Smithsonian National Museum of African Art

The National Museum of African Art is the Smithsonian Institution's African art museum, located on the National Mall of the United States capital. Its collections include 9,000 works of traditional and contemporary African art from both Sub-Saharan and North Africa, 300,000 photographs, and 50,000 library volumes. It was the first institution dedicated to African art in the United States, and remains the largest collection. The Washington Post called the museum a mainstay in the international art world and the main venue for contemporary African art in the United States.nnThe museum was founded in 1964 by a Foreign Service officer and layman who bought African art objects in Germany and multiple houses in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in which to display them. The collection focused on traditional African art and an educational mission to teach black cultural heritage. To ensure the museum's longevity, the founder lobbied the national legislature to adopt the museum under the Smithsonian's auspices. It joined the Smithsonian in 1979 and became the National Museum of African Art two years later. A new, mostly underground museum building was completed in 1987, just off the National Mall and adjacent to other Smithsonian museums. It is among the Smithsonian's smallest museums.nnThe African art museum took a scholarly direction over the next twenty years, with less social programming. It collected traditional and contemporary works of historical importance. Exhibitions include works both internal and borrowed, and have ranged from solo artist to broad, survey shows. The museum hosts two to three temporary exhibitions and ten special events annually. Reviewers criticized the National Mall building's architecture, particularly its lack of natural light. The museum is scheduled for remodeling as part of the Smithsonian's upcoming South Mall project.

Much larger than it looks from the outside, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art boasts 3 stories of African art. The artwork ranges from contemporary art to the pieces you see in all of the text books. I would recommend for fans of art whether you are interested specifically in African art or not. You'll see beautiful, thought-provoking pieces and learn something along the way. If African art is a passion, be sure to check out this museum as it has the best collection in the world. There was a lot of renovation taking place while we were there. I can't imagine how great it will be once finished. It was already a beautifully appointed museum, very well laid out with very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

This is such a beautiful museum. I loved the theme based approach and the mixing of modern African art with historical pieces. Even though I live in DC I had last visited this museum about 15 years ago. The modernized approach of presenting their amazing collection will have me come back more regularly. Thank you

Beautiful beautiful beautiful... I love museums and this one has some of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever seen. It’s very sensory. With sounds and visuals the lighting all perfect. I could stay for hours. Not to mention the museums are free in DC, So that is a huge plus. It’s a place that keeps you interested at every turn. I took a few photos but there is much much more to see. If you are in the DC area I definitely suggest stopping by. Or dedicating at list one day of your trip to museum hop. The Smithsonian has a few different museums also a castle which is pretty cool as well! The museum was not crowded it’s a great place to take refuge on a hot day or a really cold day. They have bathrooms places to sit and usually a little cafe. Although food is not allowed in or around the exhibits.

It's smaller than the more popular Smithsonian museums at the National Mall, which is great for two reasons: no overcrowding and no need to hurry to see everything. The amount of exhibits is just right, so we didn't have art fatigue at the end of our visit.nnI particularly enjoyed the women-centered exhibitions - one on the talented female artists that are taking the continent by storm, and the other on the subject of gold and fashion in Senegal. The exhibits are pretty diverse, from Benin to Mozambique to Zambia. Just not sure if all African countries are represented.nnAdmission is free, this being a Smithsonian. There is a small gift shop but no cafe or restaurant. The space might seem small from the ground-level entrance, but note that the exhibitions are at the underground floors. The lowest floor connects directly to the Asian Art Gallery (aka Arthur Sackler Gallery), another Smithsonian museum. Better signage is needed since we weren't aware that we had stepped foot in another museum after wandering around the lowest floor.nnIf you have at least three hours, you can visit both museums in one go.