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Explore Global Cultures

Discover North Carolina’s only museum dedicated to the study of global cultures. Explore stories of humanity, from ancient archaeological sites to the celebrations and struggles of today. Learn about people from around the world through their everyday objects, ceremonial artifacts, and visual arts.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:30pm. Admission is free.

Upcoming Events

Oaxacan Huipil

Booth at Winston-Salem Symphony Ignite Family Series: Worldwide Playlist

February 5, 1:45-2:45pm

The Bioarchaeology of Rare Disease: A Framework for Considering Disability and Lived Experiences in the Past

February 10, 4pm

Bunkers and Museums: Demilitarizing Art in South Korea

February 16, 6pm

Recent News Stories

Recent Acquisitions on ExhibitJanuary 31, 2023
Hopi Artist Ramson Lomatewama to Visit the LamOctober 28, 2022
Seeking Participants for Day of the Dead Video InterviewsOctober 12, 2022

Explore the Collection with the Artifact of the Month

Puerto Rican Carnival MaskFebruary 2, 2023
Inuit Igloo ModelJanuary 3, 2023
Yoruba Eshu FigureDecember 1, 2022

Find a Craft Activity with Cultures Up Close

Native American Heritage Month: Make & Play the Bean GameNovember 22, 2022
Hispanic Heritage Month: Create a NichoOctober 14, 2022
Summer Fun: Make a Spinning TopJune 24, 2022

Stay in Touch

Receive updates on exhibits and events from the Lam Museum

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Jan 31

"New at the Lam: Recent Acquisitions" is officially open!
Learn more about the collections featured in the exhibit via the news 🔗 in our bio.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #newatthelam

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Jan 30

We had a great time at our Members Preview Party for "New at the Lam: Recent Acquisitions" on Friday! Our @salemacademy interns who helped curate the exhibit joined us as well.

Do you want an invite next time? Become a member today! Click the link in our bio.

#lammuseum #newatthelam #wakethearts

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Jan 27

The final stage of any exhibit installation... adjust the lights! "New at the Lam: Recent Acquisitions" officially opens on Tuesday!

#lammuseum #wakethearts

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Jan 24

This is the final week to see our "Living Arts of the Hopi" exhibit, which closes on Saturday. Don't miss it!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #HopiArt

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Jan 19

Our calendar of events through March has been confirmed! You can find more details via the Events Calendar 🔗 in our bio.

#lammuseum #wakethearts

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Jan 13

The Museum will be closed this weekend (Saturday through Monday) for #MartinLutherKingJrDay.

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Jan 11

Progress is being made! "New at the Lam: Recent Acquisitions" will include masks from #Guatemala; clothing and accessories from #Albania, #SaudiArabia, and #Mexico; and objects from #Nigeria.

#lammuseum #wakethearts

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Jan 6

We're starting to get ready for our next big exhibit! "New at the Lam: Recent Acquisitions" will open on January 31.

#lammuseum #wakethearts

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Jan 3

And, we're back! Ready to start the new year off with a new #ArtifactOfTheMonth. This #igloo model was made by a Labrador #Inuit craftsman more than 100 years ago and is one of many pieces in our #Moravian missionary collections. Moravian missionaries founded their first community in Labrador, Canada in 1770. These early missionaries distinguished themselves from their contemporaries by their knowledge of, and respect for, the Inuit language. Respecting indigenous crafts and languages was foundational to future Moravian missions in the Americas.

More Labrador missions were established over the next 150 years. This igloo model was likely made near the Moravian mission station at Makkovik, established in 1896. Missionaries regularly traveled between Moravian communities in the United States to lecture about the Inuit way of life and the mission’s influence. Lecturers used Inuit-made models to demonstrate elements of the culture, such as transportation, architecture, and clothing.

Moravian congregations in the United States were fascinated by Inuit architecture, especially the igloo. Igloos are temporary homes for the winter months. They are constructed of snow blocks arranged in a spiraling pattern, as the model demonstrates. This model also has a square cut out of the back so viewers can see the furnished interior. It is likely that the Inuit artists who created these models were interested in Western architecture as well. The Makkovik mission buildings arrived prefabricated, funded in part by the sale of handicrafts and souvenirs supplied by Inuit artists.

#lammuseum #labradorinuit #wakethearts #MuseumFromHome

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Dec 9

It's time for us to wrap things up for 2022! The Museum will be closed December 10 to January 2 for Winter Break. We hope you all have happy holidays, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!

