African art displayed at community center

WARREN -- Rebecca Williams Community Center is introducing a Cultural Learning Arts Education Program that features a collection of African art and books.
An open house is planned for 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the learning center, 421 Main Ave. S.W.
The artistic display is on loan from Fritz and Maureen Schneider, formerly of Warren Shona Gallery. They have been assembling their collection over the past 18 years.
The Schneiders also have provided the beginnings of a library based on African history, with the loan of 50 volumes of books on African art and civilization.
"Africa really has a proud heritage and rich history," Schneider said. "This is a valuable opportunity that everyone should take to really get to know about African people and their way of life."
The artistic display provides information about natural resources, mineral wealth and Africa's urban centers. Participants will explore African dance, music, religion and art.
The learning center will promote attentiveness to societal differences, ethnicity awareness, different traditions and civilizations.
The Cultural Learning Arts Education Program will place the students in the center of this educational experience, organizers said. Students from local schools will eventually become tour guides, familiar with specific pieces of art, their origins and their uses. They also will learn about tribal and colonial boundaries.