Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)

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Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) Where the African Diaspora shapes contemporary art.

The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) showcases the history, art and the cultural richness that resulted from the dispersal of Africans throughout the world. By realizing our mission MoAD connects all people through our shared African heritage


With a robust schedule of exhibitions, education and public programs, MoAD generates and sustains a high level of public interest in and engagement among multigenerational and multicultural audiences both within and beyond the museum. MYMP Teen's Blog: http://moadyouth.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MoAD-Youth-Media/161349530586745

I’m still holding onto the joy of Saturday night.At this year’s Afropolitan Ball, our community came together at the Fer...
10/09/2026

I’m still holding onto the joy of Saturday night.

At this year’s Afropolitan Ball, our community came together at the Ferry Building and raised over $1 million for MoAD: for our exhibitions, our programs, and the artists of the African Diaspora at the heart of everything we do.

It was an honor to present the inaugural MoAD Vanguard Award to Dewey Crumpler, whose vision, teaching, and mentorship have shaped generations of Bay Area artists. Hearing him reflect on dreaming of a place like MoAD as a 16-year-old artist is something I will carry with me.

Thank you to our Co-Chairs Charles & Cheryl Ward, our Board Chair Eric McDonnell, Robin Washington, Key Jo Lee, and the entire MoAD team who made the evening possible. And to every artist, supporter, and friend who filled the room, including those who traveled from across the diaspora to be with us: MoAD is your museum too.

We are deeply grateful to our corporate sponsors: Salesforce, CommonSpirit Health, Kaiser Permanente, Backstrom McCarley Berry & Co., LLC and Acumen/Brandywine, CSAA Insurance Group, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation, Bivium Capital Partners, Dodge & Cox, FivePoint, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and Golden State Warriors.

Thank you as well to our Official W**e Sponsor, DAOU, and to our in-kind partners: Brown Napa Valley, Caviar Dream, Common Ground Spirits, Enelalma Tequila, The Ferry Building, Timbri Hotel, John Lee Ho**er Legacy Spirits, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

What a way to close our biggest Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week yet. Here’s to the museum we are building together.

Monetta White
CEO and Executive Director
Museum of the African Diaspora

Today is the final day of the third annual NEXUS: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week, and exhibitions across San Francisco and t...
10/04/2026

Today is the final day of the third annual NEXUS: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week, and exhibitions across San Francisco and the East Bay are open for one more day.

Make a day of it. Spend time with the work, bring someone who hasn’t been yet, and close out the week in community.

See exhibitions at 111 Minna Gallery, Art of Contemporary Africa, de Young Museum, YBCA, TnT Art Lab, San Francisco Public Library, Najee Tobin, Joyce Gordon Foundation of the Arts, Dawline-Jane Oni-Eseleh, Streetlight Gallery, K. Dollar-DickersonArt, and more, plus three shows on view here at MoAD.

Find the full list at the link in bio.

This weekend, six Open Studios across San Francisco and Oakland welcome you in as part of the third annual NEXUS: SF/Bay...
10/03/2026

This weekend, six Open Studios across San Francisco and Oakland welcome you in as part of the third annual NEXUS: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week.

Step inside the spaces where the work gets made. See new pieces and works in progress, meet the artists, and spend time with the creative community that makes the Bay what it is.

Open Studios run through Sunday, October 4, with Ashara Ekundayo at Artist As First Responder, TAYLORSMALLS, Traci Bartlow with Just BE, , Smokie Arce, and Ramekon Oarwisters.

Plan your visit at the link in bio.

Dear MoAD Community,This week, we reopen our doors and launch the third year of nexussfbay: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week. ...
10/01/2026

Dear MoAD Community,

This week, we reopen our doors and launch the third year of nexussfbay: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week. What began as a simple idea, bringing the region together around the full breadth of Black art in the Bay, has become something much bigger.

From September 30–October 4, 90+ Black artists and cultural leaders come together across 190+ exhibitions, open studios, talks, screenings, and performances.

There’s so much to do and explore this week, and I can’t wait to see you out there. Plan your calendar at the link in bio.

To every artist, partner, and supporter: thank you. Nexus works because people say yes to one another. Organizations open their doors, artists invite us into their studios, and our community shows up to discover something new. We are building something meaningful for this region together, and I’m so proud to do it alongside you.

