Fulbright at 75: Celebrating a Legacy of Global Friendships

I presented i ni ce, thank you, merci: An Ongoing Dialogue about Art, Life and Building Bridges at the Fulbright Association annual conference on October 21, 2021. Since my 1995 Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship to Mali, I have been part of long term, ongoing artistic collaborations with Malian contemporary artists.  We are all, at the same time, researcher and object …

Gala: Importance of Indigo in Malian Culture

I presented Gala: Importance of Indigo in Malian Culture, this short paper, virtually at the 12th International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS12) in Kyoto, Japan. The cultivation and weaving of cotton dates back more than a thousand years in Mali, as do the techniques for processing and dyeing with indigo which grows wild and is also cultivated. Archeological excavations at …

Roundtable: Reflecting on the Ways Forward in Mali

This roundtable assembled a variety of academics and policy makers working in Mali in different areas, and from different perspectives. We come together to discuss ways to build a durable peace, responsible government and vibrant civil society in Mali. Part 1 focused on the political, military, and economic dimensions of the crisis and the future and included Greg Mann, historian, …

Transcultural Collaborations: Collapsing Distance, Transforming Home

Transculture refers to the act of uniting people from different backgrounds and cultures in an effort to exchange varied perspectives and contexts. An exchange of this sort can potentially yield global/universal similarities and specific cultural differences. It is a way for people to think together while contributing beliefs and strategies from their individual experiences. Careful attention must be paid to …

Artistry of African/Diaspora Blacksmiths

i ni ce, thank you, merci: Apprenticing at a Forge in Dioro, Mali. During her Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship in 1995, Janet apprenticed with a family of blacksmiths in Dioro. She made small knives with carved wooden handles and hair tressing tools, the beginning objects for all apprentices at the forge. The skills needed to make these simple tools introduce …

In the Shadow of the Empires: Protecting West Africa’s Cultural Heritage

Chairs: Janet Goldner, Oussouby Sacko; Participants: Janet Goldner, Oussouby Sacko, Kandioura Coulibaly, Kletigui Dembéle, Yuka Goto Focusing on culture, art and design issues for the first time at Mali Symposium on Applied Sciences (MSAS), this roundtable session brought together artists, architects and many other cultural actors. Many aspects of West African culture are in danger of being lost due to …

Bamako Symposium on the Arts

The symposium is designed to enable Malian and international arts practitioners, researchers, and policymakers share experiences, research and practitioner wisdom across arts disciplines and to identify key best practices across civilizations and their contiguities with the Mali context. The hope is that we will generate new initiatives to boost human capital development in Mali in the 21st century through a …

Exhibition: Babel

BABEL explored the relationship between language and the visual arts and establishes connections between the written word and the recent explosion of immigrant conclaves in and around New York City. This exhibition was organized and curated by New-media artist, Hector Canonge. ARTISTS TALK –moderated by Hector Canonge: Gema Alava, Felipe Galindo, Janet Goldner, Derick Melander, Sarah Nicholls, Panoply Performance Laboratory …