art forms in Africa.
Masks are created for functional purposes such as religious ceremonies or
ritual performances.
LOÏS MAILOU JONES. American, 1905-1998
Ubi Girl from Tai Region 1972
acrylic on canvas, 43 ¾ x 60 inches
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Hayden
Collection–Charles Henry Hayden Fund.
1974.410
GU I DE OV ERV I E W
This guide offers a “visual map” to explore Loïs Mailou Jones’s contemporary
artwork and West African contemporary art within the context of African and
African-American culture.
GU I DE OBJ EC T I V E S
Students will examine Africa, the West African region, and selected artworks
through a cultural lens. Students will explore the relationship between African
and African-American culture through a comparison and contrast of Loïs Mailou
Jones’s West African-inspired work and West African art works.
As a result, students will be able to:
• Describe the relationship between West African culture and contemporary
American visual arts.
• Describe some of the diverse cultural connections that have influenced art in
the United States.
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LOÏS MAILOU JONES. American, 1905-1998
Ubi Girl from Tai Region 1972
acrylic on canvas, 43 ¾ x 60 inches
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Hayden Collection–Charles Henry Hayden Fund. 1974.410
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I. A F R IC A N A RT
A. CU LT U R A L G EO G R A PH Y
Af r ic a is …
• A continent three times the size of the United States of America
• Comprised of 53 political countries
• Comprised of over 1,000,000,000 people
• Comprised of thousands of diverse ethnic groups (people who share certain
distinctive cultural characteristics, such as language, religion and art)
Vegetation of Africa
FRANCE
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
ITALY
TURKEY
GREECE
LEBANON
ISRAEL
WESTERN
SAHARA
LIBYA
MALI
SENEGAL
NIGER
ERITREA
CHAD
GAMBIA
SUDAN
BURKINA
FASO
GUINEA
COTE
SIERRA
D’IVOIRE
LEONE
LIBERIA
GHANA
DJIBOUTI
SOMALIA
ETHIOPIA
NIGERIA
BENIN
CAMEROON
TOGO
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
GABON
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC
KENYA
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
Tropical rain forest
UGANDA
RWANDA
BURUNDI
TANZANIA
Tropical grassland
ANGOLA
MOZAMBIQUE
ZAMBIA
Desert and dry shrub
Temperate grassland
MALAWI
ZIMBABWE
NAMIBIA
BOTSWANA
SWAZILAND
Mediterranean shrub
SOUTH
AFRICA
LESOTHO
Regions of Africa
TUNISIA
MOROCCO
WESTERN
SAHARA
ALGERIA
MAURITANIA
MALI
SENEGAL
LIBYA
EGYPT
NIGER
ERITREA
CHAD
GAMBIA
GUINEA
BISSAU
GUINEA
COTE
D’IVOIRE
SIERRA
LEONE
LIBERIA
SUDAN
BURKINA
FASO
GHANA
DJIBOUTI
SOMALIA
NIGERIA
ETHIOPIA
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC
BENIN
CAMEROON
TOGO
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
GABON
KENYA
UGANDA
CONGO
Thematic maps of Africa illustrate its diversity and the difficulty in characterizing
the continent as a whole. Political boundaries and vegetation regions, for
example, do not overlap. Similarly, the continent’s diverse ethnic groups and
their art cannot be characterized as a single culture.
EGYPT
SAUDI
ARABIA
MAURITANIA
GUINEA
BISSAU
IRAN
IRAQ
JORDAN
ALGERIA
CONGO
VEGETATION OF AFRICA map:
• What can you infer from this map about Africa’s diverse regions?
• What is Africa’s relative location? How have its Northern neighbors affected
Africa’s history?
• Why would you think the majority of Africa’s population lives in the tropical
or grassland regions?
REGIONS OF AFRICA map:
• What can you infer from this map about Africa’s diverse regions?
• Compare and contrast the green color coded areas on this map with the green
color coded areas on the VEGETATION OF AFRICA map: how are they similar
and different?
SYRIA
TUNISIA
MOROCCO
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
RWANDA
BURUNDI
TANZANIA
Northern Africa
ANGOLA
Western Africa
Central Africa
MOZAMBIQUE
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
NAMIBIA
Eastern Africa
Southern Africa
MALAWI
BOTSWANA
SWAZILAND
SOUTH
AFRICA
LESOTHO
Despite this diversity, African art can be said to share certain traits. Some basic definitions about what is historically
considered “traditional African art” are listed below; these characteristics can be compared and contrasted with the
characteristics of “contemporary African art.”
