Spirits, Relics, and Rituals: The John Korachis Collection of African Art

Spirits, Relics, and Rituals: The John Korachis Collection of African Art
Exhibit is Moving to Traverse City - Dennos Museum Center on March 25, 2007

Spirits, Relics and Rituals: The John F. Korachis Collection of African Art comes to the Dennos Museum Center

Contact: Eugene A. Jenneman, Dennos Museum Center 231-995-1055

Traverse City: The Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College will present the exhibition Spirits, Relics and Rituals: The John F. Korachis Collection of African Art from March 25 to September 2, 2007 The collection was assembled by Mr. Korachis whose lifelong passion for collecting iconographic objects reflect his interest in documenting how cultural traditions are carried through generations to shape an object's character, as well as its anthropological and ethnographic significance. An opening reception will be held Saturday, March 24 beginning at 6:30 pm with a concert featuring the African Guitar Summit (www.africanguitarsummit.com) from Toronto, Canada at 8:00 pm. The Juno Award winning group features Canada's top African born guitarists who are making the first tour of the United States with this appearance. Tickets for the reception and concert are $25 ($20 for museum members) and can be purchased through the Museum Box Office at 231-995-1553.

Objects in this remarkable collection will inspire viewers with the intrigue and mystery of African Art. The artifacts are mostly wooden objects, embellished with metal, feathers, beads or other ornaments which adorn them. Ceramic works are also included. Most of the objects were produced in the 20th century.

The collection includes masks from various regions, life-size sculptures and numerous other styles of sculptural figures and furnishings, including chief stools and doors. The objects may signify spirituality, utilitarian function, an expression of the status and/or lifestyle of its owner, the environment in which the tribe occupies, and/or it may serve the function of ancestor worship.

Geographically, the objects cover an area south of the Sahara Desert, down the west coast and through the central section of Africa. The regions which are represented include Sierra Leon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo formerly known as Zaire.

This exhibition is presented by the Dennos Museum Center in cooperation with Midland Center for the Arts and John Korachis. The exhibition and concert is funded at the Dennos Museum Center by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, The Louis Miller Trust, and with local support from TV 7&4, the Northern Express, the Old Mission Tavern and individual sponsors.

The Dennos Museum Center is open daily 10 AM to 5 PM and Sundays 1-5 PM. Admission is $4.00 adults, $2.00 for children and free to museum members. For more information on the Museum and exhibition, go to www.dennosmuseum.org or call 231-995-1055. The Dennos Museum Center is located at 1701 East Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49686, at the entrance to the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.

Korachis is an attorney in private practice specializing in business and real estate law. He is the vice chair of the board of directors of the Detroit Artists Market. He sponsors the annual John F. Korachis Scholarship and Exhibition at the Detroit Artists Market featuring the work of the student scholarship finalists, alumni and faculty from each participating school which includes the College for the Creative Studies, Wayne State University and Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 2006, the participating art school was the College for Creative Studies with student scholarship awards being granted and all the student finalists, along with alumni and faculty, participating in the Exhibition that was attended by nearly 1,000 people at its opening reception. This year's Scholarship and Exhibition Program will commemorate the Wayne State University School of Art and will hold its opening reception at the Detroit Arts Market on April 20, 2007. The Wayne State University Scholarship Exhibition will be open to the public until May 26, 2007.

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Midland - From December 9, 2006 - February 18, 2007, the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art of the Midland Center for the Arts will present the exhibition Spirits, Relics, and Rituals: the John Korachis Collection of African Art. The collection was assembled by Mr. Korachis whose lifelong passion for collecting iconographic objects reflect his interest in documenting how cultural traditions are carried through generations to shape an object's character, as well as its anthropological and ethnographic significance. An opening reception will be held Saturday December 9, 2006 from 8:00pm - 10:00pm. A lecture regarding an exhibition of glass works of Paul Stankard, which is also on view, will begin at 7:00pm.

Approximately 90 objects in this remarkable collection will inspire viewer with the intrigue and mystery of African Art. The artifacts are mostly wooden objects, embellished with metal, feather, beads or other ornaments, which adorn them. Ceramic works are also included. Most of the objects range from 50 years to over 100 years. Also included in the collection are special objects from the colonial era.

The collection includes masks from various regions, life-size sculptures and numerous other styles of sculptural figures and furnishings, including chief stools and doors. The objects may signify spirituality, utilitarian function, an expression of the status and/or lifestyle of its owner, the environment in which the tribe occupies, and/or it may serve the function of ancestor worship.

Geographically, the objects cover an area south of the Sahara Desert, down the west coast and through the central section of Africa. The regions, which are represented, include: Sierra Leon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon and Zaire. By way of example, there are beautiful masks from Baule (Ivory Coast); there area religious icons represented by mother and child figures from the West African Bamana people of Mali; there is a powerful nail figure of the Western Congo people that has healing properties; there are interesting face masks of the Senufo used to reintegrate the mourning relatives into the community; and some provocative Dan masks, to identify only a few of the objects.

The Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art (ABDM) celebrates discovery, creativity and individual expression through art, science and the interplay between tem. Exhibitions in the Museum, classes at the Museum School, multiple outreach programs, a permanent collection and various special events are all components in the ABDM programming.

Activities at the Midland Center for the Arts are supported in part by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. For the latest Center news, visit www.mcfta.org.

The Midland Center for the Arts is located at 1801 St. Andrews Rd., Midland, MI 48640. Admission $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for students, ABDM members free. Box office: 898-631-8250 or 800-523-7649. See you at the show.

Malista!