Museum of the African Diaspora facts for kids
The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is a museum in San Francisco, California, documenting the history, art, and culture of the African diaspora. Their focus spans the migration of Africans across history, from the diaspora at the origin of human existence through the contemporary African Diaspora around the world. It is located at 685 Mission St. next to the St. Regis Museum Tower. The museum, and the building, opened in 2005. With a small staff of 12 (as of 2019), it primarily focuses on presenting the work of other institutions
History
MoAD was developed as part of a public/private partnership led by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. In 1999, the City of San Francisco created a mandate to include an African-American cultural presence in the last vacant parcel of Yerba Buena Gardens. San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown appointed a steering committee to determine the mission and scope of a cultural facility within the complex.
The African American Cultural Institute grew out of a research and development process that began in 2002. The new museum was renamed Museum of the African Diaspora to reflect a broadened scope and mission, and incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. The space was designed by the Freelon Group within the St. Regis Museum Tower, a 42-story skyscraper that apart from the museum consists of luxury condominiums and a five-star hotel. MoAD opened its doors in 2005.
Linda Harrison was appointed as the Executive Director of MoAD in November 2013. In June 2014, MoAD underwent a six-month renovation that created more gallery space and refreshed the museum's overall look. By October 2014, MoAD was named an official Smithsonian Affiliate. Harrison left MoAD in 2018 to head the Newark Museum in New Jersey.
The Original African Diaspora
Before 2014, when the MoAD revised its mission to center on contemporary art, the museum used to introduce visitors to the original African diaspora—the original movement of Homo sapiens (from the earliest human remains found in Africa)—to eventually all inhabited regions. The museum asks visitors "when did you first realize you are African?" The museum espouses the scientifically accepted idea of panethnicity, wherein all humans have a common African origin.
Past exhibitions
| Exhibition | Date |
|---|---|
| Let Your Motto Be Resistance | April 04, 2009 – June 14, 2009 |
| The Art of Richard Mayhew | October 10, 2009 – March 07, 2010 |
| African Continuum | April 20, 2010 – September 26, 2010 |
| Art/Object: Re-Contextualizing African Art | October 07, 2010 – January 17, 2011 |
| Textual Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition, Contemporary African American Quilts | January 27, 2011 – April 24, 2011 |
| From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden | May 06, 2011 – July 03, 2011 |
| Soulful Stitching: Patchwork Quilts by African (Siddis) in India | July 15, 2011 – September 25, 2011 |
| Collected: Stories of Acquisition and Reclamation | October 07, 2011 – March 04, 2012 |
| Choose Paint! Choose Abstraction!: Celebrating Bay Area Abstract Artists | March 22, 2012 – September 23, 2012 |
| Tuareg and Anima: Photographs of GRACE by Elisabeth Sunday | October 05, 2012 – January 21, 2013 |
| Desert Jewels: North African Jewelry and Photography from the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès Collection | October 05, 2012 – January 21, 2013 |
| The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, Where Art History Intersect | February 08, 2013 – May 19, 2013 |
| J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere: Sartorial Moments and the Nearness of Yesterday | June 20, 2013 – November 24, 2013 |
| Crosscurrents: Africa and Black Diasporas in Dialogue, 1960-1980 | December 05, 2013 – April 13, 2014 |
| Drapetomanía: Grupo Antillano and the Art of Afro-Cuba | December 01, 2014 – January 04, 2015 |
| The Art of Elizabeth Catlett | January 16, 2015 – April 05, 2105 |
| Lave Thomas: Beyond | December 03, 2014 – April 05, 2015 |
| Marie Johnson Calloway: Legacy of Color | February 04, 2015 – April 12, 2015 |
| Portraits and Other Likenesses from SFMOMA | May 08, 2015 – October 11, 2015 |
| Four Themes: Emerging Artist: Time Roseborough | November 11, 2015 – January 18, 2016 |
| Ghosts/Ships: Emerging Artists: Cheryl Patrice Derricotte | January 27, 2016 – April 03, 2016 |
| Alison Saar: Bearing | November 11, 2015 – April 03, 2016 |
| Who Among Us...The Art of Kenyatta A.C.Hinkle | November 11, 2015 – April 03, 2016 |
| Finding the I in Diaspora: From the MoAD Archives | November 11, 2015 – April 03, 2016 |
| The Grace Jones Project | April 27, 2016 – September 18, 2016 |
| Dandy Lion: (Re)Articulating Black Masculine Identity | April 27, 2016 – September 18, 2016 |
| Bayview Portraits by Byron Malik | October 16, 2016 – November 03, 2016 |
| Finding the 'I' in Diaspora Bayview Popup: From the MoAD archives | July 15, 2016 – November 03, 2016 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists Presents Nyame Brown: Classroom in Nevérÿon | October 26, 2016 – January 16, 2017 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists Presents Helina Metafaria: Home Free | January 25, 2017 – April 02, 2017 |
| Urban Africa | October 26, 2016 – April 02, 2017 |
| Where is Here | October 26, 2016 – April 02, 2017 |
| A Matter of Fact: Toyin Ojih Odutola | October 26, 2016 – April 02, 2017 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents Lili Bernard: Antebellum Appropriations | April 26, 2017 – June 25, 2017 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents Angie Keller: The Gladioli of El Carmen | July 05, 2017 – August 27, 2017 |
| Todd Gray: My life in the Bush with MJ and Iggy | April 26, 2017 – August 27, 2017 |
| The Ease of Fiction | April 26, 2017 – August 27, 2017 |
| Love or Confusion: Jimi Hendrix in 1967 | April 26, 2017 – August 27, 2017 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents Ebitenyefa Baralaye: Many Rooms | September 20, 2017 – November 26, 2017 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents Simone Bailey: Let There Be Darkness | December 06, 2017 – March 04, 2018 |
| Otra Mas': 40 Years of Carnaval in San Francsico | September 20, 2017 – March 04, 2018 |
| En Mas': Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean | September 20, 2017 – March 04, 2018 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents Andrew Wilson: Equivalencies: Abandoned Bodies | March 28, 2018 – June 03, 2018 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents summer mason: Gemini | June 20, 2018 – August 26, 2018 |
| Digitalia: Art & the Economy of Ideas | March 28, 2018 – August 26, 2018 |
| After the Thrill is Gone: Fashion, Politics and Culture in Contemporary South African Art | March 28, 2018 – August 26, 2018 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents Indira Allegra: B O D Y W A R P | September 19, 2018 – November 04, 2018 |
| MoAD Emerging Artists presents 5/5 Collective: black now(here) | November 11, 2018 – December 15, 2018 |
| I TOLD YOU WHO AM I: Shushan Tesfuzigta | September 19, 2018 – December 16, 2018 |
| Second Look, Twice: Selections from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation | September 19, 2018 – December 16, 2018 |
| Ficre Ghebreyesus: City with a River Running Through | September 19, 2018 – December 16, 2018 |
| Sadie Barnette: Phone Home | January 16, 2019 – April 14, 2019 |
| Black Refractions: Highlight from the Studio Museum in Harlem | January 16, 2019 – April 14, 2019 |
| Rodney Ewing: Longitude + Latitude | May 8, 2019 – June 23, 2019 |
Emerging Artists Program
The Emerging Artists Program at the Museum of the African Diaspora was launched concurrently with the celebration of the institution's 10th anniversary, and receives support from the Institute of Museum and Library services.
- Tim Roseborough and Cheryl Derricotte, 2015–2016
- Nyame Brown, Helina Metaferia, Lili Bernard, and Angie Keller, 2016–2017
