Smithsonian National Museum of African Art -Washington DC

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art -Washington DC

The National Museum of African Art is a museum that is part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.. Located on the National Mall, the museum specializes in African art and culture. It was established as a private museum in 1964, and officially became a part of the Smithsonian Institution in August 1979.

The museum's main entrance is situated off the gardens in front of the Smithsonian Castle on Independence Avenue Southwest. The National Museum of African Art is an underground museum with subterranean connections with the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art.

Artwork in the museum comes from all parts of Africa, but most of it is from the region south of the Sahara. Represented countries include Mali, Cameroon,Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Ghana, and Morocco, among others. Most of the items in the collection are sculptures, masks, furniture, and musical instruments made from wood.

The roots of the museum date back to a chance purchase of a $15 carving of the Yoruba people by Warren M. Robbins in Hamburg,Germany in the early 1960s. Robbins purchased another 32 pieces of African art a year later, and brought his collection with him when he returned to the United States, putting them on display at his home in Washington, D.C. After a newspaper article was published about his collection, visitors started appearing at the door and were welcomed in to view the works.

In 1963, Robbins purchased half of a home at 316-18 A Street Northeast that had been the residence of abolitionist Frederick Douglassfrom 1871 to 1877. When it opened in May 1964, it was the first museum in the United States dedicated to African art exclusively. In succeeding years, Robbins raised money to acquire the remaining half of the Douglass house, naming it the Museum of African Art. As the collection grew, he purchased adjoining residences, with his museum ultimately including nine townhouses, 16 garages and two carriage houses.^[

In 1979, Congress agreed to have the Smithsonian Institution assume management of the collection. Robbins served as the museum's first director, remaining in the position until 1983 when he was named founding director emeritus and a Smithsonian senior scholar, and replaced as director by Sylvia H. Williams. The museum relocated from its Capitol Hill townhouse to the National Mall on September 1987, and was renamed the National Museum of African Art.

Current Exhibitions

Hours and admission
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily except December 25; admission is free

Contacting us
National Museum of African Art Smithsonian Institution
P.O. Box 37012    MRC 708
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202.633.4600
202.357.4879 (fax)
nmafaweb@si.edu

Afro-Brazilian Museum - Salvador Brazil

Afro-Brazilian Museum - Salvador Brazil

Created in the 70s, from a cultural cooperation program between Brazil and African countriesand the development of thematic studies on the african-Brazilian, Afro-Brazilian Museum was inaugurated on January 7, 1982, in historic building, the old center of Salvador, built on the sitewhere he ran the Royal College of Jesuits of the sixteenth to the eighteenth century and later, in 1808, the first Medical School in Brazil.

The Museum is the result of an agreement between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education and Culture, the State Government of Bahia, the City of Salvador and the Federal University of Bahia, an organ which is found on through the Center for African Studies East (CEAO). The latter was the executor of the program that gave rise to the Museum and is stillresponsible for its maintenance. Its creation corresponded to the wishes of the existence of an area of ​​collection, preservation and dissemination of collections relating to African cultures andafrican-Brazilian, with the aim of strengthening relations with Africa and understand the importance of this continent in promoting Brazilian culture, for Furthermore, contacts with the local community.

The original design of 1974, designed by anthropologist and photographer Pierre Verger, was developed by architect Oswald and Jacyra etnolinguista Yeda Pessoa de Castro, among other teachers and researchers at the Federal University of Bahia and external consultants. Between the years 1997 and 1999 MAFRA went through a process of renovation of its exposure.

In addition to its educational program, the Museum is also continuously required for official visitsof Heads of State and / or their representatives, as well as intellectuals and researchers relatedto African cultures and african-Brazilian. Through its collection, supports publications and alsothe production of television programs and movies.

Click Here for Exhibits

MAFRO Hours:

Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Weekends and holidays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Address & Contact Information:

Address: Terreiro de Jesus / Former School of Medicine complex
Historic Downtown Salvador (Centro Histórico)
Salvador - BA
Phone: 55-71-3321-2013
Fax: 55-71-3321-2013
www.mafro.ceao.ufba.br

Admission :

Admission valid to MAFRO (ground floor) and the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (downstairs)
Adults: R$5
Kids 6-12: R$2,50
Students (with ID card): R$2,50

National Museum Accra Ghana

National Museum Accra Ghana

Objects  of archeology, ethnography as well as fine art find place in the National Museum  building.

Objects  at the archeology section range from the stone age period to the recent  historical past. Those on permanent exhibition at the ethnography gallery include chief’s regalia, indigenous Ghanian musical instruments, gold-weights,  beads, traditional textiles, stools and pottery.

 There are also objects from  other African countries acquired through exchange. Examples are Senfu masks from  La Cote D’ Ivoire, Zulu wooden figures and bead-ware from Southern Africa.

