Art Museum
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed Sunday & Monday
Admission: Free
Centennial Complex
2111 East Willett Drive
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-6622
Email: uwartmus@uwyo.edu
Friends, Chicago Galleries
For John and Pam Finley, African art, specifically from West Africa, captured their
imagination because of the objects’ cultural significance and aesthetic beauty. For
example, many were created to teach morals or provide protection and safety. The
Finley’s collection includes ceremonial figures, weapons, drums, and masks, made from
a variety of mediums such as wood, shell, and ivory. Recognizing the influence that
African art has on folk art, the Finleys began adding contemporary folk art from New
Orleans, Mrs. Finley’s hometown. Together, the African objects and the folk art reflect
and showcase the Finley’s collecting perspective.
The Finley’s placed their collection of almost 200 objects on long-term loan with
the University of Wyoming Art Museum in 2011. The Art Museum has existing collections
of ethnographic and folk art objects, including Papua New Guinea, Native American,
and Rapa Nui objects.
The John and Pam Finley Collection of African and Folk Art is the first exhibition at the University of Wyoming drawn from their collection
and will feature both West African and folk art objects, presented together in the
spirit of the way they were collected.
Images:
Left: Mose Tolliver (American, 1919-2006), Man with a Walking Cane, n.d., acrylic on panel, 32 ½ x 17 ¾ inches. On Loan from The Finley Collection. T2011.12.158
Right: Religious Figure (Asante people – Ghana), wood and glass beads, 14 ½ x 4 ¾ inches, on loan from the John and Pam Finley Collection of African and Folk Art, T2011.12.74
Art Museum
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed Sunday & Monday
Admission: Free
Centennial Complex
2111 East Willett Drive
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-6622
Email: uwartmus@uwyo.edu