WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester University’s (WCU) Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology is hosting a unique exhibition, ‘Surrounded by the Spirits: Paul Stoller and the Songhay Journey Towards Wellbeing,’ honoring the life work of renowned anthropologist Paul Stoller. The exhibition immerses visitors in the culture of West Africa, offering profound insights into holistic healing practices that harmonize with the social, natural, and spiritual worlds.
Rare artifacts from Niger and Ghana are on display, examining the diverse healing practices of the Songhay people of Niger. These include spirit possession, witchcraft and divination, Islamic religious devotion, and traditional medicine. A second retrospective gallery delves into the life of Stoller, who trained as a Songhay sorcerer’s apprentice and conducted urban ethnography among the West African diaspora.
Stoller, a professor of anthropology at WCU for his entire career, is internationally recognized for his accessible writing style. He has authored over 15 books and received numerous awards, including the prestigious Anders Retzius Medal given by the King of Sweden, the highest honor in anthropology.
The exhibition features rare potions, amulets, musical instruments, sacred objects, representing West African healing practices. A recreated mud spirit hut, modeled after the one belonging to possession priest Adamu Jenitongo, Stoller’s mentor, forms a central element of the exhibition. Illuminated constellations from the summer sky in Niger adorn its ceiling, inviting visitors to contemplate their own well-being.
Artifacts, books, and writings from Stoller form the heart of the exhibition, supplemented by items from other anthropologists, including Zeinab Baba, assistant professor in WCU’s master of public health program, and Bradley Flamm, director of WCU’s Office of Sustainability.
Michael Di Giovine, professor of anthropology and director of WCU’s Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, guides museum studies students in curating exhibitions. Student co-curators for this exhibition are William Babitts, Isabella Campese, Allison Magerr, Mary Moyer, Emily Nammavong, Katherine Noll, Sadie Patterson, Maclaren Remy, Mayur Suresh, Harrison Warren, Matt Wileyto, Kevin Wilson, and Sydney Wise, with Virginia Vintson as the graduate curator. Curatorial interns are Kaitlyn Murray (Ursinus), Karthik Murugan and Caleb Beck (Downingtown East HS).
Di Giovine also collaborates with staff and faculty from other departments for this exhibition, including Thomas Haughey, associate professor of theatre and exhibits designer; Karen Watkins, associate professor of art + design and exhibition design consultant; Tom Pantazes and Hannah Glatt from the Office of Digital Learning and Innovation, and Stephanie Thompson, publications assistant in graphics and printing.
The exhibition, ‘Surrounded by the Spirits: Paul Stoller and the Songhay Journey Toward Wellbeing,’ runs through December 1, 2023.
For more information, visit wcupa.edu/SurroundedByTheSpirits.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and Microsoft Start.