The Tribal Arts Society is dedicated to exploring the arts and archaeology of lesser known cultures of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the South Pacific. It is an all volunteer group and has served the University of Miami's Lowe Art Museum and south Florida for over fifteen years.

Monthly lectures by visiting scholars, curators, and explorers who are outstanding in their fields, augmented by special events and workshops, offer opportunities to extend one's knowledge and meet others with similar interests. Tribal Arts Society programs often relate directly to the collections or special exhibitions of the Lowe Museum, providing the South Florida community insight into the diversity and cultural content of tribal arts on view in the Museum.

The Tribal Arts Society Fall 2005 lectures schedule can be found in the Lowe Museum's Calendar of Events. To provide a broader picture of the interests of the group, a selected list of lectures presented in the last five years is also included below. For more information or to join the Tribal Arts Society, please call Freda Tschumy at 305-444-2825 or Dot Downs at 305-667-3202.

UPCOMING TRIBAL ARTS SOCIETY LECTURES

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

7:30 PM Cuban Heritage Collection, 2nd floor, UM Richter Library
Orisha Aesthetics
Presented by Dr. Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, UM Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Esperanza B. De Varona, Chair of the Cuban Heritage Collection, UM Richter Library

The presentation will use the Oricha series of drawings by Cuban-born artist Alberto del Pozo (1945-1992) to explore the aesthetics of Afro-Cuban deities and beliefs.This presentation will take place at the Cuban Heritage Collection, 2nd floor, Richter Library on the University of Miami campus. There will be refreshments from 7:30 to 8:00 and the presentation from 8:00 to 9:00 PM with questions afterward.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

7:30 PM Lowe Art Museum
Stealing Culture: The Looting of Iraq’s Past
Presented by Katharyn Hanson, University of Chicago

The lecture will take place at the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, beginning at 7:30 PM with refreshments and questions afterward.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

7:30 PM Lowe Art Museum
Lauren R. Gould Native American Art Lecture
Navajo and Tibetan Sacred Wisdom: The Circle of the Spirit
Presented by Peter Gold, Research Associate at the Museum of New Mexico's Laboratory of Anthropology and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe.

This is the annual Lauren R. Gould Native American Art Lecture. It will take place at the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, beginning at 7:30 PM with refreshments and questions afterward.

Selected Tribal Arts Society Lectures: 2000-2005

Feb. 23, 2005 Dr. Eric Kjellgren: Joseph I. Falk Lecture, “ Adorning the World: Art of the Marquesas.” Associate Curator for Oceanic Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Jan. 26, 2005 Dr. David Graf: “Rediscovering Petra: the Lost Cities of the Nabataeans.” Prof. Dept of Religious Studies, Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

Nov. 17, 2004 Dr. Bruce Bernstein: “The New National Museum of the American Indian, National Mall, Washington, DC.” Assis. Dir. of Cultural Resources, NMAI, Smithsonian Institution

Oct. 20, 2004 Dr. Francisco Estrada-Belli: “New Discoveries at Cival, Guatemala: Dawn of the Maya.” Assist. Prof. of Mesoamerican Archaeology, Vanderbilt Univ.

Sept. 22, 2004 Dr. Robin Poyner: “Art of the Owo Yoruba.” Assist. Chair, Prof. of Art History, University of Florida, Gainesville

Mar. 25, 2004 Joe Falk: “Art of the Asmat People of Southwest New Guinea: Woodcarvings and Fiber costumes of the Jipae Festival.” Collector, explorer

Feb. 19, 2004 Dr. Katherine Hacker: “Indian Tribal Bronze Casting.” Univ. of British Columbia

Jan. 29, 2004 Dr. Joan Aruz: “First Cities: the Third Millenium BC from the Mediterranean to the Indus.” Curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Nov. 29, 2003 Pat Courtney Gold: “A Native American Reflection on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.” Wasco basketmaker, Educator, Historian, Maryhill Museum

Oct. 23, 2003 Dr. Dale Olsen: “Music of El Dorado: Pre-Columbian Music of Peru.” Prof. of Ethnomusicology and Dir. of Center for Music of the Americas, FL State Univ.

Feb. 27, 2003 Dr. John Carlson: “Merchants, Scribes, and Cuanderos: Secrets of Ancient Maya Flasks and Miniature Vessels.” Director, Center for Archeoastronomy, Prof. Univ. of Maryland

Jan. 30, 2003 Dr. Hope McLean: “The Magical World of Huichol Art.” Author

Nov. 14, 2002 Ruth Rosenwasser: “The Adi Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, India: Craft Production and Tribal Artifacts.” Collector and textile expert

Mar. 21, 2002 “Form and Meaning in Pre-Columbian Art: A Curator’s View.” Curator, Jay I. Kislak Collection, Miami Lakes

Feb. 7, 2002 Dr. James Farmer: “Pueblo Bonito: Center of the Chaco World.” Assoc. Prof. of Art History, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.

Apr. 12, 2001 Dr. Michael Carlebach: “Shooting Indian: the Influence of 19th Century Photography on the Current Perceptions of Native Americans.” Prof., Univ. of Miami

Feb. 22, 2001 Dr. Mari Lyn Salvador: “Art of the Kuna: Molas of Panama.” Chief Curator, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology and Assoc. Prof. of Anthropology, Univ. of New Mexico

Oct. 26, 2000 Dr. Michael Kan: “African Art: a Curator’s Perspective.” Exec. Assist. Dir. and Curator, Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI

Apr. 27, 2000 Dr. Carlos Rincon Mautner: “Xunguiga: the Unknown Children of Quetzalcoatl in the Mixteca Alta of Oaxaca, Mexico.” Prof. of Anthropology, FIU, Miami

Jan. 27, 2000 Preston Singletary: “Native and European Traditions Meet in Tlingit Glass Art.” Tlingit glass artist, Seattle, WA