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Show gives 'First Look' at unique African art collection

"First Look: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection," on view at The National Museum of African Art, offers a glimpse of major African art styles

Date published: 9/21/2006

By SHEILA WICKOUSKI

For THE FREE LANCE-STAR

The National Museum of African Art is exploding with the possibilities of what is precious.

There can be no exact dollar amount put on the Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection, a recent gift to the NMAA of more than 500 objects that both expand and complement the NMAA's own inventory.

Considering the difficulty of assembling any such collection today (especially with the proliferation of fake works), and taking into consideration hard-pressed museum funding, Disney-Tishman truly represents a gift to the nation.

"First Look: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection," on view through Dec. 3, serves as a preview and features 23 objects.

When Paul and Ruth Tishman started their acquisition of African works in the late 1950s, they shared with other collectors an interest in masks and figures. Their original purchases were two Benin Kingdom pieces--an ivory figure and a bronze mask.

The extraordinary quality of those first pieces started them on what would be a 20-year search for the works that have evolved into this unique collection, now available to the public.

The Tishmans, however, went much further in their range of acquisitions than most traditional collectors of African pieces. Their appreciation for a variety of media and for colorful and powerful works would mark their collection as more diverse. Their eye for the beautiful and their keen interest in the aesthetics of African artists would lead to this collection being labeled one of the rarest of its kind.

The Walt Disney Co. acquired this collection in 1984 and made the works accessible to a wider audience.

In the years between the Tishmans' and Disney's ownership, there evolved a growing interest in African art as an academic discipline distinct from anthropological studies. Indeed, many students might recognize some of the pieces from their appearance in textbooks.

Also during that time, the NMAA would be created as a separate part of the Smithsonian, where African art would be displayed for its intrinsic value as art, rather than as cultural relics.

In 2005, Disney donated the 525 objects to the NMAA, which plans to exhibit this rare and unique collection in three phases.

An inaugural exhibition, which includes 80 masterpieces, is slated to open in February 2007. The following year, the collection will have a permanent home in the museum.

WHAT: 'First Look: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection' (a preview exhibit of a gift to the permanent collection on view through Dec. 3) 'African Gold: Selections from the Glassell Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston' (a visiting exhibit on view through Nov. 26) 'Body of Evidence' (a rotating exhibit of selections from the permanent collection on view through April 6, 2008) WHERE: The National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave., S.W. (on the National Mall), Washington WHEN: Open daily COST: Free INFO: 202/633-4600, africa.si.edu

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Date published: 9/21/2006