MUSEUM NEWS
ABOVE: Ethel Stewart, gift basket.
Pomo, Northern California.
C. 1950–1960.
Sedge root, bracken fern root, glass beads.
Eiteljorg Museum, gift of Mel and Joan
Perelman.
INTERWOVEN
INDIANAPOLIS—A stunning collection of 147 Native
American baskets, cradles, and bags was recently donated
60
to the Eiteljorg Museum by Joan and Mel Perelman.
A selection of this collection is featured in a current
exhibition showcasing the works of some of the
most admired Native American basketry artists. This
invaluable collection originates from Native communities
throughout North America with a focus on the
Southwest and Far West regions. Varying in size, material,
and design, these intricate baskets are symbolic
of the resiliency of Native peoples, especially women,
who created them and continue to pass down
knowledge to new generations in order to continue
this important cultural art form. Interwoven: Native
American Basketry from the Mel and Joan Perelman
Collection will be on view until August 5, 2018.
NEW APPOINTMENTS
BROOKLYN—Kristen Windmuller-Luna has been appointed
the Sills Family Consulting Curator for African
Art at the Brooklyn Museum. Her initial task will be to
assess and rethink the museum’s extensive holdings of
African art, which are comprised of more than 6,000
objects, and organize an innovative, freshly conceived
temporary installation showcasing the breadth and
depth of the collection. Working with the rest of the
curatorial departments, she will focus on creating a
visual dialog between the African art collection and
other signifi cant works within the museum’s holdings.
Windmuller-Luna’s expertise is in African art and architecture,
with a specialization in the early modern period
and Christian Ethiopia. She received
her PhD and MA in art and archaeology
from Princeton University and her BA in
the history of art from Yale University.
Presently she is a lecturer in the Department
of Art History and Archaeology at
Columbia University.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Augustus “Gus” Casely-Hayford
is the new director of the National Museum of
African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Gus brings an
impressive combination of knowledge, experience,
communication skills, and passion to the National Museum
of African Art,” said Smithsonian Secretary David
Skorton. “His presence at the museum will boost its already
prestigious programs and compelling exhibitions
and inspire more people across the nation and around
the world to explore the rich cultural heritage of African
art.”
Casely-Hayford has written and lectured extensively
on the arts and cultures of Africa, and he has collaborated
on numerous broadcasts on the subject. Born in London,
he was educated at the School
of Oriental and African Studies
(SOAS) at the University of London,
where he received his doctorate in
African history. Casely-Hayford succeeds
Johnnetta Betsch Cole, who
served as director of the National
Museum of African Art from March
2009 through March 2017.
“I want to build upon the exemplary institutional history
of the National Museum of African Art,” he says,
“and continue to deliver the very best of historical and
contemporary African art to new and existing audiences
alike.” He adds, “I cannot wait to get to work.”
ABOVE RIGHT:
Kristen Windmuller-Luna.
Photo: Emile Askey.
RIGHT:
Gus Casely-Hayford.
Photo: Jaimie Gramston.
ABOVE: Gift basket.
Pomo, Northern California.
C. 1890.
Sedge root, glass beads.
Eiteljorg Museum, gift of Mel and Joan
Perelman.
ABOVE: Bottleneck snake basket.
Tubatulabal, Northern California.
C. 1905.
Sedge root, bracken fern root, redbud, quail
feathers, red wool yarn.
Eiteljorg Museum, gift of Mel and Joan Perelman.
LEFT: Lucy Wilcox, bottleneck basket.
Tulare Lake Yokuts, Northern
California. C. 1920.
Sedge root, bracken fern root, redbud, quail
feathers, woodpecker scalp feathers.
Eiteljorg Museum, gift of Mel and Joan Perelman.