In  addition there are also ancient Ife bronze heads from Nigeria and Bushongo  carvings from the Congo. Exhibits at the small but impressive art gallery consist mainly of contemporary Ghanian paintings executed in oil, pasted,  acrylic, watercolour and collages.

Apart  from these there are sculpture pieces in different media

Temporary  exhibitions are held not only by the National Museum but also by individuals  and foreign embassies.

Guided  tours are provided and films on some aspects of Ghanian culture are shown

by the staff of the Education Section.

It is more than our wish that every guest, while enjoying his or her visit to  the National Museum, adds some more knowledge to what he or she might have already about Ghana’s material cultural heritage.

Telephone:	00233-021-221633
	00233-021-221635
E-mail:	gmmb-acc@africaonline.com.gh

Address:

National Museum Accra

Barnes Road

P.O. box GP 3343

Accra, Ghana

Visiting hours: Daily  from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Christmas day Fee: 6 Ghana Cedis

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum - Houston Texas

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum -Houston Texas

Exhibit Hours:
Monday – Friday
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturday
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

General Admission:
$5.00 per adult
$3.00 per student

Museum Bookings Allow the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum to assist you with planning your next meeting, social outing, or business networking event. For more information call
(713) 942-8920 or send us an e-mail at info@buffalosoldiermuseum.com

Brief History

The Beginning

African Americans have served proudly in every great American war. In 1866, through an act of Congress, legislation was adopted to create six all African American Army units. The units were identified as the 9th and 10th cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st infantry regiments. The four infantry regiments were later reorganized to form the 24th and 25th infantry regiments.
These fighting men represented the first Black professional soldiers in a peacetime army. The recruits came from varied backgrounds including former slaves and veterans from service in the Civil War.

The Nickname

The nickname buffalo soldiers began with the Cheyenne warriors in 1867. The actual Cheyenne translation was Wild Buffalo. The nickname was given out of respect and the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry. Overtime, Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African American soldiers. 

 

Houston Museum of African American Culture

Houston Museum of African American Culture

4807 Caroline Street  Houston, TX 77004-5607

Phone: 713.526.1015

Current Exhibits click here

The mission of HMAAC is to collect, conserve, explore, interpret, and exhibit the material and intellectual culture of Africans and African Americans in Houston, the state of Texas, the southwest and the African Diaspora for current and future generations. In fulfilling its mission, HMAAC seeks to invite and engage visitors of every race and background and to inspire children of all ages through discovery-driven learning.

HMAAC is to be a museum for all people. While our focus is the African American experience, our story in Texas informs and includes not only people of color, but people of all colors. As a result, the stories and exhibitions that HMAAC will bring to Texas are about the indisputable fact that while our experience is a unique one, it has been impacted by numerous races, genders and ethnicities.

HMAAC’s new home at 4807 Caroline is targeted to be renovated and opened to the public in 2012

THE DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY - Chicago IL

THE DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN history

MuSEUM HOURS

Holiday Schedule:
Closing at 1:00 pm on December 24 & 31
December 26 & January 2 (Closed)

Tuesday—Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sunday, Noon–5:00 p.m. (Closed Mondays)
Closed Christmas & New Years Day
Admission Information

MUS EUM LOCATION

740 East 56th Place

Chicago, Illinois 60637

Current Exhibits

History:

The DuSable Museum of African American History located in the historic Hyde Park area of Chicago at 740 East 56th Place (57th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue) in Washington Park unites art, history and culture.

Founded in 1961 by teacher and art historian Dr. Margaret Burroughs and other leading Chicago citizens, the DuSable Museum is one of the few independent institutions of its kind in the United States. Developed to preserve and interpret the experiences and achievements of people of African descent, it is dedicated to the collection, documentation, preservation and study of the history and culture of Africans and African Americans. The DuSable Museum is proud of its diverse holdings that number more than 15,000 pieces and include paintings, sculpture, print works and historical memorabilia. Special exhibitions, workshops and lectures are featured to highlight works by specific artists, historic events or collections on loan from individuals or institutions.

Chicago is a city rich in African-American History and the Museum is named for Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a Haitian of African and French descent, who in 1779 established the trading post and permanent settlement which would become known as… Chicago.

Permanent exhibits at the DuSable Museum include: “A Slow Walk to Greatness: The Harold Washington Story,“ “Paintings / Drawings / Sculptures: Masterpieces from the DuSable Museum Collection,“ “Red, White, Blue & Black: A History of Blacks in the Armed Forces“ and “Africa Speaks.” Programming for families and children includes musical performances, film festivals, arts and crafts workshops, lectures, book signings, and special events.

The DuSable Museum remains a community institution dedicated to serving the cultural and educational needs of our members. Our research, curatorial and educational divisions are committed to listening and responding to these needs, as well as the ever-increasing demands of art and cultural historians, and patrons nationwide.

