Conference marks anniversaries

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Department of African Languages and Literature, the only such department in the country, the university will host the African Language Association’s annual conference — which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Proceedings will take place at UW–Madison on Wednesday-Sunday, April 14-18.

Aliko Songolo, director of the African Studies Program and professor of African languages and literature, and French and Italian, is one of the conference’s conveners. He says that serious scholars and those with a casual interest will find much to take away from this conference.

“Those interested in engaging in scholarly discussion will be able to attend panels, lectures, roundtables and seminars for five days. There also will be well-known performers from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and North America,” he says.

A celebration of the department’s 40th anniversary will open the conference on Wednesday, April 14, at 12:30 p.m. in the Pyle Center. Students in the Department of African Languages and Literature will stage their annual African Culture Night on Friday, April 17, at 6 p.m. in the Red Gym to showcase their skills in African languages. Poetry readings in African languages by African authors will follow.

In honor of the conference, the Elvehjem Museum of Art will host an exhibition of African art from the Bareiss Family Collection. The exhibition will open on Thursday, April 15, and feature more than 60 masks, sculpture, ceramics and textiles from 20 sub-Saharan cultural groups from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique and others. The exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, June 27.

For information about the exhibition, contact the Elvehjem, 263-2246, or visit http://www.lvm.wisc.edu. For information about the conference, contact Peter Quella, 262-2493, or visit http://africa.wisc.edu/ala2004.