FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3/5/99

CONTACT:
Robyn Florian
Assistant Director of Public Relations
Greenville College
(618) 664-2800, ext. 4536

"Spirits in Stone" Display at Greenville College March 4-26

View Shona Sculpture of Zimbabwe From the Collection of GC First Couple Jim and Ellen Mannoia

GREENVILLE - An exhibit of African art from the collection of Greenville College President V. James Mannoia, Jr. and his wife, Ellen, opened Thursday, March 4 in Archer Hall Gallery on the campus of Greenville College. The exhibit, entitled "Spirits in Stone," displays about a dozen of the over 20 pieces of Shona sculpture Dr. and Mrs. Mannoia collected during a two-year stay in Zimbabwe during the late 1980s.

A public reception will be held Sunday, March 14 from 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at Archer Hall, located at 210 N. First Street. Dr. Mannoia is scheduled to deliver remarks on the collection at 4:00 p.m.

The Mannoias began collecting Shona art while Dr. Mannoia was teaching from 1987 to 1989 at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare, the capital city. When it came time to leave, they discovered they could not take money out of the country; the Zimbabwean currency was worthless on the international market, and was prohibited from being exchanged it into "hard" currency. In light of this information the Mannoias chose to invest their money in Shona sculpture and other artwork before leaving the country.

The Shona are the dominant tribe in Zimbabwe and their tribal art, especially the hand-carved stone sculptures portraying traditional spirits and native wildlife, is eminently collectible internationally. All the sculptures are created by contemporary artists, largely untrained, who often make their own chisels from scrap iron and use rocks as hammers.

Although many of these artists are internationally known through exhibits in cities such as Los Angeles, CA and London, England, the Mannoias were often able to buy their artwork directly from the artists. Their collection includes pieces by Henry Munyaradzi, Nicolas Mukomberanwa, Brighton Sango and John Takawira, perhaps best known of all, who died shortly after the Mannoias left Zimbabwe. Books on Shona sculpture from the Mannoia collection will also be displayed at the exhibit, offering visitors the opportunity to learn more about this unique tribal art.

Besides the stone sculptures, the Mannoia's collection includes a 7-foot carved wooden giraffe; a zebra skin; a large number of baskets and woven rugs; a full-sized carved wooden chief's chair; some unique wire sculpture bicycles, motorcycles and airplanes, a specialty of one particular artist; and walking sticks with blades that could double as weapons. They also have a painting by renowned bushman artist Craig Bone and a large Donaldson print of a leopard.

The sculpture exhibit in Archer Hall Gallery runs through Friday, March 26. The public is invited to attend the exhibit as well as the reception on Sunday, March 14. For more information, contact the Greenville College Department of Art at (618) 664-2800, ext. 4560.