B . CH A R AC T E R I ST I C S O F “ T R A D IT I O N A L” A FR I C A N A R T:
• Made from natural materials such as wood, clay and metal. Why?
• Abstract forms and figures, often with distorted bodies and facial features. Why?
• Employs animals from the region or ancestral animals as subject matter, often distorting the animal’s
appearance through form and color. Why?
• Functional to the particular culture; used in ceremonies, initiation rites and spiritual rituals, or serves a utilitarian
purpose. Why?
• Communal or used for a common good in the society; made for a public interest such as communicating with ancestors
of a particular ethnic group. Why?
C . CH A R AC T E R I ST I C S O F “CO NT EM P O R A RY ” A FR I C A N A R T:
• Made from synthetic materials such as enamel based paints or man-made dyes, factory-printed textiles, and
plastic. Sometimes incorporates foreign, mass-produced objects (i.e. mirrors, buttons, tin cans, etc.). Why?
• Often includes bright colors and shiny, reflective qualities.
• Work features areas of geometric patterning and/or flat planes of solid color.
• Employs a wide-range of subject matter. Often references themes from modern life or contemporary events. Why?
• Functional to the particular culture; used in ceremonies, initiation rites and spiritual rituals, or serves a utilitarian
purpose. Why?
• Communal or used for a common good in the society; made for a public interest such as communicating with ancestors
of a particular ethnic group. Why?
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Vegetation of Africa
FRANCE
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
ITALY
TURKEY
GREECE
SYRIA
TUNISIA
LEBANON
ISRAEL
MOROCCO
LIBYA
EGYPT
SAUDI
ARABIA
MAURITANIA
MALI
SENEGAL
NIGER
ERITREA
CHAD
GAMBIA
GUINEA
BISSAU
JORDAN
ALGERIA
WESTERN
SAHARA
IRAN
IRAQ
GUINEA
SIERRA
LEONE
LIBERIA
SUDAN
BURKINA
FASO
COTE
D’IVOIRE
GHANA
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
NIGERIA
BENIN
CAMEROON
TOGO
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
GABON
SOMALIA
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC
KENYA
CONGO
Tropical rain forest
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
UGANDA
RWANDA
BURUNDI
TANZANIA
Tropical grassland
ANGOLA
Desert and dry shrub
Temperate grassland
MOZAMBIQUE
ZAMBIA
MALAWI
ZIMBABWE
NAMIBIA
BOTSWANA
SWAZILAND
Mediterranean shrub
SOUTH
AFRICA
LESOTHO
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Regions of Africa
TUNISIA
MOROCCO
WESTERN
SAHARA
ALGERIA
MAURITANIA
MALI
SENEGAL
LIBYA
EGYPT
NIGER
ERITREA
CHAD
GAMBIA
GUINEA
BISSAU
GUINEA
COTE
D’IVOIRE
SIERRA
LEONE
LIBERIA
SUDAN
BURKINA
FASO
GHANA
DJIBOUTI
SOMALIA
NIGERIA
ETHIOPIA
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC
BENIN
CAMEROON
TOGO
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
GABON
KENYA
UGANDA
CONGO
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
RWANDA
BURUNDI
TANZANIA
Northern Africa
ANGOLA
Western Africa
Central Africa
ZIMBABWE
NAMIBIA
MALAWI
BOTSWANA
Eastern Africa
Southern Africa
MOZAMBIQUE
ZAMBIA
SWAZILAND
SOUTH
AFRICA
LESOTHO
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I I. W E S T A F R IC A N A RT
Some basic background about West Africa will help provide context for Loïs
Mailou Jones’s featured work and selected works from The Mint Museum’s
African Art Collection.
A . CU LT U R A L G EO G R A PH Y
We st Af r ic a is …
• Comprised of 15 countries including Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Benin,
Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal
• Comprised of 300 million people (60% are under the age of 25)
• Home to hundreds of ethnic groups that cannot easily be divided by
political, linguistic, religious or cultural borders
GUINEA COAST-PEOPLES OF AFRICA map:
• What can you infer from this map about the diversity of the African
continent?
• Do ethnic group boundaries match political boundaries? Why or why not?
