This month, the Savannah African Art Museum is hosting several workshops to celebrate Kwanzaa. It’s the first time the museum has held Kwanzaa workshops, and Lisa Jackson, the education coordinator for the museum, said this is a great chance to celebrate and learn about the holiday.
“Preceding all of the workshops, we will have first an introduction into what is Kwanzaa, why we celebrate it, what symbols are represented in candle lighting, and its connection to Africa.”
Jackson said many people think it’s a holiday that replaces Christmas, but it’s a cultural holiday.
For those who aren’t aware of how this celebration got started, Jackson explained that it was created in the 1960s by a man named Maulana Karenga. He wanted to give members of the African diaspora in America a way to recognize and embrace their culture.
Credit: Courtesy of the Savannah African Art Museum
Credit: Courtesy of the Savannah African Art Museum
“He brought it together around an African celebration called First Harvest, which is celebrated all over Africa.” First Harvest celebrates bringing in the crops at the end of the season, but Jackson said it’s also a chance for people to come together and celebrate each other.
The workshop will be Dec. 11 with a market hosted by The Diaspora Marketplace on Wednesday, Dec. 22, and an art sale on Thursday, Dec. 23, featuring Ghanaian-inspired works by William Kwamena – Poh.
The Dec. 11 workshop will guide participants through the process of working with beads while sharing a brief history of African beading. The Jan. 8 workshop will focus on making an affirmation journal for the new year and will be led by Savannah African Art Museum Executive Director and Chief Curator, Billie Stultz.
“We did that last year, in January, the start of the New Year,” said Jackson. “Kwanzaa is also helping you to make decisions and affirmations on how you are going to conduct your life. How are you going to conduct the rest of the year? It isn't just for the seven days of Kwanzaa. It is for how you will conduct your life, how you represent your community, how you are working in your community, how you will work with each other, how you embrace your family.”
Since the holiday season is usually a time to share stories, it makes perfect sense that the Dec. 18 workshop would focus on the art of storytelling.
Credit: Courtesy of the Savannah African Art Museum
Credit: Courtesy of the Savannah African Art Museum
Kat Robertson, who is a visual and performing artist, will lead the interactive workshop discussing the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa that are represented by candles. Participants will create their own symbolic candles out of construction paper and fabric.
“Storytelling is a major thing all around the world. All cultures have their storytelling,” said Jackson. “In African culture, it's very important because it helps share our story, set goals, and helps you understand the past, connect with the ancestors, understand what the history was, and bring it forth into your present-day life.”
The Savannah African Art Museum is also teaming up with The Diaspora Marketplace on Wednesday, Dec. 22, from noon to 4 p.m. to offer authentic clothing, jewelry, and home goods from West and Central African countries. Then on Thursday, Dec. 23, there will be art for sale from William Kwamena – Poh. That will also be from noon to 4 p.m.
Since Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, Jackson said these workshops provide a way to learn more about the holiday and about African culture ahead of the celebration.
The workshops are free, but anyone interested will need to register ahead of time. For more information, go to SavannahAfricanArtMuseum.org.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah African Art Museum celebrates Kwanzaa with a series of workshops, market
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