We’re going full circle. Fifty years after we went to Sierra Leone to give of ourselves as Peace Corps Volunteers and received so much more than we could ever give, we’re giving back to Mama Salone in our own small way by donating our African collection to museums. We thank the National Peace Corps Association, Nasher Museum of Art, UNC, and NC Museum of Art for telling our story in these articles:
- Africa in the Attic – this story by David Jarmul appeared in Worldview, a publication of the National Peace Corps Association
- A Personal Gift: Celeste and Reginald Hodges Share 27 Works of West African Art to Nasher – by the Nasher
- Celebrating a Significant Gift of African Art – by the NCMA
- Creating a Destination for African Art – by the UNC Campaign for Carolina
- Strengthening Our Knowledge of Other Worldviews – by the NCMA
- Facebook posts by the Gregg showing our donations: Krio dress, Kola gara cloth, Bundu Mask, Indigo gara cloth,
A couple of photos, then and now:
Celeste and Reggie in front of Reggie’s Peace Corps house soon after we met. Sembehun, Sierra Leone, 1969. We loved our years in Sierra Leone and were much happier than we appear.
#PeaceCorpsProud
Fifty years later, in 2019, at the NC Museum of Art with some of the items we donated: a Goboi headpiece, Bundu masks, a Gongoli mask, and a carving of four people seated on a stool.
Photo courtesy of North Carolina Museum of Art; Christopher Ciccone, photographer.
reggieceleste.com 