The “Ethiopia at the Crossroads” exhibition that premiered at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has been named “Exhibition of the Year” by Apollo Magazine.Displaying historic Ethiopian artworks and artifacts alongside pieces by contemporary Ethiopian artists, the exhibition explored the interactions of art, culture, and spirituality within Ethiopia and throughout the region.“With ‘Ethiopia at the Crossroads’, the Walters Art Museum brought the largest exhibition of historic Ethiopian art and culture ever assembled outside the country to viewers in the United States,” Apollo Magazine wrote.The magazine’s writers added, “The exhibition has been a game changer, coinciding with a quarter century of growing interest in Ethiopian art and culture in North America. While previous international exhibitions have come and gone, this one is virtually permanent, living on in the Walters’ own growing collections and in the handsomely illustrated and well-researched catalogue that accompanied the show.”The exhibition offered an immersive and sensory experience, showcasing not just visual artworks, but also audio recordings and scratch-and-sniff cards carrying the scents of berbere spice, frankincense, and manuscript.Covering more than 1,750 years of history of Ethiopia and the surrounding region, pieces ranged from Aksumite coins and a folding processional icon depicting saints and other figures, to video installations and sculptural headdresses comprising civil rights imagery.Washington, D.C.-based Ethiopian-American artist Tsedaye Makonnen worked as a guest curator, helping provide cultural context.Christine Sciacca, curator of European Art from 300–1400 CE., as well as curator for the Ethiopia exhibition, also worked with two advisory committees to develop the exhibition through the lenses of academia and community.The exhibition was on view at the Walters from Dec. 3, 2023 through March 3, 2024. Later, it was on display at the Peabody Essex Museum from April 13 through July 7, 2024, and at the Toledo Museum of Art from Aug. 17 through Nov. 10, 2024.