When Drewal was invited to write a praise piece for Robert Farris Thompson for this issue celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of African Arts, he soon realized it was beyond his body-mind-heart, because Bob himself is larger than life, a person who has touched and inspired so many folks in so many walks of life and thought. So Drewal contacted his dear friend and colleague C. Daniel Dawson, who may know Bob better than anyone, as well as Bob's immense circle of admirers. Drewal proposed that they solicit a variety of perspectives from the worldwide Master T “posse” and create a “posse praise poem” in his honor. We had only a short time to pull this together so we both reached out to friends far and wide, gave them four weeks to compose and send their thoughts and feelings in any way they chose. Some have written odes, others have...
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Autumn 2017
September 01 2017
Oriki for Robert Farris Thompson
Henry John Drewal,
Henry John Drewal
Henry John Drewal is the Evjue-Bascom and Hilldale Professor, Departments of Art History and Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. hjdrewal@wisc.edu
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C. Daniel Dawson,
C. Daniel Dawson
C. Daniel Dawson teaches about the African Diaspora in the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University. cddawson@mindspring.com
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Susan Mullin Vogel,
Susan Mullin Vogel
Susan Mullin Vogel's work was recognized by an ACASA Leadership Award; her Baule: African Art Western Eyes received the Herskovitz Award. She is currently writing about the rise of African art in the American art world, driven by global forces, local events, and singular personalities (mid-1960s to mid-1990s). svogel@igc.org
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Brooke Davis Anderson,
Brooke Davis Anderson
Brooke Davis Anderson is the Edna S. Tuttleman Museum Director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. brookeanderson9@gmail.com
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Rowland Abiodun,
Rowland Abiodun
Rowland Abiodun is John C. Newton Professor of the History of Art and Black Studies at Amherst College. roabiodun@amherst.edu
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Donald Cosentino,
Donald Cosentino
Donald Cosentino is a professor emeritus of UCLA's World Arts and Culture program and has conducted extensive research on the art and religion of Haitian vodou. cosentin@arts.ucla.edu
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Perkins Foss,
Perkins Foss
Perkins Foss has studied Urhobo art and culture over fifty years. He taught at Dartmouth College and at Penn State. He has recently donated his notes, photographs, and accompanying material to the Penn State Library Archives. perkinsfoss@gmail.com
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Neil Clarke,
Neil Clarke
Neil Adeosun Adeweide Ayanlere Tokode Clarke (Oloye Alufopejo Awo of Osogbo) is an internationally recognized master percussionist, scholar, arts educator and producer. For 50+ years, he has been involved with and is respected for his advocacy of traditional African drumming and culture. Clarke has enjoyed longstanding relationships with the legendary Harry Belafonte and currently with NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston. Clarke is also an Adjunct Professor at City College of New York (Jazz Studies). Drumscholar11233@gmail.com
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Zeca Ligiéro,
Zeca Ligiéro
Zeca LIgiéro is an artist, with a PhD in Performance Studies, and a professor at UNIRIO-Brazil. zecaligiero@gmail.com
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Lowery Stokes Sims,
Lowery Stokes Sims
Lowery Stokes Sims, a specialist in global contemporary art, is a former curator at the Metropolitan Museum, former director of the Studio Museum and Curator Emerita, Museum of Arts and Design. She now works as an independent curator and art historian. lowerysims@gmail.com
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Leslie King Hammond,
Leslie King Hammond
Leslie King Hammond is Professor Emerita; Founding Director, Center for Race and Culture, Maryland Institute College of Art; Senior Fellow, Robert W. Deutsch Foundation; and Senior Advisor, Baltimore Arts Reality Corporation. lkingha@mica.edu
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John Santos,
John Santos
John Santos is a multi-Grammy nominated bandleader, composer, producer, and percussionist, SFJAZZ Trustee and US Artist Fontanals Fellow. He currently teaches at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley and the College of San Mateo, and has lectured and conducted countless clinics and workshops in the United States, Europe and Latin America since the mid-1970s. machete@earthlink.net
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David T. Doris,
David T. Doris
