The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) is bringing national exhibition history to Northwest Ohio. From Aug. 17 through Nov. 10, it will feature “Ethiopia at the Crossroads,” the first major US exhibition showcasing Ethiopian art through a global lens and recounting the country’s artistic heritage from its genesis to today — 1,750 years’ worth.
Tickets cost $10 per person, and admission for TMA members is complimentary. Museum entry for everyone is always free.
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What’s on display?
Located in the Green Building’s Levis Gallery, TMA’s landmark exhibition will feature more than 225 items, ranging from devotional paintings and metalwork to sculptures by contemporary Ethiopian artists and the Ethiopian diaspora, including Julie Mehretu. The museum’s recent acquisitions, including a pivotal 15th-century Ethiopian manuscript, and international loans from artform-blending artists such as Fre Seyon, will also be part of the showcase. These different artistic mediums reflect Ethiopia’s diversity and reach, which stretches beyond the continent and has touched Europe and Asia.
One of the installations is the “House of Yatreda” from artist collective Yatreda : ያጥሬዳ, TMA’s 2024 digital artist in residency. Presenting the past in a contemporary way by fusing ancient Ethiopian traditions with blockchain technology, these pieces give a glimpse into the newly developed ways art is being made and consumed, offering everything from the animated “Abyssinian Queen” to a coffee ceremony that stresses the importance of the cup of joe to the African country.
What if I don’t know a lot about Ethiopia?
For those who want to gain more background before viewing the exhibition, TMA is hosting a slew of educational programs:
Member Preview With Curator-Led Tour for TMA members only
- Friday, Aug. 16, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Tour: 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.)
Family Art Activities
- Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
- Saturday, Aug. 17, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“House of Yatreda”: Coffee Ceremony
- Saturday, Aug. 17, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 14, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
TMA Block Party
- “Ethiopia at the Crossroads” themed activities
- Saturday, Sept. 14, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Artist Talk With Yatreda : ያጥሬዳ, 2024 TMA Digital Artist in Residency
- A Conversation With Sophie Ong, Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives, TMA
- Thursday, Sept. 19, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Art Book Club: “The Wife’s Tale: A Personal History” by Aida Edemariam
- Friday, Sept. 20, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“Rock-Hewn Churches and Sacred Groves: Architecture as the Home of Religion and Art in Ethiopia” by Michael Gervers, Ph.D., Professor of History and Art History, University of Toronto
- Saturday, Oct. 19, 2-3 p.m.
How did this exhibition come to life?
Curated by the Walters Art Museum’s Christine Sciacca and for TMA by assistant director of strategic initiatives Sophie Ong, this showcase was facilitated by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom and one from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The exhibition will also feature an accompanying illustrated catalog from Walters.
TMA is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To learn more about “Ethiopia at the Crossroads” and TMA’s other works on display, call 419-255-8000 or visit its website.
For more information or to register for an event, visit TMA’s website.
