National Museum of African American History and Culture

On March 9, the 2017 SFF Cohort had the privilege of meeting at the new National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Our afternoon consisted of a seminar providing an overview of the museum, guided tours of some of the museum’s highlights, and a question and answer session. Leading the afternoon were Dr. Rex Ellis, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the museum and Kinshasa Holman Conwill, the museum’s Deputy Director. It should be noted that Dr. Ellis was one of the first presenters to the Fellowship in its very first year, and that Ms. Conwill has presented to the group multiple times over the twenty years of the Fellowship’s existence. Their presentation provided great insight into the years of groundwork that led to the museum’s opening, and the ways in which the staff was able to engage the public with the NMAAHC during those years of waiting.

Assisting with the guided tour portions of the afternoon were Dr. Jacquelyn Serwer Chief Curator, Supervisory Curator of Art, Dr. Michele Gates Moresi, Supervisory Museum Curator of Collections, and Ms. Mary Elliot, Museum Specialist. These curators provided background information in their areas of expertise, expanding the Fellows’ understanding of what the museum has to offer. Because this visit took place on a weekday, the Fellows were able to observe the level of interaction that visitors have with the museum and its exhibits. Given the richness of the collections, it is easy to understand why the museum which opened in September, 2016, has already welcomed more than one million visitors.

Our afternoon concluded with a question and answer session which provided additional insight into the kinds of decision-making involved in building a museum and a permanent collection as well as the ongoing process of exhibition development. It was an exhilarating afternoon, and one all felt fortunate to have been part of.