An exhibit featuring clothing from Senegal, “Beauty in West Africa,” will kick off with an opening reception Thursday, April 23, at 2:30 p.m. in the foyer of Walker Hall at Linfield College. The exhibit will run until June 2 at the Linfield College Anthropology Museum.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore clothing articles from Dakar, Senegal from the private collection of Linfield senior Kathleen Greaver. The pieces include clothing worn in a variety of settings ranging from casual to formal. This exhibit is in conjunction with a paper that discusses identity, globalization and cultural capital in the context of women’s clothing in Dakar.
The exhibit, sponsored by the Linfield Anthropology Museum, is part of the ongoing effort by the Linfield museum to explore the rich cultural heritage of Oregon and the Northwest.
Senegal is not traditionally known for its sculptures and tribal masks; instead, adornments were historically and are still valued culturally as an expression of beauty, or art. Indeed, the practice of body adornment is considered art in this region of West Africa. Sañse is the concept of presenting oneself well in this region and is very important, especially to women of this area. Gold jewelry, tattooing and vibrant clothing are all external markers of status and beauty in many ethnic groups in the Senegambian region. Cloth has had a unique cultural significance in the area, and it is given as gifts at life-cycle events such as baptisms and weddings. The giving of such gifts have been, and continue to be, used to strengthen alliances between family and friends. These cloths are transformed into clothing, or they are used to swaddle children.
The mission of the Linfield Anthropology Museum is to collect, preserve and exhibit objects of ethnographic and cultural importance. These tenets are to provide Linfield students with opportunities for training and practice within the field of museum work; to educate and engage the Linfield community and the general public through student-prepared exhibits; and facilitate an understanding of world cultures.
The museum is free and open to the public. Museum hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until June 2. For more information, contact Greaver at kgreaver@linfield.edu.
