Africa Hall 30th Anniversary Celebration

2023 is the year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Africa Hall opening during the Field Museum’s centennial year on November 13, 1993. Join us to learn why it was revolutionary for its time and how the exhibit still educates the public today. Assistant Curator of African Anthropology Foreman Bandama, PhD, will moderate the event, recognizing the contributions of staff, valuable cultural partnerships, and the importance of community engagement in creating the exhibition. Help us celebrate along with the Muntu Dance Theater and Bamoun community in the United States.

Additional Resources

Take a look back and behind the scenes at the making of the Africa exhibit in this vintage 1993 WTTW documentary AFRICA: A View From The Field, and reminisce with staff on the challenges, impact and triumphs they shared creating the exhibit in the BHM2021 webinar of the same name, Africa: A View from the Field Two Chicago Tribune articles about the 1993 opening of the Africa Hall:

• Out of "Africa," Answers To Many Questions
•  "Africa" Comes To Field Museum 

Check out this virtual behind-the-scenes tour of some African cultural material cared for by the Museum with Anthropology Collections Manager Chris Philipp. We look at some of the items from the collection's early beginnings, as well as some highlights from Cameroon—including items that inspired African American artist Betye Saar—and more recent acquisitions from contemporary artists.

Back to main Black History Month page.