Guinea Coast – Peoples of Africa
SENEGAL
GAMBIA
2
TOGO
1
BISSAGOS
ISLANDS GUINEA
BISSAU
3
4
BENIN
NIGERIA
28 27
10
5
6
SIERRA
LEONE
COTE
D’IVOIRE 9
7
8
LIBERIA
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
GHANA
GUINEA
Fulbe
Bijogo
Baga
Temne
Mende
Dan
Baule
Yaure
Bondoukou region
Senufo
Akan
Asante
Akan/Twifo
Aowin
Fante
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
12
14 13
15
11
16
17 18
25
20
19
21
22
26
24
23
29
30
CAMEROON
Fon
Yoruba
Edo/Benin Kingdom
Urhobo
Igbo
Ibibio
Anang
Ejagham
Mbembe
Igala
Chamba
Kulere
Koro Ache
Keaka
Bamum
Although West Africa is often defined as a distinctive region, cultural diversity
does exist, specifically within the arts. To best understand this cultural diversity,
it is useful to consider the region’s vast and complex history.
In the 15th century, France, Britain and Portugal claimed West African territories
and instituted the Atlantic slave trade. In the late 19th century, European
countries split up their territories and developed colonies in the region in what
was called the “Scramble for Africa.”
This scramble resulted in arbitrary political designations of countries’ borders
that disregarded established African social and cultural divisions. The race to
claim the most territory sparked a tidal wave of strife and hardship for Africans
across the continent.
Yet in 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan colony to achieve independence
under President Kwame Nkrumah. This ignited a regional flame of revolt; all
West African colonies were freed from European rule by 1974. Unfortunately,
government instability, corruption and civil wars still plague many of these newly
autonomous nations. This instability is linked to independence, as Africans inherited European-style governments that few knew how to run.
B . D E FI N I NG “CO NT EM P O R A RY ” A FR I C A N A R T
Since European contact, West Africa has experienced significant cultural change.
This change has influenced Contemporary African art. Contemporary art refers
to art created by living artists. Although it is linked to the post-Colonial era,
contemporary art is not necessarily defined by this cultural turning point. African
art has changed and developed continually since the time of the continent’s
first inhabitants. While “traditional” categorizations of art leave out recent
developments in Western-influenced African art, this does not mean that
traditional art is extinct.
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Guinea Coast – Peoples of Africa
SENEGAL
GAMBIA
2
TOGO
1
BISSAGOS
ISLANDS GUINEA
BISSAU
3
4
10
5
6
SIERRA
LEONE
COTE
D’IVOIRE
7
8
LIBERIA
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
GHANA
GUINEA
Fulbe
Bijogo
Baga
Temne
Mende
Dan
Baule
Yaure
Bondoukou region
Senufo
Akan
Asante
Akan/Twifo
Aowin
Fante
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
9
12
14 13
15
11
BENIN
NIGERIA
28 27
25
26
20
17 18
24
16
19 21
23
30
29
22
CAMEROON
Fon
Yoruba
Edo/Benin Kingdom
Urhobo
Igbo
Ibibio
Anang
Ejagham
Mbembe
Igala
Chamba
Kulere
Koro Ache
Keaka
Bamum
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C . W E ST A FR I C A N A RT A N D CO NT EM P O R A RY CU LT U R E
Instead, what was once considered “traditional art” remains in production in
West African countries alongside Western-influenced art. The art showcases
diverse styles, forms, purposes and materials as widespread as the region’s
cultural and geographic diversity.
EXPLORE two contemporary artworks from The Mint Museum’s African collection:
The abstract forms and figures characteristic of “traditional” African art are
often realized in the form of masks. This mask shares many of the characteristics
of “traditional” art while having significance today.
Masks are often characterized as the major African art form. Masks serve
numerous functions in African cultures; they are central elements in various
cultures’ religious, ritual and social activities. Masks exemplify political authority,
initiate youths into adulthood, assist the spirits of the deceased in their transition
to the afterlife, teach social values and entertain.
This helmet mask, which covers the entire head, is the only mask worn by a
female in all of Africa. It is worn in initiation rites for West African girls of the
Sande Society. The society plays a significant cultural role: it instructs young girls
between the ages of 12 and 15 in their future roles as wives and mothers, and as
members of the local community. The helmet mask is characterized by features
that express the culture’s aesthetic ideals and values regarding women.
Things to look for and discuss:
HAIR
Elaborately carved coiffures (hairstyles) are associated with womanhood and
wealth. Elaborate hairstyles imply that someone has time and money to spend
on self-adornment.
• How does this coiffure relate to Western contemporary hairstyles and their
associated meanings?
• How does our culture perceive elaborate hairstyles or hairdos?
