Raymond Silverman Professor U of M Affiliation(s) Museum Studies Program, Center for Afroamerican and African Studies PhD University of Washington

Scholarly interests include the interaction between West Africa and the cultures of the Middle East, the visual cultures of Africa, and museums. Current projects include working on a book manuscript dealing with contemporary icon production in the northern Ethiopian town of Axum. Professor Silverman is the Director of the Museum Studies Program.

Books:

Painting Ethiopia: The Life and Work of Qes Adamu Tesfaw, 2005, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History.

Ethiopia: Traditions of Creativity, 1999, Washington University Press.

Articles in journals:

"Gold and Silver at the Crossroads in Highland Ethiopia," with Neal Sobania. International Journal of Ethiopian Studies 1 (2) 2004.

"Mining a Mother Lode: Early European Travel Literature and the History of Precious Metalworking in Highland Ethiopia," with Neal Sobania. History in Africa 31 2004.

Articles in books:

"The Aroma of Milk, the Container, and the Body: a Borana Milk Container (gorfa)," F. Lamp, ed. See the Music, Hear the Dance: Rethinking African Art at The Baltimore Museum of Art, 2004, The Baltimore Museum of Art.

"Contemporary Pottery Production in Wolayta (Ethiopia)." C. Roy, ed. Clay and Fire: Pottery in Africa, 2000, School of Art and Art History, The University of Iowa.

"The Gods Wear Kente." D. Ross, ed. Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity, 1998, Los Angeles, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History.

Museum Projects:

"Painting Ethiopia: The Life and Work of Qes Adamu Tesfaw." UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History." March 6 – September 18, 2005.

"'Drinking the Word of God': Expressions of Faith and the Search for Well-Being in Two West African Communities." Michigan State University Museum. March 18, 2001 to January 20, 2002.

"African Connections: Perspectives on Collecting Culture," Michigan State University Museum. January 31 to September 3, 1999.

"Ethiopia: Traditions of Creativity." Michigan State University Museum. July 24 to December 16, 1994.