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| Cleveland African American Museum | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cleveland African American Museum |
| Established | 1953 |
| Location | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Type | History museum |
Cleveland African American Museum
The Cleveland African American Museum is a cultural institution in Cleveland, Ohio, dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history, art, and culture of African Americans. The museum connects exhibitions and programs to institutions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, Playhouse Square, and Cleveland Public Library while engaging with communities represented by organizations like the NAACP, National Urban League, and League of Women Voters. Its partnerships extend to universities and museums including Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Oberlin College, Kent State University, University of Akron, Smithsonian Institution, Studio Museum in Harlem, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The museum traces roots to mid-20th century initiatives linked to leaders such as Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. Du Bois, and local activists aligned with organizations like the NAACP, Urban League of Greater Cleveland, and the Cleveland Foundation. Early collections were influenced by collectors and scholars connected to Zora Neale Hurston, Alain Locke, Jacob Lawrence, and Romare Bearden, with acquisition support from patrons tied to Ford Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation. During the Civil Rights Movement, collaborations referenced events and figures including the Brown v. Board of Education decision, protests associated with Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and demonstrations in Cleveland contemporaneous with national movements such as the Selma to Montgomery marches and the work of Ella Baker. Subsequent decades saw exhibitions featuring themes from the Great Migration to local labor history tied to unions like the United Auto Workers and industrial shifts involving Standard Oil and the Cuyahoga River redevelopment. Affiliations expanded to curators and historians from institutions including Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Howard University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College.
The museum occupies a historic structure within neighborhoods connected to landmarks such as East 105th Street, University Circle, and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority corridors, near sites like Gund Arena and Progressive Field. The building’s design references architectural movements associated with architects comparable to Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and local firms whose works sit alongside Terminal Tower and Severance Hall. Renovations were supported by grants from entities including the National Endowment for the Arts, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and local preservationists tied to Cleveland Landmarks Commission. The site’s adaptive reuse narrative echoes projects like those at Ohio Theatre and Cleveland Arcade and reflects urban planning dialogues involving Cuyahoga County officials and agencies such as the National Park Service.
Collections encompass visual art, archival materials, and artifacts related to figures like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, and regional figures connected to Cleveland Browns sports heritage and music history tied to Sam Cooke, Raymond Evans, and local musicians associated with Cleveland International Film Festival programming. Art holdings include works by Jacob Lawrence, Winold Reiss, Faith Ringgold, Kara Walker, Betye Saar, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Lorna Simpson, Hank Willis Thomas, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Edmonia Lewis, Elijah Pierce, and Augusta Savage. The archives contain documents related to political leaders such as Carl B. Stokes, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Howard Metzenbaum, and activists like Fannie Lou Hamer, Stokely Carmichael, and Bayard Rustin. Temporary exhibitions have engaged themes from Harlem Renaissance cultural production to contemporary dialogues featuring artists associated with MoMA PS1, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum.
Programming includes school outreach aligned with curricula used by Cleveland Metropolitan School District, partnerships with higher education such as Case Western Reserve University School of Law and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and collaborations with community organizations like United Way of Greater Cleveland, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Public programs have featured speakers and performers connected to Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, and August Wilson celebrations, often presented alongside workshops with institutions like Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Clinic. Initiatives include oral-history projects using methodologies promoted by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and digitization efforts modeled on partnerships with Library of Congress and National Archives.
The museum operates under a board structure with trustees drawn from civic leaders, philanthropists, and cultural professionals linked to entities such as the Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, KeyBank Foundation, Edison International, and corporate partners including Sherwin-Williams, FirstEnergy, and Progressive Corporation. Funding streams combine charitable gifts, membership dues, and competitive awards from foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and government-support programs such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services and state arts councils. Governance practices reference nonprofit standards promoted by Independent Sector and accreditation benchmarks aligned with the American Alliance of Museums.
The museum is located in Cleveland, accessible via Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority bus and rail, and is near landmarks including Public Square, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, and West Side Market. Visitor amenities mirror policies at institutions like the Cleveland Botanical Garden and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, offering ticketed admission, guided tours, group bookings, and volunteer opportunities. Hours, exhibitions, and ticket information are coordinated with citywide cultural calendars such as those produced by Destination Cleveland and regional events like Cleveland International Film Festival and IngenuityFest.
Category:Museums in Cleveland Category:African-American museums