The Fowler’s permanent collection exhibition, “Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives,” delves into how the arts from cultures in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas conceptually intersect with one another.

Photo from: https://fowler.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Intersections_01_entrance_RG-1.jpg

Conceptual Framework

Aligned with the conceptual framework of “Intersections,” Intersections: World Arts Local Lives focuses on the impact of art on individuals. It emphasizes how art functions for people on a personal level.

Intersections: World Arts Local Lives introduces the idea that:

Individuals derive personal significance and connections from works of art.

Objects influence and actively participate in the lives of individuals.

Artworks and their performance contexts serve as reminders of the local communities they originate from, as well as the wider global community that has influenced their diverse meanings.

Exhibition Credits

Intersections: World Arts Local Lives has been made possible by lead gifts from the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Getty Foundation, The Ahmanson Foundation, and Barbara and Joseph Goldenberg. Major support has been provided by Patricia B. Altman and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; Margit and Lloyd Cotsen; Jay and Deborah Last; the National Endowment for the Arts; Shirley and Ralph Shapiro; the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation; the Patricia and Richard Anawalt Family; and Shani and Milady, daughters of William T. Perry, Esq. Additional support has been provided by the Aaroe Associates Charitable Foundation, Anonymous, the Ethnic Arts Council of Los Angeles, Jill and Barry Kitnick, Jim and Jeanne Pieper, the Ceil and Michael Pulitzer Foundation, and Edwin and Cherie Silver. Media sponsorship has been provided by Venice Magazine and KCRW.

Photo from: https://fowler.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/X65.4779-Intersections-1.jpg

The Role of Arts in African Leadership and Governance

From precolonial times to the present, Africa has boasted a rich tradition of arts that bolster leadership and governance. The arts have played a crucial role in supporting and legitimizing those in power and their realms. In turn, rulers have often acted as patrons of the arts, with the extent of artistic production reflecting their ability to allocate sufficient resources.

Among the most influential leadership arts in Africa are those from the kingdoms of the Cameroon Grassfields, a mountainous region in western Cameroon. The Bamum, Bamileke, Bangwa, and other kingdoms in this area share many cultural traditions. For centuries, extensive trade networks, political interactions, and royal gift-giving have facilitated cultural exchange and the creation of royal arts. The oldest known Grassfields kingdom, Bamum, dates back to the sixteenth century.

Historically, communities in the Cameroon Grassfields have been organized around large centralized authorities or rulers, known as fon. Before the colonial period, fon served as religious, economic, and political leaders and were regarded as divine. They redistributed wealth, controlled trade, and were significant patrons of the arts. The fon’s most talented artists often received noble titles for their contributions, underscoring the importance of the arts to Grassfields royalty.

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