A Saint in the City presents the art and culture of Islamic West Africa through a dynamic popular religious movement in Senegal known as the Mouride Way, and in doing so encourages dialogue about Islam's commonalities as well as its multiple forms throughout the world. Inspired by the teachings of Sheikh Amadou Bamba, a Sufi pacifist, poet, and saint who lived from 1853 to 1927, Mourides have galvanized contemporary Senegal and its Diaspora through hard work and peaceful, steadfast devotion. The vibrant visual arts of Mourides provide a unique opportunity to examine the origins, impact, and varying perceptions of Islam and Sufism, Islam's mystical core.

A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal was organized and produced by the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, and curated by Dr. Mary Nooter Roberts and Dr. Allen F. Roberts in collaboration with Senegalese community leaders and artists in both Dakar and Los Angeles. It was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, promoting excellence in the humanities. Additional support was provided by the UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center