Spero Lomenzo, an undergraduate working toward a degree in creative writing, visited the UWM Art History Gallery on Thursday, April 21st to view African Masks in the UWM Art Collection. Spero is currently enrolled in English 517: Mythic Spaces in African Epics & African American Fiction & Film, and English 465: Women Writers in a Global Context, both of which discuss African writers and culture. During his visit, Spero was very interested to see the objects, and incorporate them into his coursework. He was most interested in looking at the masks because of his exploration in the ways the false faces play into traditional storytelling, mythic representation, and cultural identity in populations around the world.
The mission of both the Gallery and Collection is to serve as pedagogical vehicles for enhancing education at all levels, and to foster inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary relationships.