MFA50
For this assignment, students are required to visit one of the approved museums and look at their collections of African Art. To prepare for the visit, students should first review ?African Art: Aesthetic and Meaning? (accessible here: https://static.lib.virginia.edu/artsandmedia/artmuseum/africanart/index.html). Proof of the museum visit (receipt, ticket stub, etc.) should be submitted with papers, failure to attach proof of visit will result in the deduction of one letter grade (10 points) from the paper grade. Papers should be a minimum of 600 words and include some combination of the following:
PICK FROM ONE OF THE BULLETS BELOW. I PREFER THE FIRST BULLET….THIS HAS TO BE FROM THE MFA 50 MUSUEM IN ST. PETERSBURG.. WEBSITE PROVIDED BELOW
What types of objects are on display in the African galleries? How is this similar to or different from the types of objects on display in the Western Art galleries? Do you notice any difference in techniques of display? What benefits/limitations do we find looking at African Art in a museum? How does the museum negotiate the slippery notions of art versus ethnography?
As discussed in ?African Art: Aesthetic and Meaning,? many African languages equate good with the beautiful and the moral with the aesthetic. So you rarely see deformed or unattractive figures because they are associated with evil. Examine one or two figures using the eight criteria described in ?African Art?. Can you locate these values in that object?
Select one of the aesthetic criteria or element outlined in ?African Art: Aesthetic and Meaning?. From a Western perspective, in what context might you normally consider this idea? Briefly describe the context and what meaning you and your culture attach to this idea. Now select an African art object, how is this element recontextualized in this object? What cultural values might we interpret based on this recontextualization?
Overall, how would you characterize this collection of African Art and your visit? Would you recommend this collection to others?
Paper Specifications

Papers should be a minimum of 600 words long and exceed no more than 1000 words (2-3 pages). Use 11.5 or 12-point font, preferably Times. Double space your text and use 1? margins. Number each page starting on page 2.For more information on the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, its location, hours of operation and collections, please see its website: https://www.fine-arts.org. Regular