On Thursday, Feb. 24, the Community Council for the Arts is kicking off its first exhibition with a celebration of Black History Month. A Gallery Reception will begin at 5 p.m. and go until 7 p.m. in the Kenneth & Kristi Blizzard Gallery.

The CCA is located on 400 N. Queen Street in Kinston. The event is free and open to the public.

This special event joins the efforts of the African American Heritage Commission of Kinston and Lenoir County and the Community Council of the Arts, longtime community partners, in featuring the Dr. Pepper Worthington and Rev. Michael Gauker Warning African Artifact Collection.

The exhibit offers more than 100 masks, figurines, and paintings. Dr. Worthington donated these artifacts to the AAHC of Lenoir County. She and her husband, an archeologist, traveled throughout Africa from 1996 to 2011. The two collected the items that comprise this display during their visits.

“My husband and I talked about the paintings, wood carvings, and carefully crafted art, knowing their value lay within the artifacts themselves and in the eye of the beholder,” Dr. Worthington said. “These artifacts invite research and study as a part of their values for our Eastern NC wing of existence.”

Some places the couple traveled include Senegal, Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Egypt, Djibouti, Seychelles, Tanzania, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa, Cape Town, and Namibia.

We often speak of Africa as if that continent were a single nation. According to the United Nations, Africa is the home of 54 separate countries. The continent is home to 18 different ethnicities. Each group has its subcultures and languages. According to the World Atlas, the people of Africa have more than 2,000 distinct languages.

Artifacts in the collection on display from Tuesday, Feb. 22, through Saturday, Apr. 2, chiefly come from West Africa and East Africa. Seventeen countries comprise West Africa. In addition to African languages, the people of West Africa, depending on the country, speak English, French, and Portuguese.

A few empires that arose in West Africa since the sixth century include Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. Well-known West African cities include Timbuktu, Accra, Dakar, and Lagos. Chief trade items of the region are gold, salt, kola, and ivory.

East Africa is home to 19 countries that span both sides of the equator. Ethiopia is the best-known East African country. East Africans were avid traders who provided cloves, ivory, and gold. Addis Ababa is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. Nairobi is another famous city in that region of Africa.

During the free to the public reception on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, docents will be available to assist the viewing public in interpreting the artifacts. Additionally, those interested may arrange a docent-led during the exhibition by calling the Arts Center at (252) 527-2517.

Members of the African American Heritage Commission of Kinston & Lenoir County will be present at the reception to provide information about the acquisition of some of these artifacts and about the Commission.

The African American Heritage Commission of Kinston & Lenoir County, NC, Inc. was organized in 2015. The organization's mission is to preserve and promote African American history, historical sites, and artifacts and to spotlight African American contributions to the development of the arts and culture in Kinston and Lenoir County.

The Community Council for the Arts (CCA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in Kinston and Lenoir County more than 50 years ago. CCA is a regional center unifying community ties through exposure to the arts and providing rich cultural experiences while promoting tourism, economic development, and educational opportunities for all.

The Community Council for the Arts owns the most extensive collection of Public Art in North Carolina, including way-finding art, entranceway enhancements, and art documenting and celebrating the community's heritage. This collection of artworks, available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week, has been commissioned or purchased through a private donation, which established the restricted account, and through various grants.

Support for this exhibition comes from the Community Council of the Arts through the Grassroots Grant Program of the NC Arts Council, a state agency.

Make plans to visit this collection of artifacts.

Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.