The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) proudly premiers Bandits and Heroes, Poets & Saints: Popular Art of the Northeast of Brazil, November 12 – January 7, 2016. On Thursday, November 12, the Museum invites the public to its FREE grand opening event, beginning at 6 pm with a presentation by Dr. Andrew Kirkendall, a professor at Texas A&M University, and an expert on Brazilian history and music. His fascinating talk will be followed by a reception and gallery viewing.
This spectacular exhibit explores the blending of African cultures with indigenous and colonial Portuguese traditions to form the vibrant and complex cultural mosaic of modern Brazil. Engaging photographs and works of popular art, including sculptures, paintings, prints, religious objects, toys, and booklets of poetry will draw visitors into this complex culture and introduce festivals, heroes, and spiritual traditions.
Through various colorful art forms, visitors to the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History will also learn about colonial Brazil’s long tradition of African slavery. Hands-on interactives, music, and videos combine with large-scale photographs and original artifacts to show the complex history, religious devotion, and artistic expression that come together in the popular art of the Northeast of Brazil.
This exhibit was made possible in part through Hotel Tax Revenue funded from the City of College Station through the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, through underwriting provided by the William Knox Holt Foundation and by NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is brought to you by Mid-America Arts Alliance. Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints: Popular Art of the Northeast of Brazil was curated by Marion E. Jackson, Ph.D. and Barbara Cervenka, O.P., Curators, Con/Vida–Popular Arts of the Americas, and organized by Con/Vida–Popular Arts of the Americas and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, MI.
The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History is open to visitors from Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm. Admission fees: adults $5; seniors/students/children $4; children 3 and under are free. For more information about this exhibit and other displays, events, programs and activities, please contact the Museum at 979-776-2195, visit us on the web at www.brazosvalleymuseum.org, or follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/brazosvalleymuseumofnaturalhistory.