Virginia Museum of Fine Art Loan Program

The following resources are available to educational partners of the Virginia Museum of
Fine Arts' Office of Statewide Partnerships. Go to: http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/osp/edres.html

Africa Africa-2
Volume 2: Caravans of Gold
57 minutes/color/1984/FI/VHS
Middle school through adult
Series host Basil Davidson traces the routes of the medieval gold trade, which reached
from Africa to India, China, and the city-states of Italy. African kings grew rich and
powerful as a result. This episode traces the African gold trade from its beginning in the
early Middle Ages through its end in late fifteenth century.

African Carving: A Dogon Kanaga Mask AT-19
19 minutes/color/1975/PFI/16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
This film documents the process that a Dogon carver uses to create a Kanaga mask. The
carver must find a proper Tagoda tree from which to make the mask; he must also pray
and make offerings to the tree-spirit in order to be allowed to use the sacred wood. The
Kanaga mask that he makes is one of the most characteristic emblems of Mali and it will
be used in sacred ceremonies of the Dogon people.

African Sculpture from Private Collections PS-29
42 slides / color / script
This kit shows examples of 19th century art from the private collections of Merton
Simpson and Peter Pollack. The works illustrate the interrelationship of symbol, function,
and style in African art. African sculpture expresses the values and attitudes of the society
from which it came, and this fact is developed in the script that accompanies this slide kit.

African Story Journey

Volume I: Across Time and Place AJ-1
20 minutes/color/1991/CF/VHS
Storyteller Diane Ferlatte tells four traditional African stories collected in the
Caribbean, the American South, and in Harlem. "Why the Sky Is Far Away" is a
creation story from West Africa. "Br'er Goat and Br'er Lion" is a classic
brains-versus-brawn tale. "When People Could Fly" is an African American tale
about the inner spirit. Langston Hughes' story "Thank You, Ma'am" completes the
volume.

Volume II: The American South AJ-2
22 minutes/color/1991/CF/VHS
Ferlatte tells three traditional African stories that have been preserved in the
American South through the oral history shared by slaves. "Br'er Tiger and the Big
Wind" teaches a lesson about greed. "The Knee-High Man" explores personal
values. In "High John," slaves travel to heaven to receive a song that brings laughter
and lightness to their work.

The Art of the Dogon WA-478
24 minutes/color/1988/AA/VHS
Middle school through adult
The Dogon people of Mali are one of the most artistic cultures of Africa. Residing at the
base of the Bandiagara Cliffs, they have for centuries created powerful sculpture for use in rituals and in everyday life. Using items from the Lester Wunderman collection at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and footage shot in Mali, this film captures the richness of Dogon art and places it within the context of Dogon beliefs. A brief scene
depicting an animal sacrifice may make this film unsuitable for some audiences.

The Bambara Kingdom of Segu
19 minutes / color / 1992 / VHS
Middle school through adult
In this program, we learn something of the past of the Bambara, and we can imagine even
more from the architecture of their ancient villages. A large and flourishing culture, the
Bambarans lived by collecting enslaved Africans and reselling them to North African and
Western traders. When the slave trade was abolished, the economy of the Bambara went
into decline. As new economic bases emerged, and new Bambara civilization was formed, one that has the artistic vigor of its forebears.

Five African Art Facts WA-481
11 minutes/ color / 1995 / VM / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This film takes the viewer on a dynamic visit to the African art collection of the Virginia
Museum of Fine Arts. Beliefs and values common to many African cultures are presented
and explained in conjunction with examples of traditional sculpture, textiles, and jewelry.
This film leaves the viewer equipped with basic concepts essential to understanding and
appreciating traditional African art. A teachers' guide for this film is available upon request.

Ga ED-276
4 minutes/color/1983/CS/16mm
Preschool through adult
Using a variety of animation techniques, this film vibrantly portrays animal life through the course of a day and night in an African forest. Set to a lively soundtrack of African
instrumental and vocal music, this film provides a colorful foray into the African jungle.

How Samba Became Viceroy
26 minutes / color / 1991 / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This is the story of Samba and the legacy of Secret Wisdom: four braids, each representing one great truth. Captured and brought before the king, Samba resisted telling
the secrets until he realized tat the alternative was death. But when he revealed t last secret
- that a leader deserves no honor if he is not also a friend to his people - the king
understood the message and made Samba his viceroy.

Mali: The Music of Life
60 minutes / color / 1997 / VHS
Middle school through adult
This program features the music of Mali, where every musician is a poet who uses a fusion of traditional style and modern rhythm to tell a story. Traditional instruments are combined with modern counterparts to create songs that praise guests and leaders and urge young people to preserve cultural values and stand up to oppression. Two prominent women singers discuss their careers.

Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World

Volume 5: The Art of Living ML-5
60 minutes / color / 1992 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
In many tribal cultures, art is woven into the fabric of daily life through rituals,
clothing, utilitarian objects. This film explores the way that two cultures, the
Wodaabe people of Niger and the Dogon people of Mali, integrate beauty and
ceremony into their daily activities. The film ends with a visit to a North American
artist who discusses his way of connecting his art to his philosophy of life and death.

Moko Jumbie: The Traditional Stilt Walkers PE-37
15 minutes / color / 1991 / FL / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This unique film explores the art, craft, dance and West African origins of the stilt walkers seen in New York City street festivals and Caribbean Carnival celebrations. Moko Jumbie, which means, "dancing spirits," are seen as all-powerful figures because of their great height. This film celebrates their vibrancy and mystery through its beautiful footage and rhythmic soundtrack.

National Museum of African Arts on Loan

Togu-Na and Cheko: Change and Continuity in the Art of Mali

Videotape available for loan from the National Museum of African Arts. Togu-na is another example of indigenousarchitecture, a structure used as a meeting place by the Dogon peoples today.

Call 202-357-4600 ext. 222 to order.