Lawrence, KS - On the crowded streets of Senegal's capital, Dakar, the image of one man can be found nearly everywhere: on the sides of vehicles, gracing the walls of businesses and homes, sanctifying places of prayer, and overlooking the toil of workers. He is saint, poet, and mystic Sheikh Amadou Bamba (1853-1927), the spiritual leader of four million Muslims in Senegal and thousands more around the globe. A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal - on view at the Spencer Museum of Art from Feb. 17 through May 20 - is the first major U.S. exhibition dedicated to Senegal, and the first to introduce audiences to the striking range of 20th-century Mouride arts. These include numerous portraits of Bamba in many media, large-scale popular murals and signs, intricate glass paintings, healing verses inscribed in stunning calligraphic styles, colorful textiles, and paintings by internationally recognized contemporary artists. Bamba was a Sufi, or Muslim mystic, who resisted French colonial oppression through pacifism. An influential Senegalese Sufi movement called the Mouride Way is grounded in his teachings about the dignity and sanctity of work. Mouridism is one of four Sufi movements in Senegal, and is one of the most distinctive aspects of contemporary Senegalese social life. Sufism is thought of as the mystical core of Islam, and the abundant images of Bamba convey the Saint's blessings to his followers. Though little known in the United States, Mouridism is a pervasive, positive influence in Senegal that contributes to the country's striking stability. The dynamic works of art in A Saint in the City, coupled with insights into Mouridism from the artists - whose words are written on the walls and heard on videos playing throughout the galleries - attest to the vibrancy of this artistic movement in Senegal and the devotion of those who create and appreciate these works. The exhibition includes images of lively murals by graffitist Papisto, a leading figure in the late 1980's youth movement known as Set-Setal. Inspired by a song about dignity, propriety, and cleanliness of the soul by famed Senegalese world musician Youssou N'Dour, thousands of youths took to the streets to protest lack of jobs. This dramatic demonstration was not a riot, but instead an effort to beautify public spaces by collecting trash and painting walls with icons of popular culture and Sufi saints. Street names were changed, colonial monuments replaced, and soon Dakar was pulsating with wall murals like those on display. A Saint in the City also traces the heritage of Islam in Africa, which dates to the eighth century CE, a mere 100 years after the death of Muhammad. Glass paintings by Mouride artists depict the shared stories of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and the sacrifice of Abraham, while objects such as talismans, articles of dress and adornment, and shrine pieces show the harmonious ways that Islamic precepts are interwoven with local forms and customs.