Michael W. Conner (Southern University, New Orleans, Louisiana)

Submitted:  Wed, 5 Sep 2001 10:41:35 -0400



Michael W. Conner
Curator and Associate Professor
M.A. Museum Studies and Cultural Preservation
Southern University at New Orleans
MPB B101B
6400 Press Drive
New Orleans, Louisiana  70126-0002  USA

phone:  (504) 286-5208
        (504) 284-5510
fax:    (504) 286-5296
e-mail: MWConner@Earthlink.net



My Ph.D. is in non-Western art, specifically, the art of Africa, Oceania,
and Pre-Colombian South America. I studied ceramics and traditional
Nigerian art at th e University of Ile-Ife, then moved to Bloomington,
Indiana to study with Roy Si eber. My M.A. thesis, "The Geometric Vision:
Arts of the Zulu," examined the significance of the personal object in
southern African art---a topic on which I spoke at the inaugural
ceremonies of the National Museum of African art, Smithsonian. My Ph.D.
dissertation: "The Art of the Jere and Maseko Ngoni of Malawi:1818-1964."

I have been instrumental in developing several African art related
interactive CDs, one of which is commercially available.  My experience
with the use of technology in teaching and exhibiting Africa art is
reflected in an article on 'Advanced Technology' in the Grove Encyclopedia
of African Art.

I co-edit and moderate the H-AfrArts Listserv/website sponsored by ACASA
and H-Net. I am presently the archivist and the President Pro Tem of
ACASA.  A career goal is to mount a major exhibition of Maravi art
(encompassing Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique).

I am Associate Professor and Curator at Southern University at New
Orleans, where I am helping found Louisiana's first graduate program in
Museum Studies and Cultural Preservation.  The state Board of Regents has
granted the program Conditional Approval, with course to begin Spring of
2002.