ABOUT THE MUSEUM
Portland’s Museum of African Culture, founded in 1998, is the only museum in New England devoted exclusively to Sub-Saharan African art and culture. Our nationally recognized collection of 4,500 pieces dates back to 1600 AD. The museum collection and programs draws thousands of visitors each year and through the educational outreach program has reached more than one million people around the world. The museum offers demonstrations and discussions about traditional and contemporary art through its traveling exhibition.
The primary purpose of the museum’s mission is 1) education through the use of art, music, drama, literature, storytelling, spirituality, drumming and movement/dance, 2) preservation of it’s unique collection and 3) the celebration of diversity.
We have an outstanding and wonderful educational traveling program that comes with the museum director, Oscar Mokeme to visit schools all over Northern New England, community organizations, assisted living facilities, universities, any group that asks... and uses the art to educate specifically about the humanities, spirituality, philosophies and healing practices of African culture, as well as the universality of what the art communicates. In a world that is so technologically and materialistically oriented, he offers a very interactive experience of sights and smells and sounds and interactions that engage the audience bringing them into a world where art is culture, art is language and art is wisdom. He is particularly gifted in translating into western terms the African concepts embodied in the masks, explaining the complex and dynamic role of art in African societies.
As we move forward, the programming will become even more accessible through telecommunication. The Museum of African Culture’s goal is to impact every student in Maine by the time he or she graduates from high school, enriching each life through the art, and the celebration of diversity.
The steps we take in the next decade are vital for our future in developing our awareness and integration of each other in our globalize world. We need to honor our diverse cultures, sustain the integrity of our cultures as well as incorporate the differences and commonalities we share to best serve our changing world.