OCTOBER EVENTS at MoAD | October 1st – October 22nd, 2026DOWNTOWN FIRST THURSDAYS @ MOAD (FREE)THU Oct 1 · 4:00 PM – 8:0...
09/30/2026

OCTOBER EVENTS at MoAD | October 1st – October 22nd, 2026
DOWNTOWN FIRST THURSDAYS @ MOAD (FREE)
THU Oct 1 · 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Downtown First Thursdays

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MOAD + YBCA PRESENT: The Nexus Party — Official Party of SF/Bay Area Black Art Week
THU Oct 1 · 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
YBCA

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MOAD + YBGF PRESENT: African Arts Festival (FREE)
SAT Oct 3 · 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Duniya Dance and Drum Company Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

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AFROPOLITAN BALL | SONIC LINEAGES: MoAD’s Signature Annual Gala
SAT Oct 3 · 6:00 PM – 11:30 PM
A.K.A Bijou🐆 Jihaari Terry

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MOAD MIX NEXUS EDITION: Keeping the Fire — Art, Resistance & the Black Panther Legacy
SUN Oct 4 · 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

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BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL: The Kwame Brathwaite Story — Film Screening & Discussion (FREE)
SUN Oct 4 · 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Kwame Brathwaite SFMOMA

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THRIVE @ MOAD: Free Community Day Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente (FREE)
SAT Oct 10 · 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Kaiser Permanente

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BOOK LAUNCH: Soul City, Oakland U.S.A. with Ken Light, Ishmael Reed & Lewis Watts (FREE)
SAT Oct 10 · 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

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FREEDOM: Essays with Zinzi Clemmons
THU Oct 15 · 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Zinzi Clemmons Litquake

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MOAD + YBGF PRESENT: Joe Bataan & MeloDious (FREE)
SAT Oct 17 · 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Joe Bataan MeloDious Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

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DOROTHY LAZARD: Behind the Desk at the Main
SAT Oct 17 · 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Dorothy Lazard Litquake

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NAFISSA THOMPSON-SPIRES: The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford
WED Oct 21 · 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Nafissa Thompson-Spires Litquake

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THE MAKERS SERIES with Dewey Crumpler and Lewis Watts
THU Oct 22 · 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Dewey Crumpler AIA San Francisco

Join us today from 4–7 PM at McMullen’s new flagship store on Maiden Lane for an exclusive trunk show with Dorian Webb.P...
09/30/2026

Join us today from 4–7 PM at McMullen’s new flagship store on Maiden Lane for an exclusive trunk show with Dorian Webb.

Presented in celebration of Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week, this evening marks a meaningful moment in a new chapter for McMullen. More than a new store, the Maiden Lane flagship store represents the evolution of a vision Sherri McMullen began nearly 20 years ago: a space where exceptional design, and particularly the work of Black creatives, receives the visibility and celebration it deserves.

We are honored to welcome Oakland-based fine jewelry designer Dorian Webb, a 2026 David Yurman GEM Awards finalist whose work is rooted in craftsmanship, heritage, and the art of adornment. Guests are invited to meet the designer, discover the collection in an intimate setting, and shop pieces before they reach the floor.

📍 135 Maiden Ln, San Francisco

Creative Growth is activating at Minnesota Street Project in San Francisco as part of Museum of the African Diaspora’s N...
09/30/2026

Creative Growth is activating at Minnesota Street Project in San Francisco as part of Museum of the African Diaspora’s NEXUS SF / Black Art Week (nexussfbay) throughout October.

This group exhibition brings together the work of 15 Black artists from Creative Growth. Rather than presenting a singular interpretation of Black artistic experience, the exhibition celebrates the distinct voices and lived perspectives of each participating artist.

📍 1275 Minnesota Street, Second Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107

🗓 Opening Reception: Saturday, October 3, 2026, 5–7 PM

Free and open to all, no advance registration required. ASL interpretation will be provided. The reception coincides with openings throughout Minnesota Street Project.

During nexussfbay, MoAD celebrates our dynamic arts and culture neighborhood in conjunction with Downtown First Thursday...
09/29/2026

During nexussfbay, MoAD celebrates our dynamic arts and culture neighborhood in conjunction with Downtown First Thursdays!

Join us this Thursday for FREE admission to the museum from 4–8pm, then head outside for the street party on Second Street between Market and Howard.

From 5–8pm, catch beats by DJ Taboo, plus light snacks and refreshments!

Simone Jacques, aka DJ Taboo, is a multifaceted artist, DJ, vibe curator, and creative director made in San Francisco’s Mission District. Shaped by her Haitian and Mexican roots and AfroLatina upbringing, her African Diasporic sound blends Bay Area bass, funk, oldies, freestyle, and R&B with Afrobeats, Baile funk, Perreo, and Salsa. Through her rhythms of resistance, she creates space for Black and brown bodies to move freely, building community one dance floor at a time.

