The House of Women is a small community museum dedicated to the painted wall art tradition that defines Oualata. It has a collection of photographs, examples of the geometric motifs with explanations of their meanings, and sometimes demonstrations of the painting techniques by local women.
The museum is a good first stop before wandering the lanes on your own — understanding what the patterns mean transforms a walk through town from a vague sense of beauty into something you can actually read. Hours are informal; ask at your guesthouse about whether it's open and whether a guide is available.