The Art of the Congo:
Selections and Gifts from the Norma Canelas and William D. Roth Collection
June 17, 2006 through June 10, 2007

The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) presents The Art of the Congo: Selections and Gifts from the Norma Canelas and William D. Roth Collection from June 17, 2006 through June 10, 2007. The exhibition is the seventh in a series from the Roth’s collection of African art, which highlights the many different artistic traditions of Africa.

The captivating arts of the Congo region, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, are revealed in this exhibition of more than 70 incredible headdresses and objects of personal adornment of the Luba, Lega, Tabwa, Ngese and Kuba cultures. The art of these cultures is made to define leadership or power roles, to control mystical powers, and for funerary purposes. Highlights from the exhibition include magnificent headdresses made from shells, beads, elephant hair, animal skins, pangolins, metal, buttons and fiber.

Norma Canelas and William D. Roth have been named among the top 100 art collectors in the country by Art & Antiques magazine. They are known for their collections of ethnographic headdresses, beadwork, textiles, crafts and contemporary art.