The Savannah African Art Museum has announced the summer lineup of
workshops continuing this year’s theme of “Honoring and Celebrating”, the three-part series that centers around honoring & celebrating ancestors, family traditions, trailblazers, earth, and harvest time. Each workshop will be interactive with hands on activities for all participants. The second installment will focus on “Celebrating” with the first event scheduled for May 13 at their Upbeat Village Terracotta Gallery, 201 East 37th Street, Savannah.
 May 13th – Mother’s Day - Celebrating Mothers & Mother Figures: To kick off the new series of
workshops, The Savannah African Art Museum will hold a Mother’s Day-inspired event, sharing the
history of Benin’s first Iyoba, Queen Mother Idia. Idia was rewarded the position within the court due to her role in helping her son, King Esigie re-establish unity and military strength of the Kingdom during a civil war. Workshop participants will make and decorate frames provided by the museum for a 4” by 6” image that attendees will bring of their mother or mother figure.
 June 10th – Father’s Day - Celebrating Fathers & Father Figures: Continuing the theme of
celebration, The Savannah African Art Museum will hold a Father’s Day-inspired event, sharing the
history of King Ibrahim Njoya, ruler and perceived father figure of Bamum in Western Cameroon from
1895 to 1933. He created and implemented a writing system to preserve his people’s language during
the colonial era and beyond. Workshop participants will make and decorate frames provided by the
museum for a 4” by 6” image that attendees will bring of their father or father figure.
 July 8th – Celebrating Traditions – Highlighting “Weaving Traditions”: The Museum will explore
African weaving and textile traditions with a video viewing of young men in Ghana weaving beautiful
designed Kente cloth on a loom. Participants will then have the opportunity to create their own woven
art using an eco-friendly handmade loom and yarn, provided by the museum.
 August 12 th – “Celebrating Pioneers and Achievement” - The Carnegie Library Founders: This
workshop will honor the 109 th Anniversary of Savannah’s Carnegie Library, the only Savannah Library open to African Americans until 1963 when Savannah desegregated its libraries. Inspired by the
Ikenga, a statue made and used by the Igbo people of Nigeria in celebration of the achievements of
prominent community figure, this workshop will recognize and honor all the founders of the Carnegie

Library whose story and contributions are not widely known. Participants will make their own Ikenga
inspired art collages, consisting of images, newspaper & magazine clippings, and fabrics. Participants are asked to bring in their images (max 5” by 7”) and small clippings, photos, symbolic images and other related materials about a pioneer, leader, servant of the community that they would like to honor (living or deceased). The materials attendees bring with them will be attached to a sturdy art board as part of their individual collage. This workshop will be held at The Carnegie Library, 537 East Henry Street, Savannah, GA 31401. "We are thrilled about offering these workshops that help us highlight African history and also the many ways we celebrate life and all it encompasses," Education, Community Outreach Liaison, Lisa Jackson said. The museum has many new collaborations, events and exhibitions upcoming. We look forward to sharing them with
our community and visitors.” All workshops are free and will be held on the second floor of the museum’s Upbeat Village Terracotta Gallery unless otherwise stated. Please note that it is stair access only, with no elevator or wheelchair access available for the 2nd floor. However, the Terracotta Gallery located on the first floor has full access as does the main museum which has an outdoor lift and indoor elevator. Registration is required via the museum’s website,
 www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org. To learn more about the museum, upcoming workshops, and the
museum’s newest collections, please visit www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org and follow them
on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @SavannahAfricanArtMuseum.  Savannah African Art Museum is a nonprofit institution that introduces all audiences to African art and culture.
Its mission is to provide engaging experiences that educate and start conversations about the power, diversity, and spirituality of African art.