Location: Walters’ Graham Auditorium
Registration is required.

Morgan State University political science professor Dr. Getachew Metaferia and artist and Brown University visual art professor Helina Metaferia discuss Ethiopian art and culture from scholarly, artistic, and familial perspectives. This impressive father-daughter duo will share ideas about themes addressed in Ethiopia at the Crossroads, discuss Helina’s work within the context of broader artistic traditions, and reflect on how Ethiopian culture and creativity have been passed across generations, especially in their own home. This conversation is moderated by Christine Sciacca, Curator of European Art, 300-1400 CE. Ethiopia at the Crossroads, which celebrates the artistic traditions of Ethiopia from their origins to the present day, is on view in our Temporary  Exhibition gallery from December 3, 2023–March 3, 2024.

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About the Speakers:

Getachew Metaferia, Ph.D., is a professor of political science at Morgan State University, where he has taught since 1995. Having grown up during a tumultuous time in Ethiopia in the 1960s, he was inspired to pursue the field of political science and study in the United States. He completed a B.A. at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, an M.A. at the University of New Orleans, and a Ph.D. at Howard University. He was a Fulbright Fellow as a Senior Scholar at Tel Aviv University in 2018. In addition, he has been a Fulbright-Hays Fellow in Namibia, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Peru. Dr. Metaferia has authored numerous books, articles, and book chapters, including Ethiopia and the United States: History, Diplomacy, and Analysis, published in 2009. In 2021, he contributed a chapter to the book Reflections on Exile: African Scholars and Intellectuals in North America. His current research is focused on the Beta Israel or the Ethiopian Jews. 

Helina Metaferia is an interdisciplinary artist working across collage, assemblage, video, performance, and social engagement. Metaferia received her MFA from Tufts University’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Her work was included in the 2023 Sharjah Biennial, United Arab Emirates. She’s held solo exhibitions at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; RISD Art Museum, Providence, RI; and Museum of African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA. Metaferia is an Assistant Professor at Brown University in the Visual Art department, and lives and works in New York City.