Program

Public Programs: Exhibitions: Implementation

Period of Performance

5/1/2022 - 6/30/2025

Funding Totals

$400,000.00 (approved)
$396,000.00 (awarded)


Ethiopia at the Crossroads

FAIN: GI-285414-22

Walters Art Gallery (Baltimore, MD 21201-5118)
Christine Sciacca (Project Director: August 2021 to present)

Implementation for a traveling exhibition exploring the art and visual culture of Ethiopia as a geographic crossroads from antiquity to the present, including public programs and a catalog.

This project supports "Ethiopia at the Crossroads," a landmark international loan exhibition that celebrates the artistic traditions of Ethiopia from antiquity to the present. Opening at the Walters Art Museum in Fall 2024, this exhibition will explore the cultural significance and humanistic legacy of Ethiopia, from the earliest prehistoric origins through today. This will be the first major art exhibition in America to examine Ethiopian art in a global context by examining how Ethiopia embodies the idea of "crossroads" geographically, historically, and culturally. Accompanied by interpretive experiences in the galleries, contemporary art installations, a dynamic suite of public programs, and a field-leading scholarly publication, "Ethiopia at the Crossroads" will enrich scholars and the public alike with a greater understanding of the complex exchange of visual culture between Ethiopia and the world.



Media Coverage

Ethiopia’s Art at the Crossroads of Traditions (Review)
Author(s): Nandini Pandey, Lauren Cook
Publication: Hyperallergic
Date: 2/28/2024
Abstract: A new exhibition at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore unfurls continuities between past and present across East Africa’s rich artistic traditions.
URL: https://hyperallergic.com/874375/ethiopia-at-the-crossroads-of-traditions-walters-art-museum/

Finally, a sweeping look at Ethiopian art (Review)
Author(s): Vanessa H. Larson
Publication: The Washington Post
Date: 1/10/2024
Abstract: ‘Ethiopia at the Crossroads’ at Baltimore’s Walters Art Museum showcases centuries of cultural production
URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/10/ethiopian-art-walters-museum/

African Epics of Faith and Empire (Review)
Author(s): Vanessa H. Larson, Edward Rothstein
Publication: The Wall Street Journal
Date: 2/1/2024
Abstract: Two museums offer wide-ranging explorations of religion and history
URL: https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/fine-art/africa-byzantium-and-ethiopia-at-the-crossroads-review-metropolitan-museum-of-art-walters-art-museum-b7396277

5 things not to miss at the Walters Art Museum’s sumptuous exhibit, ‘Ethiopia at the Crossroads’ (Review)
Author(s): Mary McCauley
Publication: The Baltimore Sun
Date: 12/23/2024
URL: https://www.baltimoresun.com/2023/12/23/5-things-not-to-miss-at-the-walters-art-museums-sumptuous-new-exhibit-ethiopia-at-the-crossroads/

Confluence: Ethiopia at the Crossroads (Review)
Author(s): Kerr Houston
Publication: Bmore Art
Date: 12/19/2023
Abstract: An Exhibit of Diverse Objects that Collectively Attest to Deep Continuities and Extensive Cultural Exchanges.
URL: https://bmoreart.com/2023/12/confluence-ethiopia-at-the-crossroads.html

Fall Preview (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Kerr Houston
Publication: The New York Times
Date: 9/2/2023
Abstract: Preview of upcoming exhibitions and installations; Highlights Ethiopia at the Crossroads in Baltimore
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/02/arts/design/holland-cotter-art-exhibitions-museums-fall.html



Associated Products

Ethiopia at the Crossroads (Catalog)
Title: Ethiopia at the Crossroads
Author: Christine Sciacca
Abstract: This monumental volume celebrates the artistic traditions of Ethiopia from their origins to the present day, spanning over 1,700 years of history. Seated in the Horn of Africa, the country is an intersection of diverse cultures, religions, and climates. This captivating book examines Ethiopian art as representative of the nation’s notable history and demonstrates the enormous cultural significance of this often-overlooked African nation through the themes of cross-cultural exchange and the human role in the creation and movement of art objects. It features hundreds of images of objects, including painted icons, illuminated manuscripts, coins, textiles, metalwork, and carved wooden crosses, in addition to works by contemporary Ethiopian and diaspora artists.
Year: 2024
Catalog Type: Exhibition Catalog
Publisher: Yale University Press