Starting July 15, the Blacksmithing Museum (2 Šaltkalvių St., Klaipėda) opens its doors to cultural dialogue. Visitors will be treated to an exhibition of authentic ceremonial masks from the peoples of Africa and Oceania, drawn from the collection of Franciscan Father Leonardas Andriekus, OFM, which is housed in “Gallery 1252,” the art gallery of the Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi in Klaipėda, part of the Lithuanian Province of St. Casimir of the Order of Friars Minor.

The exhibition fosters a dialogue not only between different cultures, but also between different materials—wood and metal—and between two craft traditions united by human creativity, faith, and the language of symbols.

The ceremonial masks carved from wood by the peoples of Africa and Oceania were used during important moments in community life when it was necessary to establish a connection with the spiritual world: in initiation ceremonies, harvest festivals, and rituals honoring ancestors and promoting community reconciliation.

This exhibition is based on the collection assembled by Franciscan priest Leonardas Andriekus (1914–2003). A poet, cultural figure, longtime editor of the magazine *Aidai*, and patron of the arts, he believed throughout his life that art helps us understand people and builds bridges between different nations.