The John G. Riley Center/Museum of African American History and Culture - Tallahassee Florida

The John G. Riley Center/Museum of African American History and Culture -Tallahassee Florida

419 East Jefferson Street • Tallahassee, Florida 32301 • (850) 681-7881
HOURS OF OPERATION:
Monday thru Friday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Current Exhibits

The Riley House - A Community Museum and Educational Center

The Riley House is a historical and cultural gem that sits at the bottom of a hill in downtown Tallahassee, at the corner of Meridian and Jefferson Streets.

Nestled among beautiful shade trees, the John G. Riley historic home represents the thriving black neighborhood that once existed in what is just east of downtown Tallahassee. The Riley House is especially significant when compared to other such historical sites in that it is the last vestige we have of the accomplishments of an entire group of people, the black middle class, which emerged in the latter part of the nineteenth century.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the area just east of downtown Tallahassee and west of Myers Park Drive was an African American community called Smokey Hollow. According to the Tallahassee City Directory, published in 1904, there were five houses on Riley's block on Jefferson Street, all owned by black men. In 1919, there were six homeowners and they too were black. Several other homes, owned or rented by blacks, surrounded the Riley property, extending up College and Gadsden Streets. This situation changed in the 1950's, when plans for the Department of Transportation Building and the expansion of Apalachee Parkway encroached into the boundaries of the Smokey Hollow community. By 1978, only two houses remained, that of John Riley and John Hicks, a black tailor who lived across the street from Riley. Hicks died in the early 1970's and his home was purchased by Colmar Corporation for speculative purposes.

In 1978, through the efforts of local preservationists, the Riley House became the second house in Florida owned by a black person to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the first being the Mary McLeod Bethune house in Volusia County.

In 1995, a group of Tallahassee citizens established a museum at the Riley House dedicated to African-American history and culture. This facility draws more visitors and tourist into the area while providing a historically diverse attraction.

WHO WAS JOHN GILMORE RILEY?

John Gilmore Riley was born in 1857, when slavery was a way of life and educational pursuits for blacks were illegal. With the help of his Aunt Henrietta, Riley defied the law of the land and learned to read and write. Riley began his first teaching job in 1877 at a school in Wakulla County.
In 1881 he began teaching at Lincoln Academy, one of three freedmen schools built during the Reconstruction era in Florida to provide secondary instruction to blacks. In 1892 Riley became principal of the school until his retirement in 1926. In addition to his career as an educator, he also distinguished himself as a leader in business and was Grand High Priest of the Royal Arch Masons of Florida. John G. Riley died in 1954. The house that he built for his family in 1890 stands today as a testament to the rich, cultural heritage of African-Americans.

FOUNDERS
Many persons are to be thanked for playing a significant part in saving the Riley House. Among the notables are: Nancy Dobson, past executive director of the Tallahassee Historic Preservation Board, who documented the significance of the house and had it placed in the National Register of Historic Places; Attorney Robert Travis and Dean M.S. Thomas, who labored as Chairmen of the John G. Riley Foundation Board through restoration; other chairmen Leon Russell, Arthur Teele, Jr. and T.H. Poole; Attorney Jesse McCrary, who served as Secretary of State, and was a strong advocate for restoration of the house; and Dr. A.E. Teele, Sr., who developed the history of the Riley House and Professor Riley.

California African American Museum - Los Angeles

California African American Museum
600 State Drive- Exposition Park-Los Angeles California 90037
213-744-7432 Hours: Closed Monday Tue- Fri 10am-5pm, Sun. 11am to 5pm


Click Here for Current Exhibits

History

The museum opened in 1981, in temporary quarters at the California Museum of Science and Industry (now the California Science Center). The current facility was built with State and private funds of around $5 million. The museum was designed by the African–American architects Jack Haywood and (the late) Vince Proby. The new museum building opened to the public during the Los Angeles Olympic Games in July 1984. A major renovation occurred between 2001 and 2003.

]Description

The museum occupies a 44,000 square feet (4,100 m²) building. It includes three exhibition galleries, a theater gallery, a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m²) sculpture court, a conference center special events room, an archive and research library. Behind the scenes there are administration offices, exhibit design and artifact storage areas.

The California African American Museum (CAAM) exists to research, collect, preserve and interpret for public enrichment, the history, art and culture of African Americans. The museum conserves more than 3,500 objects of art, historical artifacts and memorabilia, and maintains a research library with more than 20,000 books and other reference materials available for limited public use.

The permanent collection includes paintings, photographs, sculpture and artifacts representing the diverse contributions of African Americans. The collection ranges from African art to 19th-century landscape. Along with its permanent collection, CAAM hosts specially mounted exhibitions curated out of its own collection, as well as traveling exhibitions from other museums. 

In addition, CAAM hosts independent and collaborative educational programs both on and off site of lectures, workshops, innovative programs, and hands-on activities that serve public and private school students, as well as museum patrons and community visitors of all ages.

CAAM is free and open to the public Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday 11am-5pm. Photography is not permitted inside the museum.]