College Professor auctions off African Art collection in the LRC.

Mesa had an opening reception in the LRC hosted by Dr. Barbara Blackmun, which consisted of a silent auction of some fine pieces of African art.

Some pieces started at $15 for a souvenir all the way up to $600 for the African Masks.

“In New York these would have gone for thousands,” says Blackmun.

The pieces of art for auction were one of a kind and unbelievable. Dr. Barbara Blackmun was the curator of this reception and is an art history major and a professor at Mesa.

The items included in the auction were Blackmun’s collections from various donors. One local dentist named Jack J. Aimbrough had his whole African art collection donated to Dr. Blackmun.

Mesa was nice enough to let her store these donated African art collections, on campus in locked metal cabinets, some of which are in the G building and some in the LRC.

In the 1980s Blackmun realized that the college needed a venue for special exhibitions that people could not see in San Diego, especially exhibits of “classic masterpieces” from Africa. She also said none of the art museums in Balboa Park features this type of exhibition, and the closest museum that displayed this type of art was UCLA.

People in San Diego, including Blackmun herself, started wanting to see African art displayed locally, so she began seeking donations. In 2001-02 Blackmun and some others helped create and design the “Glass Gallery,” which is now on display in the LRC. Each of the 23 pieces that are displayed has a little excerpt underneath explaining what it is and the history behind it. Every year since 2003 they have displayed a new African art exhibition.

The glass gallery costs around $20,000 and $10,000 came from faculty donations, alumni, art collectors, students of African art and the Associated Students organization.

The other half was a gift from the Sana Art Foundation, which is an organization dedicated to education in the arts. The names of those who have given over $100 are displayed on two large plaques hanging on the wall opposite the “Glass Gallery.”

All of the donations and money made from the auction is kept in the African Art Trust Fund. The receptions they held cost around $4,000 so some of the money made went back to that. They are now beginning to plan the next exhibition for March 2008.

The reception also had Bomani drumming, African masquerade, a dance group and lecture given by Blackmun titled “African Art as Technology.”

For more information, you can check out the school’s website and search for “African art collection.”