SU College of Ag students to hold a Fashion Design Exhibit during the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s Art After Hours on Feb. 20, 2025
LASM and La Capitale (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated Host Appreciation Versus Appropriation: The Art of Ancient Egypt
Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Science's (CAHES) Fashion Merchandising, Design, and Textiles (FMDT) program, along with the SU Ag Center's Fashion and Business Laboratory (The FAB Lab), will present The Essence of Egypt, a pop-up exhibit on Feb. 20, 2025 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at The Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM).
The one-night exhibit will be a part of LASM’s Art After Hours. The exhibit will feature a collection of custom-made designs inspired by Ancient Egyptian culture, created and curated by Southern University Fashion Students Ja'Neice Allen, Amaya Johnson, Kennedy Phillips, Olivia White, and Kayla Youngblood under the direction of Dr. Samii Kennedy Benson, Chair of the CAHES Department of Human Sciences.
“We are honored and excited for our students to be a part of this event to showcase the talent and creativity that Southern has to offer,” expressed Dr. Kennedy Benson. “This opportunity not only highlights the artistry of these young designers in the making but also celebrates the beauty and cultural significance of Ancient Egyptian design,” she added.
This month’s LASM’s Art After Hours event will celebrate the museum’s yearlong exhibition, Discoveries on the Nile: Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and the Amin Egyptian Collection. The free event will include a panel discussion on Appreciation Versus Appropriation: The Art of Ancient Egypt, followed by a reception for the exhibition and the pop-up fashion design exhibit. The panel discussion and reception are generously sponsored by the La Capitale (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
The evening will start in the Adalié Brent Auditorium with a welcome from the La Capitale (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. The panel discussion on Appreciation Versus Appropriation will immediately follow the welcome and consist on a panel of experts in the field of art and Egypt. The panel will discuss how individuals and organizations can engage with ancient Egyptian culture in a way that is respectful and avoids appropriation.
The event’s panel of experts will include John Alleyne, Assistant Professor of Art and Program Leader of the Visual Arts program at Southern University and A&M College; Dr. Haitham Eid, Professor and Director of the Master of Arts in Museum Studies Program at Southern University at New Orleans; and Erika Witt, Director and Chief Curator of the Southern University in New Orleans Museum of Art.
After the panel discussion, visitors are invited to explore the exhibition along with LASM’s Ancient Egypt Gallery, which features a 2,300-year-old Ptolemaic-era mummy acquired into the LASM collection 60 years ago. Discoveries on the Nile, an exhibition in partnership with art collector Giovanni Amin, features certified reproductions of artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun and authentic Egyptian funeral masks.
Hors d'oeuvres and drinks will also be served in the Bert S. Turner Family Atrium, with music provided by Eric Whitfield. Admission to this event is open to the public and free of charge.
Discoveries on the Nile: Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and the Amin Egyptian Collection will be on view in The Republic Finance Gallery until September 1, 2025.
Learn more about the exhibition, the event, and future museum programming at lasm.org.
Information for this press release was provided from the release LASM and La Capitale (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated to Host Appreciation Versus Appropriation, The Art of Ancient Egypt by Marion Mayfield.