The passing on of Alan Donovan: eulogies and stories
As contributed by Margaretta wa Gacheru
TIMIMOUN AFRICAN JOURNEYS MUSEUM AT AFRICAN HERITAGE HOUSE
By Alan Donovan
Construction has begun on the new Museum at African Heritage House, based on a structure in TIMIMOUM, the first and last oasis for travels to and from Africa, in the Sahara Desert in what is now Algeria.
Thus Timimoun represents the first journeys to and from Africa before the sailing ships and their stolen human cargo. The museum will feature the journeys of those who found Africa as their mecca, like myself, Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher of African Ceremonies who have produced the largest archives in the world of the vanishing rituals and ceremonies of Africa through their l7 books. It will also feature the journeys of those associated with African Heritage who went out of Africa and found their dream, like Iman, who first modeled for African Heritage in l975 and went on to become the most famous face of Africa, often described as the most beautiful woman in the world.
We are also entering into discussions with UCLA regarding the possibility of making African Heritage House the premier African Studies Centre on the continent.
Plenty of Africa at Heritage House
This article was published in the East African Magazine on 29 December 2019:
The small gallery that exhibits big
This article was published in the ‘Lifestyle’ supplement of the Sunday Nation on 6 January 2019:
40-year cultural odyssey to meet the return of a cultural legend
This article was published in the Saturday Nation on January 5, 2019:
World-renowned ceramicist becomes Chancellor of the University for the Creative Arts
Kenya’s most famous artist/ceramicist, Professor Magdalene Ayango N. Odundo, has become Chancellor of the UCA in UK. She had her first exhibition in Africa at African Heritage during the UN Decade of Women’s Conference back in 1985. Her clay “vessels” are beyond description.
Read the full article on UCA’s website here (new window).