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Dec 1

Our December #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a #Yoruba Eshu figure from #Nigeria. Eshu is a trickster deity, or orisha, in traditional Yoruba religion. As a trickster, Eshu enjoys confusion and is mischievous and unpredictable. Despite this, he ultimately works to promote order and harmony. He is responsible for both good and bad changes in life. As orisha of the crossroads, Eshu signifies possibilities and opportunities.

#Eshu also serves as a messenger between the mortal world of humans and the spiritual realm of orishas and ancestors. He enables communication with deities and delivers sacrifices to other orishas. Eshu shrine figures are often festooned with cowrie shells or money, as this one is, to convince him to deliver messages rather than play tricks. Eshu requires constant appeasement, which is why figures are commonly found in shrines or on domestic altars.

Eshu is often portrayed as having two faces, representing both trickery and opportunity and indicating watchfulness. Although generally referred to as “he,” Eshu has both masculine and feminine qualities that are often represented in the dual faces. On this figure, the second face is at the end of his distinctive long hairstyle.

With the arrival of Christian missionaries in Yorubaland, Eshu was conflated with the figure of Satan. In African Diaspora religions, Eshu became Elegba or Papa Legba. The significance of crossroads throughout the Diaspora is also tied to Eshu.

The Lam Museum frequently uses this figure to teach about African religions in Anthropology, Religion, and Art History courses at Wake Forest. Due to the failure of an original repair in the figure’s elaborate hairstyle, it must be repaired and stabilized before it can be exhibited or used in teaching again. We are currently raising money through our Conservation Fund to make these repairs.

#lammuseum #wakethearts

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Nov 22

The Museum will be closed Wednesday through Sunday for Thanksgiving. However, we have a new #CulturesUpClose post so you can have a new fun game to play over the long weekend. Visit the 🔗 in our bio.

#lammuseum #MuseumFromHome #beangame

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Nov 13

We had a great time yesterday with these incredible artists! ❤️

#lammuseum #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #wakethearts

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Nov 11

Tomorrow's Indigenous Artist Showcase will feature the works of four Indigenous artists and will include artist demonstrations, hands-on opportunities, and some works available for purchase. We hope to see you here!

#lammuseum #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #IndigenousArt #wakethearts

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Nov 10

Lunch & Learn: Hopi Arts is today at noon! Come hear from Hopi artist Ramson Lomatewama about his artwork. We hope to see you here!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #Hopi

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Nov 9

Don't miss tonight's poetry reading with Ramson Lomatewama and Lisa Samuels! Please note that this event will take place at Hanes Gallery, not the Lam Museum. You can find more info via the Events 🔗 in our bio. We hope to see you there!

#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #wakethearts #poetry

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Nov 8

In honor of #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth our November #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a Hopi Wedding Vase. Learn all about it (and how it is not in fact used in Hopi weddings) below.

#Hopi potters draw on traditions that go back more than one thousand years. Traditionally, Hopi pottery is made solely by women. This vase was made by Pauline Setalla (1930-), as indicated by her signature and a painted bear claw on the bottom. Setalla was raised in the Mishongnovi village on the Second Mesa. She learned pottery making techniques from her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Setalla’s pottery is made from native clay and formed using the traditional coil method. It is decorated with traditional designs using vegetal paints. Although she has retired from pottery making, some of her children are carrying on her legacy.

This type of vase is known as a wedding vase. The two spouts represent the two people being married with the handle unifying them. This style originated with Pueblo peoples, and today it is used ceremonially by eastern Pueblo people in New Mexico and the Navajo among others. For the Hopi, wedding vases are not used ceremonially, but have been adopted as an art form.

Hopi weddings can take years to complete. The culmination of the wedding takes place in the pre-dawn hours with the couple accompanied by their female relatives. The bride and groom kneel in front of bowls in which they pulverize yucca roots and mix them with warm water. Within the context of the ceremony, this mixture becomes a sacred substance. The mothers of the couple getting married then use the mixture to wash the bride and groom’s hair. While the hair is still wet, they briefly intertwine the couple’s hair uniting them and consummating the marriage.

Assistance with this post was provided by Hopi artist, poet, and educator Ramson Lomatewama.

#lammuseum #weddingvase #pottery #HopiPottery

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Nov 3

In celebration of #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth, we are bringing award-winning Hopi artist, poet, and educator Ramson Lomatewama to the @wfuniversity campus for a week-long residency November 7-12. Learn about the public events he'll participate in via the Events Calendar🔗 in our bio.

Ramson’s residency is sponsored by the @wfu_iac @wfuanthro @wfuenglish @wfuart and the Kenan Chair in the Humanities.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #Hopi #HopiArts

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