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Arts Scene - Brief Article

American Visions, Feb, 1999

DIG DEEP AND LEARN

W.E.B. Du Bols dedicated much of his life to creating an Encyclopedia Africana, but he never lived to see the project to fruition. Nearly 90 years after he proposed the monumental encyclopedia, his dream will become a reality. Microsoft Encarta Africana on CD-ROM is the product of a collaborative venture between Microsoft and a team of African-American scholars led by Henry Louis Gates Jr., chairman of Afro-American studies at Harvard University, and his colleague Kwame Anthony Appiah, professor of African-American philosophy. Like Du Bois, these scholars tried for many years to obtain funding for the encyclopedia.

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Microsoft Encarta Africana, a comprehensive multimedia reference tool, traces the history, geography and cultural achievements of peoples of African descent. It includes more than 3,000 authoritative articles and biographies on experiences and individuals that have influenced African history from 4 million B.C. to me present. Subjects include Lucy, the world's oldest human ancestor; the African diaspora; and biographies on contemporary personalities Muhammad Ali, Whoopi Goldberg and Maya Angelou.

In addition to the 3,000 articles, the encyclopedia features more than 2,000 photos and other graphics that enrich and stimulate learning while encouraging learners to dig deeper into its seemingly bottomless pit of knowledge.

A historical time line pinpoints critical events that have shaped African history throughout the world, since the dawn of civilization. The time line is also one of the first multimedia presentations to provide statistics on the slaves who were dispersed throughout the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade. "Africana on Camera" is another outstanding multimedia feature of Microsoft Encarta Africana. It presents outstanding leaders and other personalities of African descent.

Virtual tours of Goree Island, Harlem, Paris and other historical sites provide picturesque 360-degree views with a simple slide of the mouse. Approximately 100 sidebars from speeches, publications and literary works are also contained on the disk.

This CD-ROM is educational and entertaining, and its links to the World Wide Web permit users to perform quick and meaningful searches. Microsoft Encarta Africana for Microsoft Windows 95 will be available in February at an estimated retail price of $49.95. For additional product information, call (425) 882-8080.

MASTERPIECES ON DEMAND

Portobelo is the stuff that dreams are made of. People familiar with this charming seaside village in Panama describe it as magical, mysterious and miraculous. Students of the Spelman College Summer Art Colony describe it as their classroom without walls.

Now in its second year, "Taller Portobelo" offers lessons in Latin American art history, visits to Latin American artists in their studios, and tours of Panama's galleries, museums and historical sites. The program is the brainchild of Arturo Lindsay, an associate professor of art and art history at Spelman who has dedicated his career to the study of aesthetic influences in contemporary Latin American cultures.

Students participate in 75 hours of instruction and supervised painting and 30 hours of independent painting. And if magic, mystery and miracles were not enough, students must create their own masterpieces during the three-week program. Classes run from May 18 through June 1.

In addition to Spelman students, the art program is open to students-at-large, as well as emerging artists. For additional information, write to the Spelman College Continuing Education Office, Living Learning Center II, 350 Spelman Lane SW, Box 849, Atlanta, GA 30314-4399, or call (404) 681-3643, Ext. 2170.

DID YOU KNOW ...

... The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center celebrates its 30th anniversary this year? (Did you also know that just last year, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which has grown from its small and anonymous beginnings to perform for an estimated 18 million people in more than 67 countries, celebrated its 40th anniversary?) Alvin Ailey founded the dance center in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1969, with an initial enrollment of 125 students. Today it trains more than 3,000 students annually from all over the world and offers approximately 160 classes weekly, under the direction of Judith Jamison (artistic director) and Denise Jefferson (director). In accord with its objective to provide students with diversified and outstanding training in the field of dance, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City recently collaborated to offer a bachelor of fine arts degree in dance. The joint educational program offers students an opportunity to study dance at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center while completing liberal arts classes at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus. For more information, call Fordham University's Office of Admissions at (212) 636-6710.

... The Public Broadcasting Service will broadcast a six-hour television documentary in honor of Black History Month? I'll Make Me a World: A Century of African-American Arts, produced by the late filmmaker Henry Hampton of Blackside Inc. (the producer of the acclaimed series Eyes on the Prize), will run from February 1 to 3. The series highlights African-American artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, painters, dancers and other contributors who have shaped African-American culture over the past 100 years.

Arts Scene - Brief Article

American Visions, Feb, 1999

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