Dr. Fred T. Smith, professor of art history at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, will speak about "Ethnicity and Visual Culture in the Western Sudan of Africa" at Clarion University, Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. in room 120, Marwick Boyd Fine Arts Building.

            Smith specializes in the visual culture of Africa. He received a B.A. from the University of Delaware, an M.A. in anthropology from UCLA and an M.A. and Ph.D. in art history from Indiana University.  He has conducted field research in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Morocco and Tunisia. He is the co-author of "The Visual Arts of Africa: gender, power and life cycle rituals" and has published numerous articles and encyclopedia entries on various aspects of African visual culture. He also teaches courses in the traditional arts of Oceania and the Americas.

            To reserve a seat for the lecture contact Cathi Joslyn at cjoslyn@clarion.edu. Smith's visity is sponsored by the Clarion University College of Arts & Sciences through a Learning Communities grant from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education in support of the linked African Studies courses being offered this semester in art and history.

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