This is the first in a series of blogs exploring our fall exhibition, Wari: Lords of the Ancient Andes, the first North American exhibition to explore the art of the Wari, a cosmopolitan society that existed in the Andes Mountains of Peru between 600 and 1000 AD and is widely regarded today as ancient Peru’s first empire.

The 2012–2013 VIVA! & Gala season launches on Friday, October 26 with a high-energy, interactive performance by Inca Son (Sound of the Inca). Audience members will have the unique chance to hear and see the traditional music, dance, and attire of an ancient Andean culture renowned for its vibrancy and sophistication.

Many departments and people within the museum are working together to get ready for Wari: Lords of the Ancient Andes. For instance, conservators and the curator are in constant collaboration to accomplish this goal. Between 600 and 1000, long before the Inca, the Wari forged a complex society widely regarded today as ancient Peru’s first empire.