The Dishman Art Museum will host a book club in the lecture hall followed by a Q&A, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Feb. 22. “The Out of Africa” exhibition will also be open for viewing.
“The book we will be discussing is ‘Homegoing,’ by author Yaa Gyasi,” Alyssabeth Guerra, curator for the exhibit, said in an email interview. “My idea for this was largely inspired by the fact that I have also simultaneously curated an exhibition on art from west African regions, sourced from the museum’s permanent collection. The book setting takes place in Ghana, a west African region.”
Guerra, assistant director for the Dishman Gallery, said history has a habit of repeating itself and that Gyasi reminds us of that in a cleverly expressed way.
“The book involves topics such as colonization, slavery, war and civil rights,” she said. “Even though as a country we have Black History Month every February, I think that too often, it’s something that’s skipped over in both grade school and collegiate education.”
Guerra said she specifically planned to do both an exhibition and a book club meeting because she wanted to create something to engage with Lamar’s African American community.
“With the state of our society being what it is as a nation today, I think people of all colors are feeling a lot of negativity and stress, and we can all forget the struggles and battles, as well as the victories that came before us,” she said.
“I think people would really gain a lot from reading this book and attending this event. It’s a truly unique work of historical fiction spanning across many locations and time from the 18th to 20th century.
“In my career as a student, I honestly can’t recall spending very much time on the subject, unless you were to seek it out yourself and carve out an entire class time in your schedule.”
The Dishman’s main purpose is to serve as a learning tool for students, Guerra said.
“I thought having these two events, the book club falling in Black History Month, together would be an excellent opportunity for students and community members to come together and learn together.”
The Dishman Gallery located at the corner of Lavaca and MLK Parkway, is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 880-8959.
Story by Sierra Kondos, UP staff writer