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""A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal"" is an exhibit on display at the Krannert Art Museum in Champaign which explores the arts and expressive culture of Islamic West Africa through a dynamic and influential movement in Senegal known as the Mou

A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Sengal

By: Emily Cotterman

Walking into the Krannert Art Museum's new exhibit visitors are greeted by large murals of iconic figures - from Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela to Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix. These men are a part of a mural that was painted in an urban region of Senegal by Pape Samb and are the first things featured in Krannert Art Museum's temporary exhibit A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Sengal.

The exhibit begins with the mural and continues with Islamic art and artifacts - a Quran from the early 19th century and glass paintings depicting major religious events, along with panels that describe Islam in Africa. But the main focus is on Muslim Saint Sheikh Amadou Bamba, who lived from 1853 to 1927, and whose teachings founded the Mouride Way. Depictions of Bamba are everywhere in the exhibit; most of them based on the only known photograph of him from 1913. He is draped in white cloth, only his eyes showing, and that image is shown in paintings, drawings, magnets, necklaces and even clocks. He is the focus of the Samb mural as the Krannert panel explains, "For Mourides see links between these inspirational heroes and the exemplary life of the Saint." It continues through contemporary times, giving glimpses of what urban life is like within this part of Africa.

The exhibit gives an interesting portrayal of Islam in Senegal, especially the Mouride way. It also shows how prevalent the depictions of Bamba are, even in the city of Dakar, as he is supposed to bless homes and businesses. "A Saint in the City" tries to bring knowledge not only about Islam, but also about African and Islamic culture.

Samb's mural is especially important. By including heroes from across all different places, he is shrinking the world and promoting a message of acceptance. In an artist's statement, he says, "My art does not discriminate because I do not like discrimination. Art has no nationality. Art had no boundaries, either."

Students who visit the exhibit get a good idea of who Samb was. A.J. Saloga, a junior at Parkland College, said, "I'd never heard of [Samb], but now I already know the brief history of him." He and his friend, sophomore Raheem Khan, came for an extra credit assignment for their Islamic culture and civilization class. Khan noticed the symbols and geographic shapes in the artwork of the exhibit, which he had learned about in class. "They had a lot of really cool designs," he said. He also enjoyed how colorful the artwork is.

"A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Sengal" will be on display at Krannert Art Museum until December 31.

When We Were Young: New Perspectives on the Art of the Child

By: Meghan Whalen

Zeus, his Wife, and a Guy Who Got Struck by Lightning." "Ninja Turtle." "Duck with Falling Blueberries."

These are among the drawings featured at a special exhibit at the Krannert Art Museum - "When We Were Young: New Perspectives on the Art of the Child." The exhibit combines the childhood drawings of Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec with those of children from around the U.S. and Japan, and also features artwork by children from the Champaign-Urbana area.

Jonathan Fineberg, a University of Illinois professor of art history serves as curator of the exhibit, with the intention of investigating "giftedness in children and adults," says KAM director Kathleen Harleman. "When We Were Young" also celebrates the University's partnership with The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. The two are working together to create a modern art history program at the University.

"There is room for community and input," says Harleman. Children who visited KAM during family festivals and school trips created their own drawings and works of art using a variety of mediums. Their drawings of famous authors, pictures of families, interpretations of dreams ("I dreamed a Unihcorn!" says one, accompanied by a drawing of the animal) and many other creations are all showcased on a large wall at the beginning of the exhibit.

Drawings by world-famous authors are featured in the next room, alongside more drawings by children from around the United States and from Japan. "It's important to have them in close proximity to the famous ones," says Harleman. Similarities can be seen between some of these works and those of the 9-year-old Picasso.

In Picasso's drawing "Bullfight and Pigeons," he draws a crowd watching a bullfight, with pigeons looming overhead. Most of the crowd is represented by simple scribbles and the bull and bullfighter appear small, while the pigeons are large, darker and much more detailed than the rest of the scene. The drawing shows Picasso's budding talent and hints at the unconventional styles that would later make him one of the most respected artists of the modern era.

"When We Were Young" has been very well-received by the public, Harleman says, and its opening received a very large attendance. Children are still encouraged to contribute their artwork to the exhibit, continue to use their creativity and foster their artistic talent. In the future, perhaps some of them will even become well-known artists.

As Picasso stated as an adult, "When I was the age of these children I could draw like Raphael. It took me many years to draw like them."

"When We Were Young: New Perspectives on the Art of the Child," will be on display at the Krannert Art Museum untiil Dec. 31.