BUCKHANNON, West Virginia — Sankofa: From Africa to Appalachia, a unique exhibit, opens at West Virginia Wesleyan College Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. The exhibit will be located in the lower-level Wesley Chapel space. 

Sponsored by WVWC’s Center for Cultural and International Affairs, with support from the WVWC Art Department and Sleeth Gallery, the exhibit will run through May 15 with hours by appointment. Email Laurie Goux, director of the WVWC CCIA, at goux.l@wvwc.edu or Crystal Brown, Sleeth Gallery director, at brown.c@wvwc.edu to schedule a showing. 

Guest performer Teli Shabu will be playing a Kora, an instrument similar to an African harp with an ancient history connecting it to the Old Mali Empire.

The lecutre will cover the Kora and Jali, both of which are Griot traditions of the Malinke people in West Africa. Participants will explore the Djembe culture of West Africa and will  play Djembes, supporting and relying on each other as they learn to hold down a multilayered traditional rhythm.

The Originally from Liberia, Africa, Shabu now makes his home in Applachia. Shabu grew up in a family performance ensemble and is an alum of the African American Dance Ensemble. He has traveled the United States and West Africa studying percussion and Kora with masters and was a previous recipient of the Emerging Artist Award. He is the artistic director of The Magic of African Rhythm which works to impart holistic cultural education based on the foundational concept that all arts are one. 

Khalil Woodward, a percussionist and Elkins, West Virginia, resident, will be conducting a drum circle and providing accompaniment.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for 135 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2026 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2026  Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan second in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and counseling; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.