David T. Doris is an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Michigan. dtdoris@umich.edu
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John Mason
John Mason
John Mason, an orisa priest of Obatala and diviner initiated in 1970, is a graduate of City College of New York and recipient of a 1999 Guggenheim Fellowship in Folklore. In 1973 he cofounded and is currently director of the Yoruba Theological Archministry, a nonprofit research center located in Brooklyn, NY. A traditional and jazz percussionist and composer, with fifty-three years experience, he formed MASON-JAM-JA Band in 1998. ytajamco@basicisp.net
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Henry John Drewal
Henry John Drewal is the Evjue-Bascom and Hilldale Professor, Departments of Art History and Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. hjdrewal@wisc.edu
C. Daniel Dawson
C. Daniel Dawson teaches about the African Diaspora in the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University. cddawson@mindspring.com
Susan Mullin Vogel
Susan Mullin Vogel's work was recognized by an ACASA Leadership Award; her Baule: African Art Western Eyes received the Herskovitz Award. She is currently writing about the rise of African art in the American art world, driven by global forces, local events, and singular personalities (mid-1960s to mid-1990s). svogel@igc.org
Brooke Davis Anderson
Brooke Davis Anderson is the Edna S. Tuttleman Museum Director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. brookeanderson9@gmail.com
Rowland Abiodun
Rowland Abiodun is John C. Newton Professor of the History of Art and Black Studies at Amherst College. roabiodun@amherst.edu
Donald Cosentino
Donald Cosentino is a professor emeritus of UCLA's World Arts and Culture program and has conducted extensive research on the art and religion of Haitian vodou. cosentin@arts.ucla.edu
Perkins Foss
Perkins Foss has studied Urhobo art and culture over fifty years. He taught at Dartmouth College and at Penn State. He has recently donated his notes, photographs, and accompanying material to the Penn State Library Archives. perkinsfoss@gmail.com
Neil Clarke
Neil Adeosun Adeweide Ayanlere Tokode Clarke (Oloye Alufopejo Awo of Osogbo) is an internationally recognized master percussionist, scholar, arts educator and producer. For 50+ years, he has been involved with and is respected for his advocacy of traditional African drumming and culture. Clarke has enjoyed longstanding relationships with the legendary Harry Belafonte and currently with NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston. Clarke is also an Adjunct Professor at City College of New York (Jazz Studies). Drumscholar11233@gmail.com
Zeca Ligiéro
Zeca LIgiéro is an artist, with a PhD in Performance Studies, and a professor at UNIRIO-Brazil. zecaligiero@gmail.com
Lowery Stokes Sims
Lowery Stokes Sims, a specialist in global contemporary art, is a former curator at the Metropolitan Museum, former director of the Studio Museum and Curator Emerita, Museum of Arts and Design. She now works as an independent curator and art historian. lowerysims@gmail.com
Leslie King Hammond
Leslie King Hammond is Professor Emerita; Founding Director, Center for Race and Culture, Maryland Institute College of Art; Senior Fellow, Robert W. Deutsch Foundation; and Senior Advisor, Baltimore Arts Reality Corporation. lkingha@mica.edu
John Santos
John Santos is a multi-Grammy nominated bandleader, composer, producer, and percussionist, SFJAZZ Trustee and US Artist Fontanals Fellow. He currently teaches at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley and the College of San Mateo, and has lectured and conducted countless clinics and workshops in the United States, Europe and Latin America since the mid-1970s. machete@earthlink.net
David T. Doris
David T. Doris is an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Michigan. dtdoris@umich.edu
John Mason
John Mason, an orisa priest of Obatala and diviner initiated in 1970, is a graduate of City College of New York and recipient of a 1999 Guggenheim Fellowship in Folklore. In 1973 he cofounded and is currently director of the Yoruba Theological Archministry, a nonprofit research center located in Brooklyn, NY. A traditional and jazz percussionist and composer, with fifty-three years experience, he formed MASON-JAM-JA Band in 1998. ytajamco@basicisp.net
Online ISSN: 1937-2108
Print ISSN: 0001-9933
© 2017 by the Regents of the University of California.
2017
The Regents of the University of California
African Arts (2017) 50 (3): 62–81.
Citation
Henry John Drewal, C. Daniel Dawson, Susan Mullin Vogel, Brooke Davis Anderson, Rowland Abiodun, Donald Cosentino, Perkins Foss, Neil Clarke, Zeca Ligiéro, Lowery Stokes Sims, Leslie King Hammond, John Santos, David T. Doris, John Mason; Oriki for Robert Farris Thompson. African Arts 2017; 50 (3): 62–81. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/AFAR_a_00358
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