Artist Ken Thaiday Sr. will speak about his work on Friday, July 10 at 7:00 pm at the Kluge-Ruhe Collection. Thaiday was born on Erub (Darnley) Island in the Torres Strait in 1950. He learned the importance of traditional dance from his father. In 1987, Thaiday began making dance artifacts which have evolved over time into elaborate ‘dance machines’ with moveable parts. He is known for his beizams – shark dance headdresses, which are controlled by a string and pulley system, enabling the dancer to open and close the shark’s jaws.

The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia promotes learning about Australian Aboriginal art and culture through an integrated program of collection management, exhibition, education, research and publication.