This exhibition explored the arts and expressive culture of Islamic West Africa through a dynamic and influential movement in Senegal known as the Mouride Way, based on the teachings of the Muslim saint Sheikh Amadou Bamba. A Saint in the City introduced audiences to the striking range of Mouride arts—from large popular murals, intricate glass paintings, and calligraphic healing devices to posters for social activism, colorful textiles, and paintings by inter- nationally-known contemporary artists. The presentation included a devotional sanctum filled with sacred imagery and an urban market scene capturing the bustle of contemporary Dakar.
It was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, promoting excellence in the humanities. Additional support was provided by the UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center. Exhibition sponsored in part by the Krannert Art Museum Council and Hampton Inn
Exhibition programming
October 27
12 pm: Lecture
"Praising the Saints in Senegalese Popular Music," a talk by Dr. Patrica Tang
November 6
4 pm: Lecture
"Serene Shadows: Aura and Icon in Postcolonial Senegal," a talk by Allen F. Roberts, Deparment of French and Francophone Studies, University of California at Lost Angeles
December 6
A Saint in the City Colloquium
Featuring exhibiting artists and scholars speaking on Sufism around the world, with keynote address by exhibition curator Dr. Mary Nooter Roberts
Exhibition was organized and produced by the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, and curated by Dr. Mary Nooter Roberts and Dr. Allen F. Roberts in collaboration with Senegalese community leaders and artists in both Dakar and Los Angeles.
