Mystery in Motion: African American Spirituality in Mardi Gras is an exhibition on view at the Louisiana State Museum’s Presbytère on Jackson Square through November 28, 2021.
Guest curators Kim Vaz-Deville, PhD, and Ron Bechet of Xavier University of Louisiana explore spirituality in Mardi Gras through the presentation of more than two dozen Black masking Indian suits, carnival costumes, and masking objects produced in New Orleans, juxtaposed with extraordinary African artifacts that are representative of the cultures, religions, and artistry that influenced their creation. These exceptional African objects are on loan from the collections of the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in Paris and the African Art Collections at Southern University at New Orleans.
This exhibition originated with oral histories conducted with New Orleans culture bearers immersed in Black masking traditions. is an exhibition on view at the Louisiana State Museum’s Presbytère on Jackson Square through November 28, 2021.
Guest curators Kim Vaz-Deville, PhD, and Ron Bechet of Xavier University of Louisiana explore spirituality in Mardi Gras through the presentation of more than two dozen Black masking Indian suits, carnival costumes, and masking objects produced in New Orleans, juxtaposed with extraordinary African artifacts that are representative of the cultures, religions, and artistry that influenced their creation. These exceptional African objects are on loan from the collections of the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in Paris and the African Art Collections at Southern University at New Orleans.
This exhibition originated with oral histories conducted with New Orleans culture bearers immersed in Black masking traditions.
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African Influence in Black Masking Traditions: A Conversation with Curators at the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac of Paris and Southern University at New Orleans
Kim Vaz-Deville
Scholars from the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac and SUNO and the guest curators of the current exhibition Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras discussed loaned artifacts from these institutions on display that highlight African and Caribbean influences on New Orleans carnival. Panelists explored how contemporary Black masking rituals build upon and reflect African spiritual practices and discuss the inspiration and collaborative process behind Mystery in Motion. A version of the exhibition will travel to the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in 2022, where curators will contextualize the Black masking traditions of New Orleans for European audiences.
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A Virtual Evening with the Curators: Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras
Kim Vaz-Deville
Celebrate the opening of the exhibition Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras, with guest curators Kim Vaz-Deville and Ron Bechet. The exhibition explores the history and diverse spiritual influences of Black masking traditions, including Black masking Indians, Baby Dolls, and skull and bone gangs, with more than two dozen suits and masking components displayed, along with African artifacts. The curators shared highlights from the exhibition and insights into the curatorial process in a conversation moderated by museum historian Karen Leathem.
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Fire in the Hole: Honoring Big Queen Kim Boutte with the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors
Kim Vaz-Deville
Hosted in connection with the Neighborhood Story Project, a night of stories and music with the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors was dedicated to Big Queen Kim Boutte, who was killed in August 2020. The tribe shared her life, history, and legacy, as well as discussed the importance of connecting to the power of the ancestors through masking and share insights from their book Fire in the Hole: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors. This program was hosted in connection with the exhibition Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras.
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Masculinity in Masking: Bonds and Rituals in Black Masking Traditions
Kim Vaz-Deville
In connection with St. Joseph’s Night, which falls on March 19 and honors the bonds of fathers and sons, three leaders of the Black masking tradition, Big Chief Shaka Zulu, Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr., and Big Chief Bruce Sunpie Barnes, discussed their ties to the culture and approaches to masking. In conversation with co-curators Ron Bechet and Kim Vaz-Deville, they explored how their practices celebrate Black men as leaders and spiritual practitioners, challenge assumptions, and create space for a lasting community in a changing city.
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Opening Blessing of "Mystery in Motion"
Kim Vaz-Deville
Opening Blessing of "Mystery in Motion"
Event Date: Sunday, February 14, 2021
In celebration of the opening of Mystery in Motion, join us for a virtual introduction and blessing of the exhibition. Guest curators Kim Vaz-Deville and Ron Bechet will lead a brief introduction followed by a blessing from Nana Sula Spirit, a Medicine Queen with the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors and Priestess of Mami Wata at the Temple of Light - Ile' de Coin-Coin in New Orleans, The Divine Prince Ty Emmecca am the Authentic Elegun Oloye Hoodoo Obeah Bokor and Big Chief of the Black Hawk Voodoo Black Masking Indians, and a prayer from Dr. Ansel Augustine, executive director of Cultural Diversity and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Washington and a member of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, Black Masking Indians.
About the Exhibition
Color, sound, and energy fill the streets on Mardi Gras. African Americans have long used this annual ritual to express Black spiritual traditions. “A lot of what takes place for me on that day is almost like an out-of-body experience,” says Big Chief Shaka Zulu of the Golden Feather Hunters. Spiritual themes drawn from African, Islamic, Native American, and European systems of belief are the focus of this exhibition on African American masking traditions, including Mardi Gras Indians, Baby Dolls, and skeletons.
Mardi Gras Indians constitute one of the most vibrant carnival practices in New Orleans. African American men, women, and children adorn themselves with hand-sewn creations of feathers, beads, rhinestones, sequins, and other materials. In tribes, or gangs, they roam their neighborhoods, far removed from parades and tourists. There, they encounter skeletons and Baby Dolls, both reviving a practice that dates back more than a century. Maskers in skeleton suits and papier-mâché skull heads—most prominently represented today by the North Side Skull and Bones Gang—are out and about by dawn, awakening revelers with warnings to “get your life right.” Baby Dolls follow in the footsteps of African American working-class women who defied social norms in baby-doll costumes beginning in the 1910s. This Mardi Gras tradition thrived for decades but faded in the late twentieth century, only to be resuscitated in recent years. Today, Black masking Indians, skeletons, and Baby Dolls, along with individual maskers and traditional krewes Oshun and Nefertiti, all incorporate spiritual themes from a variety of sources, creating a profound ritual grounded in community and shared experience.
Guest curators Kim Vaz-Deville and Ron Bechet of Xavier University of Louisiana bring this topic to life through the presentation of more than two dozen suits, costumes, and masking components juxtaposed with African artifacts on loan from Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac of Paris and Southern University at New Orleans. The exhibition will also feature several dozen photographs, video projections, and video stations showing interviews with culture bearers.
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Voodoo and Spirituality in Black Masking Traditions
Kim Vaz-Deville
This program explored spiritual connections and influence of Voodoo in Black Masking Traditions, moderated by curator Kim Vaz-Deville. Hosted in connection with the exhibition Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras, panelists shared how their spiritual practices have shaped their paths as Black masking Indians, parade members, and leaders in carnival traditions. Since at least the 1800s, Voodoo beliefs and rituals have been intertwined with Mardi Gras masking traditions. Panelists will explore how the history and legacy of Voodoo in New Orleans have influenced their practices as well as discuss how they incorporate contemporary spirituality into a carnival as current practitioners.
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Women in Black Masking Traditions
Kim Vaz-Deville
This program highlighted the contributions, creations, and leadership of women in Black masking traditions. Panelists Nana Sula Janet Evans, Cherice Harrison-Nelson, and Carol “Baby Doll Kit” Harris discussed their roles as spiritual leaders, Black masking Indians, and Baby Dolls in conversation with curator Kim Vaz-Deville. They explored how their practices celebrate tradition, challenge assumptions, and create space for women as leaders and creators within New Orleans traditions. This program was sponsored by the Friends of the Cabildo and offered in conjunction with the exhibition Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras.