POLK COUNTY, Fla. — For about 50 years, a Lakeland couple has collected ceremonial art from Africa and Papua New Guinea, located off the coast of Australia.

• Ceremonial African, Oceanic art collection on display at Lakeland Museum
• Pieces collected from several countries in Africa by Dr. Alan and Linda Rich
• Couple has been collecting art pieces for about 50 years

The rare private collection is on display for the first time at the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College.  It’s called Spirits: Ritual and Ceremonial African and Oceanic Art from the Dr. Alan and Linda Rich Collection.

Dr. Alan Rich and his wife Linda have collected around 85 pieces of African and Oceanic ceremonial art since the 1960s. They received much of the cultural treasures as a gift for bringing much needed eye care to the rural tribal communities. An eye surgeon volunteering his time, Dr. Rich said he did numerous procedures including cataract surgeries and gave glasses to people who needed them. His wife, an occupational therapist, assisted wherever needed.

The artifacts are from several countries, including Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, Mali, and Papua New Guinea.

“We were in places where there were no tourists at all,” Linda said.

“The gifts that we’ve gotten we just love them.  They were just so much a part of the places we visited and the people we visited and such a wonderful reminder of their culture there,” Alan said. “Everything in here was used for a ceremony or ritual purpose.”

“Each piece is carved to summon a particular ancestor for a certain strength of that ancestor or for a particular animal for certain strengths of that animal,” Linda recalled.

Sometimes, they went to the market to trade for some of the artwork. Linda said they traded things like sunglasses, umbrellas, jeans, and baseball caps, items the people living in these communities did not have access to.

The Riches never imagined their collection would end up in a museum.

“We just thought our stuff was quite ordinary. We just see it everyday and get used to it and never thought these were, you know, wonderful enough pieces to have in an exhibition,” Alan said.

“It’s just been a magnificent installation by the museum staff,” Linda said.

The exhibition was the vision of the museum’s Executive Director Dr. Alex Rich, of no relation.

“I just thought it has such potential for us to be able to showcase works of art from areas of the globe that most people don’t have the opportunity to see, especially in Lakeland,” said Alex.

The private collection will be on display through January 26.

The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 - 5 p.m.  It is closed on Thanksgiving.  Admission is free.