By the time the slave castle known as Bunce Island closed in 1807, some 30,000 African men, women and children had already been sold into slavery in the West Indies and North America.

Bunce Island, which operated in Sierra Leone for nearly 140 years, was one of about 40 large commercial forts Europeans built on the coast of West Africa to facilitate the transatlantic slave trade, according to the Bunce Island Project, Friends of Sierra Leone, and efforts are under way to restore the site, which was declared a protected historic site in 1948.

To commemorate the official end of the slave trade in 1808, a series of Bunce Island exhibits were created. The I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium on the campus of South Carolina State University has borrowed one such exhibit and will display it in conjunction with a variety of African and Gullah art and artifacts at its newest installation, "Journey from Africa to Gullah," opening Thursday, Oct. 9.

"Slaves from that part of Africa came to South Carolina," said Ellen Zisholtz, director of the Stanback and exhibit curator. "There's a direct relation from that part of Africa to the Sea Islands of South Carolina."

A reception, which will be held from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Oct. 9, will be hosted by Anita Singleton Prather as Aunt Pearlie Sue of the Gullah Kinfolk; Emory S. Campbell, Gullah heritage commissioner and former executive director of Penn Center; and Ron Daise, author, historian and TV star of "Gullah Gullah Island." Special guest will be Thomalind Martin Polite, a S.C. State alumna and descendant of Priscilla, the slave girl whose lineage was traced seven generations to Thomalind of Charleston.

"Journey from Africa to Gullah" will begin with the Bunce Island exhibit and explore the connection between West Africa and the Gullah community of South Carolina. The Bunce Island exhibit, on loan from the College of Charleston, details the castle in Sierra Leone that was used to hold Africans before they were sent to slavery in the Lowcountry and depicts the story of Priscilla.

Zisholtz said her goal was to make this exhibit unique to the Stanback, so she sought out pieces from acquaintances and artists across the state and region to curate "Journey from Africa to Gullah," which showcases the unique relationship between Gullah and African art and artifacts. In addition to items on loan from the artists themselves, Stanback has borrowed works from the Penn Center, Red Piano Too Gallery, The Gallery, the Charleston Museum and Mary Inabinett Mack.

"Journey from Africa to Gullah" will feature the works of contemporary artists who are inspired by the Gullah and African cultures as well, including Al Davis, Charles Desaussure, Sam Doyle, Allen Fireall, Dr. Tolulope Filani, Cassandra Gillens, Floyd Gordon, Jonathan Green, Diane Britton Dunham, Alyne Harris, Hank Herring, William Johnson, Arianne King-Comer, Alan Laird, Richard Law, Judy Mooney, Geraldine Smith, Helen Stewart, Jery Bennett Taylor, Leo Twiggs, Luther Vann and Richard White. The Stanback gift shop will be a marketplace of books, prints of featured artwork and various commemorative items by the artists.

A genuine African elephant safari tent used for hunting the massive animals will be showcased from the Stanback's collection of African artifacts. Other items on display will include African sculptures, masks, batik paintings and cloth, just to name a few.

"This exhibit focuses on the wonderful artists that were influenced by Gullah culture," she said. "I hope that when (visitors) come, they get an appreciation of the importance, significance and richness of the Gullah culture, an understanding of the direct ties between Western Africa and South Carolina.

"In addition to that, we hope, through education and experiences, to help promote social justice and the end of modern slavery everywhere."

Entertainment for the evening will be provided by S.C. State Ujima Dancers and musicians. Other events scheduled for the opening include a Gullah feast created by Anita Singleton Prather, Sallie Ann Robinson (author of "Cooking the Gullah Way" and "Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way") and S.C. State's Joy from the Yard; a wine tasting; and telescopes set up for night sky viewing.

An accompanying planetarium show, "Decoding the Stars: Negro Spirituals and the Underground Railroad," presented by planetarium manager Dr. Elizabeth Mayo, will detail how coded language was used in Civil War-era songs to guide escaped slaves to freedom in the North. The most famous instance of this is "Follow the Drinking Gourd," which used the Big Dipper (the drinking gourd) as a guide for finding the North Star. Carl Westmoreland, curator and senior advisor to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, will present a forward to the program.

A series of lectures, workshops and performances titled "The Journey Continues" will begin at the opening reception and be held through November. These will include discussions on "Priscilla's Story" with Joseph Opala and Polite; a screening of the film, "Family Across the Sea, the Journey Back to Sierra Leone," with Campbell; and performances by Daise, Prather and the Gullah Kinfolk.

As a bonus, attendees will get a sneak preview of the next Stanback exhibition, "Introduction to the Life and Times of the Legendary Godfather of Soul, James Brown," which will open on Monday, Feb. 27, 2009.

For more information, call the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium at 803-536-7174. "Journey from Africa to Gullah" will be on display through Jan. 12, 2009.

• Oct. 9 -- 5:30-10 p.m. -- Opening reception. I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium.
  
  



• Oct. 16th -- 5:30 p.m. -- Screening: "Family Across the Sea, the Journey Back to Sierra Leone," with Emory S. Campbell. I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium.
  
  

• Oct. 23 -- 5:30 p.m. -- Performances about Gullah culture presented by Ron Daise. S.C. State Fine Arts Center Auditorium.
  
  



• Nov. 6 -- 5:30 p.m. -- Discussion: "Priscilla's Story," with Joseph Opala and Thomalind Martin Polite. I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium.
  
  



• Nov. 13 -- 7 p.m. -- Performances by Anita Singleton Prather, the Gullah Kinfolk and S.C. State faculty, staff and students. S.C. State Fine Arts Center Auditorium.
  
  



• Dec. 4 -- 5:30 p.m. -- Workshop: Basketmaking with Jery Bennett Taylor. Reservations required; space is limited. I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium.
  
  



• Dec. 4 -- 5:30 p.m. -- Workshop: Indigo art with Arian King-Comer. Reservations required; space is limited. I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium.
  
  

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