This paper, a summary of a multi-carousel slide presentation, reviews literature on the cultures, religions, and art of African people. Before focusing on West Africa, highlights of the lifestyles, religions, and icons of non-maskmaking cultures of North, West and South African people are presented. Clarification of West African religious concepts of God, spirits, and magic and an examination of the forms and functions of ceremonial headgear (masks, helmets, and headpieces) and religious statues (ancestral figures, reliquaries, shrine figures, spirit statues, and fetishes) are made. An explanation of subject matter, styles, design principles, aesthetic concepts and criteria for criticism are presented in cultural context. Numerous examples illustrated similarities and differences in the world views of West African people and European Americans. The paper closes with a description of the influence of West African art on the art of Europe and Americas, and a listing of African-American artists who produce works in an Afro-centric genre. Western derivatives of African art listed include cubism and intellectual primitivism, emotional primitivism, subconscious primitivism, romantic primitivism, the child cult, primitivism in modern art, Dada, surrealism, expressionism and abstract expressionism, action painting, environmental art, Naif art, and the art of many listed artists in the Afro-centric area and in naive, visionary, intuitive, and folk art. A 16-item bibliography is included. (DK)