Art Adventure: Kpele Kpele Masks

The Art Adventure Program through the Minneapolis Institute of Art introduces K-6 students to works of art from a variety of cultures. Trained school volunteers visit classrooms with posters of art relating to a common theme, such as animals, celebrations, or relationships

The kpele kpele mask represents the junior male element in a series of four mask types that appear in pairs in the Goli ceremony.The Goli dances are performed at elders' funerals and as village entertainment. The dance was introduced to the Baule by the neighboring Wan people around 1900. The four sets of dancers are symbols of the structure of society and the inter-relationships of men, women and the social order.

4th grade students used paper plates, raffia, egg cartons, and other mixed media for their masks.