• What would be the reasons to spend time and money on elaborate hairstyles?
FACIAL FEATURES
A prominent forehead contrasts with small facial features. The eyes are
downcast, suggesting that women should be modest and not look directly at
someone else. Scars on each cheek (scarification) have religious meaning and
are also associated with status and family clans.
• How does the cultural attitude toward women compare with our culture?
• Compare scarification with our culture’s use of tattoos.
NECK
Large rolls are associated with womanhood (fertility), beauty and wealth.
• What does our culture associate with womanhood? Why?
• Compare and contrast our culture’s ideal of beauty with the Mende’s. How is it
similar or different?
MASK SURFACE
A smooth surface is associated with smooth skin: applications of oil, herbs and
even mud enhance beauty and also protect the member from witchcraft and
evil spirits.
Helmet Mask 20th century
Mende, Sierra Leone
Wood, raffia
Gift of Philip Adams, Mint Museum
Collection
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Helmet Mask 20th century
Mende, Sierra Leone
Wood, raffia
Gift of Philip Adams, Mint Museum Collection
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Things to think about:
YOUTH INITIATIONS
• Think about the West African initiation ceremonies. How do these rituals
compare and contrast with rituals, changes or milestones that occur in our
culture for youth between 12 and 15 years of age?
• Brainstorm a list of “events” that demonstrate maturity or a break from
childhood, such as:
• Obtaining a driver’s license
• Attending middle and high school
• Dating
• Staying out late
• How does this list relate to our culture’s expectations for youth at maturity?
• Compare and contrast with the Sande Society’s expectations for young women:
do these events determine our cultural group identity OR our individual identity?
Woven textiles play important roles in various African cultures. Textile motifs
and designs may symbolize a particular culture’s myths or values or suggest the
status of the person wearing it.
This particular textile is meant to be worn as not only adornment but also
to convey meaning about the individual wearing it. Cordless phones were
considered status symbols in Nigeria during the late 20th century. Even if the
individual wearing it could not afford to purchase a cordless phone, he or she
recognized that wearing its image implied increased status.
Things to think about
• Think about the idea of identity in our culture. How does clothing with logos,
symbols or name brands suggest status within a group?
• How does the adornment with symbols suggest individuality within or without
the group?
COMPARE AND CONTRAST the two contemporary African works:
Consider these two works in relation to cultural change. Read the text
accompanying the images. It will help you answer the questions below.
Essential Questions:
• What is culture? How does culture change? What does art tell us about culture?
• How has West African art changed? How and why has it stayed the same?
• How is contemporary African art the result of cultural innovation and diffusion?
Cordless Phone Cloth late 20th century
Kaduna, Nigeria
Cotton with commercial dyes, batik
Mint Museum Collection
Culture is the shared attitudes, knowledge and behavior of a group of people.
Culture can reveal itself in the language, religion and art of specific groups. An
examination of a culture, specifically its art, can help us make inferences and
draw conclusions about a particular culture and how it has changed over time.
Two ways that culture changes are through innovation and diffusion. Innovation
is something new that is introduced for the first time in a culture. New ideas,
technological inventions and patterns of behavior are types of innovations that
change a culture. Diffusion refers to the spread of these ideas, inventions and
patterns of behavior from one group to another. Whenever one culture comes in
contact with another culture, diffusion is possible.
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Cordless Phone Cloth late 20th century
Kaduna, Nigeria
Cotton with commercial dyes, batik
Mint Museum Collection
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It is important to note that the 20th century “has seen change of a different
sort: the creation of entirely new art forms that respond to social and cultural
situations peculiar to twentieth-century Africa.”2 For example, “by the 1960s,
when the countries of West Africa gained their independence, a survey of the
visual arts would have included fine art and design departments at universities,
self-taught sign painters, masked performers, potters, weavers, dyers, and
sculptors in various media.”3 West African nations were exposed to an influx of
information, cultures and aesthetics that undoubtedly created responses in an
ever-evolving visual culture.
I I I. A F R IC A N -A M ER IC A N A RT
A . CU LT U R A L CO N N EC T I O N S
Just as African art evolved in response to the cultural changes of the 20th
century, so did African-American art. During the time period of West African
independence (1960s and 1970s), African-American art was responding to
the Civil Rights movement and other social movements, including the new
nationalistic spirit of independent African nations. African-American artists were
challenged and motivated to turn to African themes in their art.
