Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts

Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, founded by Linda Goode Bryant, is a contemporary art museum located in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, showcasing the work of African American artists, such as Kerry James Marshall, Mickalene Thomas, and Kehinde Wiley, as well as artists from the African diaspora, including Chris Ofili, Yinka Shonibare, and Wangechi Mutu. The museum's mission is to promote social justice and cultural diversity through the exhibition of contemporary art from the African diaspora, in collaboration with institutions like the Studio Museum in Harlem, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum. The museum has also partnered with organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the Ford Foundation to support its programming.

● History

The museum was founded in 1999 by Linda Goode Bryant, a film producer and artist, with the goal of creating a platform for African American and African diasporan artists to showcase their work, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement. The museum's early years were marked by collaborations with artists like Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, and David Hammons, as well as institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Brooklyn Museum, and the New Museum. The museum has also been influenced by the work of curators like Thelma Golden, Lowery Stokes Sims, and Okwui Enwezor, who have played a significant role in shaping the museum's programming and exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and the Documenta exhibition.

● Collections

The museum's collection includes works by African American and African diasporan artists, such as Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Gordon Parks, as well as contemporary artists like Mark Bradford, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Henry Taylor. The collection also features works by artists from the Caribbean, such as Edouard Duval-Carrié and Sylvia Wong Lewis, and from Africa, including El Anatsui and Julie Mehretu. The museum has also acquired works from the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the High Museum of Art, and the National Museum of African Art, and has partnered with galleries like the Jack Shainman Gallery and the Pace Gallery to support its collection.

● Exhibitions

The museum has hosted numerous exhibitions featuring the work of African American and African diasporan artists, including solos shows by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Nari Ward, and Xenobia Bailey, as well as group exhibitions like the Freestyle exhibition, which featured works by artists like Kori Newkirk and Rashid Johnson. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the Tate Modern, the Centre Pompidou, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, to organize exhibitions like the Soul of a Nation exhibition, which showcased the work of African American artists from the 1960s and 1970s, including Barkley L. Hendricks and Emma Amos.

● Education and Programs

The museum offers a range of educational programs and workshops, including artist talks and panel discussions featuring artists like Theaster Gates and LaToya Ruby Frazier, as well as curators like Naomi Beckwith and Christine Y. Kim. The museum also partners with local schools and community organizations, such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Apollo Theater, to provide arts education programs and workshops for youth and adults, inspired by the Black Arts Movement and the Harlem Renaissance. The museum has also collaborated with institutions like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the National Museum of African American History and Culture to develop its educational programming.

● Location and Architecture

The museum is located in Brooklyn, New York City, in a building designed by architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed Central Park and the Brooklyn Museum. The museum's architecture is inspired by the African diasporan cultural heritage, with a design that reflects the history and culture of African American and African diasporan communities, including the Great Migration and the Civil Rights Movement. The museum is situated near other cultural institutions, such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the New York Transit Museum, and the Museum of Food and Drink, and is accessible by public transportation, including the New York City Subway and the Long Island Rail Road. Category:Art museums in New York City