Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton has been elected as co-chair of the board of trustees at the Africa Center (formerly the Museum for African Art). Clinton, who also serves as vice chairman of the Clinton Foundation, will succeed Ian Bruce Eichner. According to a statement from the Africa Center, Clinton’s current work “emphasizes improving global and domestic health, creating service opportunities and empowering the next generation of leaders.”
The center, which is located at One Museum Mile—or 1280 Fifth Avenue, at 110th Street—also announced a special affair for Saturday, September 20, a free, day-long “Meet the Africa Center” event that marks the first time the institution throws open its doors to the public (it will open permanently in late 2016). The event will celebrate all aspects of African culture, including an art installation by Nigerian artist Emeka Ognoh, performances by the Dance Theater of Harlem, and a musical presentation by Okay Africa. Attendees will also be able to learn about and sample African cuisine, participate in educational craft workshops, and hear African musicians and storytellers perform.
The daylong festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., will be followed by a private concert performance from 8 p.m. to midnight. The latter is a special edition of “Festival-in-Exile,” a solidarity event hosted in connection with the Timbuktu Renaissance Initiative. Participants will include Malian musicians including Amanar, Amkoullel, Rocky Dawuni, Salif Keïta, Samba Touré, and Vieux Farka Touré.
Among supporters of the festival are the Malian government, the Brookings Institution, Festival au Desert, US AIDS/Office of Transition Initiatives, and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.