The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) is bringing national exhibition history to northwest Ohio. From August 17 to November 10, it will host “Ethiopia at the Crossroads,” the first major U.S. exhibition to present Ethiopian art from a global perspective, recounting the country’s artistic heritage from its creation to the present day – 1,750 years.
Tickets are $10 per person and admission is free for TMA members. Admission to the museum is always free for everyone.
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What is there to see?
The TMA’s landmark exhibition in the Green Building’s Levis Gallery will include more than 225 objects, from devotional paintings and metalwork to sculptures by contemporary Ethiopian artists and the Ethiopian diaspora, including Julie Mehretu. The museum’s recent acquisitions, including a significant 15th-century Ethiopian manuscript, and international loans from artists who combine different art forms, such as Fre Seyon, will also be part of the exhibition. These diverse artistic mediums reflect the diversity and reach of Ethiopia, which has reached beyond the continent and touched Europe and Asia.
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One of the installations is the “House of Yatreda” by artist collective Yatreda : ያጥሬዳ, TMA’s 2024 digital artist in residence. Presenting the past in a contemporary way by fusing ancient Ethiopian traditions with blockchain technology, these pieces provide a glimpse into the newly developed ways in which art is created and consumed, and feature everything from the animated “Abyssinian Queen” to a coffee ceremony emphasizing the importance of the cup of coffee to the African country.
What if I don’t know much about Ethiopia?
For those who would like to gain more background information before visiting the exhibition, the TMA offers a number of educational programs:
Member preview with curator-led tour for TMA members only
- Friday, August 16, 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. (guided tour: 5:30 p.m.–6:45 p.m.)
Art activities for the whole family
- Saturday, August 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tour of the exhibition led by the curator
- Saturday, August 17, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“House of Yatreda”: Coffee ceremony
- Saturday, August 17, 2 to 3 p.m.
- Saturday, 14 September, 13:00–14:00 and 15:30–16:30
TMA Block Party
- Activities on the topic “Ethiopia at the Crossroads”
- Saturday, September 14, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Artist talk with Yatreda: 2024 TMA Digital Artist in Residency
- A conversation with Sophie Ong, Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives, TMA
- Thursday, September 19, 6 to 7 p.m.
Art Book Club: “The Wife’s Tale: A Personal History” by Aida Edemariam
- Friday, 20 September, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
“Rock churches and sacred groves: architecture as home of religion and art in Ethiopia” by Michael Gervers, Ph.D., Professor of History and Art History, University Toronto
- Saturday, October 19, 2–3 p.m.
How did this exhibition come about?
Curated by Christine Sciacca of the Walters Art Museum and for TMA by Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives Sophie Ong, this presentation was supported by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom and one from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The exhibition is also accompanied by an illustrated catalogue by Walters.
TMA is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To learn more about “Ethiopia at the Crossroads” and the other TMA works on display, call 419-255-8000 or visit the website.
For further information and to register for an event, please visit TMA website.
