The Sanaa Circle, a friends group of the National Museum of African Art, will present a panel discussion in support of the museum in the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center Pavilion, Friday, June 7, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.; it is free and open to the public. The panelists are experts from the fields of beauty, art, culture and history who will discuss contemporary hair, health and beauty in reference to the heritage and history of Africa. The discussion will be moderated by Diana N’Diaye, who is the principal investigator and curator of The Will to Adorn initiative at the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The project is one of the three themes of the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and it looks at identity and how it is reflected in African American dress. N’Diaye is also a jewelry and dress designer.
Johnnetta Betsch Cole, director of the National Museum of African Art, will begin the evening with opening remarks. A reception will follow with hair models featuring images of contemporary beauty and styles by natural hair stylist and cosmetologist Camille Robbins-Reed.
For more information about this exhibition, call (202) 633-4600 or visit the museum’s website at Africa.si.edu