This issue marks the start of African Art's fifty-seventh year of publication, and although it's not one of those nice, round numbers people like to celebrate as special anniversaries, it does mark a number of beginnings and changes. And anyway, this volume marks my own twentieth anniversary as executive editor of the journal, so it's round-number special to me—that's why I'm the one writing this First Word. Readers may decide for themselves whether this is a honor or a booby prize.
First and foremost, we welcome the newest editorial board to join the African Arts consortium: University of Miami, Ohio. Its membership includes five editors from separate institutions in Ohio: Jordan Fenton at Miami University, Ohio; Matthew Rarey at Oberlin College, Sarah Van Beurden at Ohio State University; Kristen Windmuller-Luna at the Cleveland Museum of Art; and Joseph Underwood at Kent State University. All of them have been contributors...