"Art and Power in the Central African Savannah"

The African savannah, as nearly everyone who's ever seen a nature documentary knows, is loaded with amazing wildlife. But it's also home to some fascinating human cultures, among them the various African tribes who created the sculptures now on display at The Menil Collection's "Art and Power in the Central African Savannah." The exhibition, originally organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art, displays about 60 figures originating from the likes of Angola and Congo, many in the shape of humans or animals. Made of powerful, vital materials like wood, hair and hide, the figures were often used to contain medicinal substances and were both politically and religiously significant. Their creators, members of the Chokwe, the Luluwa, the Songye and the Luba peoples, were undergoing significant changes in their societies around the nineteenth century, adding special potency to the "power figures" on display. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Through January 4. 1515 Sul Ross. For information, call 713-525-9400 or visit www.menil.org. Free.
Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Starts: Sept. 26. Continues through Jan. 4, 2008