While you’re here, explore our current exhibitions:
🖼️ Dewey Crumpler: Sonic Lineages
🖼️ After the Island: Ornament & Ceramic Practice in the Jamaican Diaspora, featuring Sharon Norwood, Jacqueline Bishop, and pj, presented in partnership with BAND and Gardiner Museum
🖼️ Dorian Reid: Calling All Cats

See you Thursday! Details at the link in bio.

Creators, Culture, and AI: Who Benefits?What does it mean to be a creator, but not a beneficiary?AI is being trained on ...
09/28/2026

Creators, Culture, and AI: Who Benefits?

What does it mean to be a creator, but not a beneficiary?

AI is being trained on an enormous body of human creativity, including the art, language, aesthetics, histories, and cultural expressions of communities that have long been left out of the economic benefits of tech innovation.

As part of Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week, this conversation looks at how the cultural production of underrepresented communities is shaping AI, who currently holds the power and value in this fast-moving landscape, and what needs to change so artists and cultural communities can actively participate in and benefit from what’s next.

Beyond the risks, the panel will also explore practical opportunities for artists, cultural orgs, funders, and tech leaders to help build a more equitable future.

Featuring:
🎙️ Devon Youngblood (Devon Youngblood (San Francisco Has [No] Culture)] Culture)), Moderator
🎙️ Damien McDuffie (Damien McDuffie | Technologist), Artist and Creative Technologist
🎙️ Safiya Jihan Adams (Safiya | AI Leadership & Adoption), Microsoft
🎙️ Dr. Faye-Marie Vassel (FM.Vassel 👩🏾‍🔬⇌👩🏾‍💻📚), Stanford HAI STEM Education, Equity, and Inclusion Postdoctoral Fellow

📍 111 Minna Gallery (111 Minna Gallery)
🗓️ Thursday, October 1 | 11 AM–2 PM | Light lunch, panel, audience Q&A, and networking

Art on view at 111 Minna: Kamal X - Killer Jazz: Black & Dangerous

Link in bio to RSVP.

Art eXodus: From North to South, The Coast. A dialogue between the Bay and LA mapping the lineage, memory, and forces th...
09/27/2026

Art eXodus: From North to South, The Coast.

A dialogue between the Bay and LA mapping the lineage, memory, and forces that shape Black artistic practice across the West Coast.

Four days of art, conversation, and community at Four One Nine, October 1–4, as part of NeXus Black Art Week.

THURS, OCT 1 | 12–6 PM
Opening day. At 4 PM, welcome remarks and the panel “Radical Collaboration: The Black Art Ecosystem” with AJ Girard, Adrian Burrell, Essence Harden, and Sandra Jackson-Dumont, introduced by Monetta White. We close with poetry by Dr. Nzinga and movement by Darrel Dunn and Monique Jonath.

FRI, OCT 2 | 12–5:30 PM
At 3 PM, “Creative Collecting” with Janine Barrois, Lyndon Barrois, Dr. Joy Simmons, and Paul David Henderson. At 4 PM, a performance reprise by Dr. Nzinga and Monique Jonath.

SAT, OCT 3 | 12–5 PM
Open gallery. Slow down and spend real time with the work.

SUN, OCT 4 | 11 AM–4 PM
Final day, plus a Closing Toast on the rooftop from 2–4 PM.

Featured Artists: Adrian Burrell (Adrian L. Burrell), Angela Hennessy (Angela Hennessy), Dr. Ayodele Nzinga (Ayodele Nzinga), Brandon Ruffin (Brandon Ruffin), Darrel Dunn (Darrél Friidom Dunn), David Huffman (David Huffman), Edgar Arceneaux (Edgar Arceneaux), Jasmine Narkita Wiley (Jasmine Narkita Wiley), Kenturah Davis (Kenturah Davis), L.W.D. / Victor Grandy, Mario Joyce (Mario Joyce), Micaiah Carter (Micaiah Carter), Monique Jonath (), Nya Serano (Nya), Rodney McMillian, Shinique Smith (Shinique Smith), Sidony O’Neal (Sidony O’Neal)

Presented by Jac Forbes Contemporary (Jacqueline 'Jac' Forbes) in collaboration with NeXus (nexussfbay) and MoAD (Museum of the African Diaspora).

Creative Production by Xavier Cunningham (X.R.C | Creative Producer • Dot Connector).

Made possible by our incredible partners at The Rose Hills Foundation, Sonya Yu, I N G R I D B E S T of , and Mezcal Amarás - Global.

We can’t wait to see you there 🖤

Address

685 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA
94105

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 8pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+14153587200

Website

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