B . LOÏS M A I LO U J O N E S : A FR I C A N - I N S PI R E D WO R K
Loïs Mailou Jones traveled to several countries in Africa between 1970 and 1972,
including the West African nations of Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire, Sierra Leone
and Senegal. Jones documented contemporary African art through interviews
and photographs on behalf of Howard University, which funded the trip. As a
result of these travels, Jones created a series of paintings which interpreted
Africa’s visual culture.
Jones selected African motifs and reinterpreted them in a new context, giving
them new meaning and purpose which reflected her own identity as an AfricanAmerican artist. Just as these West African countries were developing their new
identity as free nations, Jones was developing her own identity through a visual
art lens.
Representing oneself through visual means is based on individual experience,
interpretation and cultural values. The meaning derived from visual art is
individualized; it relies upon the individual’s response, reaction and interaction
with culture rather than the culture itself.
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I V. S UG GE S T ED AC T I V I T I E S
A . G A L L E RY A N D W R IT I NG AC T I V IT Y
Examine Ubi Girl from Tai Region:
• List 3 visual elements within this painting that represent a specific culture:
1.
2.
3.
Examine Helmet Mask:
• Do you consider this to be a traditional African mask?
• List 3 visual elements within this object that represent a specific culture:
1.
2.
3.
LOÏS MAILOU JONES. American, 1905-1998
Ubi Girl from Tai Region 1972
Acrylic on canvas, 43 ¾ x 60 in.
Compare the profile mask from Ubi Girl from Tai Region with Helmet Mask:
• Considering that both of these artworks were made in the 20th century,
how do they each refer to tradition? How do they differ in the ways they use
“traditional” visual elements?
Now, compare Ubi Girl from Tai Region to the reproduction of Cordless Phone Cloth.
• Which visual/cultural elements do the two artworks both reference?
Helmet Mask 20th century
Mende, Sierra Leone
Wood, raffia
• Why do you think images of cordless phones, cell phones or laptops are so
common in contemporary African cloths? Are they likely to be as popular in the
United States, Europe, Asia or South America? Why or why not?
• Think about the images and motifs used in the 2 artworks. How do you think
observing another culture as an outsider inspired the use of these images or
motifs? Is it the same motivation/result for each artist? Explain.
Cordless Phone Cloth late 20th century
Kaduna, Nigeria
Cotton with commercial dyes, batik
Mint Museum Collection
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B . PR ECO NCE P T I O N S O F A FR I C A
Ask students open-ended questions about Africa before starting the lesson or at
any point during the lesson deemed appropriate. Follow up by asking students to
explain their answers.
• “Africa is….”
• “Africans are…”
• “African art is…”
• “Africans think America is…”
• “Africans think Americans are…”
• “Africans and Americans are similar/different because…”
When thinking about Africa, consider how we view other continents.
• Do we make generalizations about Asia or Europe in the same way that we do
about Africa?
• Why is the conversation about Africa always focused on problems (e.g., AIDS,
drought, warfare) rather than strengths and potential?
C . V I S UA L I NT E R PR E TAT I O N
Ask students to look at Jones’s featured work and interpret or comment on
the piece before reading the description. Stress the importance and value of
individual interpretation.
D. CU LT U R A L MOT I F S
Ask students to answer the following questions in response to Jones’s work:
• What defines you as an American?
• What defines you as an individual your family or community?
• How would you communicate this visually (not using any words)?
E . CU LT U R A L MOT I F S , CO NT I N U E D
Ask students the following questions and have them complete an artwork that
utilizes their answers.
• What kind of symbols, patterns and/or designs reflect your culture?
• What visual tools would you use to communicate ideas about yourself, your
culture or any group you are affiliated with (family, church or school)?
• How would you synthesize these symbols/patterns/designs into a piece of art
that communicates your individual story?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Mint Museum of Art Education Department developed this teaching guide to complement
the exhibition Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color (on view through February 27, 2010) and as
an ongoing curriculum resource.
Thanks to Mary Beth Ausman, Dr. Alice Burmeister and Lauren Harkey for their contributions and ideas.
Joel Smeltzer, School Programs Coordinator
ENDNOTES
1
Tritobia Hayes Benjamin, The Life and Art of Loïs Mailou Jones (San Francisco: Pomegranate
Artbooks, 1994), p. 98.
2
Susan Vogel, Africa Explores: Twentieth Century African Art (New York: The Center for African
Art, 1991), p. 16.
3
Tom Phillips, Africa: The Art of a Continent (New York: Prestel, 1995), p. 345.
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