National Museum of African Art Hosts Teaching Africa Day
The interactive, family-friendly event Teaching Africa Day returns for its ninth year to raise students’ awareness of the arts and history of Africa. The daylong event will be hosted in the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building Saturday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m.– 5 p.m. Teachers, children and their caregivers can explore and engage with a variety of programming on Africa and its vibrant cultures and heritage.
The event will open with a parade of flags and welcome remarks. Story reading will be offered at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., featuring books suitable for children ages 7 to 12 years. Lunch will be provided. In the afternoon, there will be dance performances by a Ghanian dance troupe and performers from Kuumba Preparatory School of the Arts, and an intergenerational panel will have a conversation on “Diaspora Stories of the DMV.” An African marketplace and art-making workshops, with beadmaking, weaving, doll-making and painting, will be offered throughout the day.
Teaching Africa Day connects educators, students and families with resources, including books, films and games, that represent the diversity of cultures on the African continent. It is a multidisciplinary program tailored to building deeper understanding of and engagement with Africa.
Teaching Africa Day is presented in collaboration with the Africa Memory Game, Howard University’s Center for Africa Studies, Africa Access and the African Studies Association Outreach Council and YehieEl Design. Special participation is by the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
About the National Museum of African Art
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the collection, conservation, study and exhibition of Africa’s arts across time and media. The museum’s collection of over 13,000 artworks spans more than 1,000 years of African history and includes a variety of media from across the continent. For more information, call 202-633-4600 or visit the museum’s website. For general Smithsonian information, the public can call 202-633-1000. Follow the museum on X, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
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