RAFFMA Collection of Ancient Egyptian Art Discussed in Lecture

The ancient Egyptians are known by many to have produced some of the most recognizable works of art and architecture in the ancient world. Eric Wells, a UCLA teaching associate, explored the magical and social beliefs that framed and influenced the creation of ancient Egyptian culture last month at RAFFMA, Cal State San Bernardino’s nationally recognized art museum. Wells’ free lecture, “Ancient Egyptian Art: The Magic of Representation,” focused specifically on pieces from the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art’s permanent ancient Egyptian collection. Egyptian art was not art for art’s sake. Wells’ lecture explained how acts of representation were imbued with magical properties and significance. An expert in Near East languages and cultures and a Ph.D. candidate, Wells is currently working on a catalog of the RAFFMA permanent collection of ancient Egyptian art. Focusing on ancient Egyptian art from the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom, this catalog will be released in the spring of 2015, in conjunction with a new exhibition. The museum is open Monday through Wednesday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and is closed Friday and Sunday. For more information, call 909-537-7373 or visit the RAFFMA website at http://raffma.csusb.edu.