Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Savannah African Art Museum (SAAM) exhibits, galleries, and tours are currently closed until further notice. In response, the SAAM has launched a YouTube channel and announced a weekly virtual tour series. Every Friday the SAAM will offer virtual tours through the museum, one gallery at a time.

English, French, and Chinese versions of these virtual tours will be shared each week, while the museum is closed, on SAAM’s brand-new YouTube channel, which can be accessed online by visiting https://bit.ly/3aUOhfy. YouTube accounts must have at least 100 subscribers before obtaining a custom channel name. So, the SAAM is encouraging those who are interested to subscribe, in addition to visiting the channel weekly for virtual tours. The first gallery tour, which is available for viewing now, discusses initiation, womanhood, and warriors in African culture and features artistic artifacts including the Bundu/Sowei Helmet (Mask of the Sande Woman Society), maternity figures, and a sculpture of Princess Yennenga.

“Of course, we are disappointed that we can’t welcome the public to our exhibit or outreach events at this time, but we are committed to doing our part to safeguard the health and wellness of our community,” said Executive Director, Billie Stultz. “However, we still want people to have the opportunity to experience this amazing exhibit and, during this time of social distancing, virtual tours are the perfect option!”

The SAAM holds a collection of over 1,000 objects that hail from West and Central Africa, showcasing a range of ceremonial and spiritual items from the 19^th and 20^th centuries. The collection represents 28 countries and over 150 individual cultures and ethnic groups. The SAAM is a nonprofit institution with the mission to provide engaging experiences that educate and start conversations and the power, diversity, and spirituality of African art.