Beginning May 27, we will be closed as part of Oberlin College’s Sustainable Infrastructure Program.
Closed Summer 2024
Beginning May 27, we will be closed as part of Oberlin College’s Sustainable Infrastructure Program.
The Allen presents changing exhibitions along with engaging guest speakers and public programs.
Learn MoreThe Allen's collection is particularly strong in 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting, Japanese prints, early modern art, African art, and more.
Learn MoreExplore the full range of museum programs through free events, guided and self-guided tours, and resources for professors and PreK-12 teachers.
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Support for the museum continues our tradition of bringing art to the people.
Learn MoreTuesday, March 14, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Helmet Mask (Gelede) in the Allen’s collection is part of a larger ensemble with which men in southern Nigeria embody and reenact the divine life-creating force of “our mothers,” women who having passed their reproductive years are the source of both humans and gods in Yorùbá cosmology. Visiting assistant professor Fernanda Villarroel Lamoza will discuss how Gelede festivals provide a conceptual framework to engage with our mothers as an abstract principle. In doing so, she will outline an in-depth analysis of the intricate arrangement of snakes, birds, and knives layered in tiers in this mask, as a form of coiffure framing the serene facial features distinctive of Gelede.
Access Statement:
These events are held in a wheelchair- and rolling walker-accessible building. The lecture space is wheelchair accessible, with moveable seating, and near wheelchair-accessible restrooms. Restrooms are gender-specific; visitors are invited to use the restroom of their preference. No listening devices or ASL interpretation will be available at this event. Most talks will be recorded and available with closed captions on the museum’s Vimeo page after the event. Please email access questions to Jill Greenwood, jgreenwo@oberlin.edu.
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