Museum of the African Diaspora

MoAD is far from my favorite museum, but wow — was I impressed! The space is modern and well-​utilized, the exhibits were thoughtfully curated and thought-​provoking; it may not be the biggest museum in the Bay Area, but it packs a powerful punch.

Amazing Museum! My partner and I went during Women’s Herstory month and all of the galleries had powerful stories and artwork designed by women of color. We even had a celebrity sighting and saw Tyra Banks walking in the art gallery! Too shy to ask for a selfie but so happy to see that folks were there to support this important work. We also saw Cheryl Patrice Derricotte giving a mini-​lecture about her work to a group of students. The work of Alison Saar and Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle is phenomenal. A must see for those who could use an uplifting narrative for women of color situated in their historical strength and power. Visit this space!!!

This is the first real comprehensive museum that went I to after Jewish and Yerba Buena. There was a three floors and a lot to take. $ 10 bucks for adults and $ 5 for students. Some powerful images of African people over the last several hundred years. Very profound to take it even if you aren’t an art major or creative field. I’m not sure if this museum is the best for kids cause there is strong material. But adults and other older people can and should certainly appreciate all this museum has to offer. Definitely worth the time and money to come here and check out all the exhibits.

Beautiful exhibits… purchased a membership. The staff is friendly. Went on a tour and the guide was exceptional. I’m very excited about the upcoming events. It was my first visit and I loved the spotlight on various Black artists. Very very good trip in an awesome location.

The staff is very friendly and informative. Beautiful museum but as others say, it is small but it’s nice being in a smaller museum… It makes it more intimate. I recommend going.

Check out their website to see what the exhibitions are before you go. It’s a small space and there are often events in some galleries.
I enjoyed my visit very much, even though one gallery was blocked off for a special event (though I got a discount on admission because of that, which is nice!). The variety of exhibits they’re able to cram into their small space without harming the quality is great. Definitely worth the visit and would pair well with the Contemporary Jewish Museum nearby.

I have a membership to the MOAD (Museum of African Diaspora). I am glad to see it reopen and the remodel of the location and space. MOAD is more of an art gallery to me than a museum like MOMA or the De Young. I am glad that the event programming is changing to be more inclusive of San Francisco’s diverse community. The Chef in Residence Series and the music and theater events are examples.

I stopped by for «Portraits and Other Likenesses» and was pleasantly surprised the exhibit contained works by both Kehinde Wiley and Kara Walker! The staff were more than inviting and I highly recommend visiting the museum if you have the chance.

I made this museum a required stop while I was in San Francisco for a few conferences, and I’m extremely glad that I got the change to be in this space. Yes, it’s perhaps not as big as other museums, but I’m from Brooklyn where the equivalent (MoCADA) is the size of a gallery space so I was appreciative of the 3 floors.
The folks who work here are incredibly helpful and friendly — don’t hesitate to ask them for help. I was delighted by the work on display when I visited and although I couldn’t take photos, I’m sure I’ll remember this chill experience for awhile.

The mere fact that this museum exists is reason enough for 4 stars. I’ve visited the MOAD several times since its inception in 2005, and I always enjoy myself. Sure, it’s small, but again, it is space reserved for us. And that, is huge.
Yesterday was my first visit since the recent renovation, and I brought my 65 year-​old mother with me. This was her first visit to the MOAD and first visit to a museum since a child in grade school here in San Francisco. She loved the museum and is looking forward to sharing her visit with family and friends. I am blessed to have shared those moments with her.

Came for the free MLK Day event. First time visiting since the renovation.
Pros: Love the new space! Great community engagement and lots of kid friendly activities.
Cons: It’s tiny. Limited collections on the second and third floor. First floor is just a gift shop. I don’t think the space is utilized all that well and we were able to see the entire thing in about 45 min… including a 20 min video.
I think with more art and better curated collections, this could really be a special place. I really wanted to get something from the gift shop too but it’s also really small and limited-​wish there were more art prints.
I’ll support MoAD for special events but I hope they really FILL the space they have, though small, with more artwork.

Went to the holiday party last night– had a wonderful time! Happy to see the museum is open (after renovations) and will return to check out the new exhibits.

This museum may be small, but so is the population of African Americans in San Francisco. I always enjoy my visits to this place because it displays the beauty of African people across the globe. I hope it expands in size. In the meantime, I appreciate the exhibits and can’t wait until it reopens after renovations.

Museums come big and small, but it doesn’t take away from the sentiment, the richness, the senses, or the heart.
We’ve all touched a little bit in schools on African American history and also World Civilizations, but rarely do we understand what we truly read and how big of an impact it was in developing American culture today.
Many Africans were brought here during the slave trade. As the years continued, slavery was eventually abolished and what was left were their descendants who never set foot on the African continent. All they knew was that America was their new home. So began the struggle to claim and assimilate into American culture.
Met with a huge amount of resistance, they still persevered and fought for equal rights, not only for blacks, but for all minorities alike.
With great leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. who took part in the Civil Rights movement and adopted Mahatma Gandhi’s approach of non-​violent protest, this opened many doors for awareness and equality. This is the beauty of what we have accomplished here in America.
This museum has a compilation of African art and history from not only America, but also from around the world.
A proud and noble display of the achievements and progression of African culture in different countries; here at MOAD, they recognize and put forth their defeats and their creations, their losses and their triumphs, and their sadness and their pride.
At this museum, they offer exhibitions that use projection screens, multimedia images, computers, talking walls, and interactive tables, not to mention the various artwork displayed throughout.
Admission is fair. Adults may enter for $ 10, children under 12 are free, or $ 5 otherwise.
Nice place to check out if you have the time!

I was quite disappointed when I arrived at the museum on Sunday, June 8, 2014 to find that the museum was closed. A sign in the door said it was closed for either remodeling of renovations. I had checked the website for the address and there was no mention of the museum being closed. I had also called to verify the museum opening time and there was no mention of the museum being closed on the recording either.

Wonderful place to take in the Cultral contributions of African Americans. The interactive artwork was awesome. There is a theatre room. You can select the movie you want to see from a variety if selections — namely related the our historical past. We watched the struggles if South Africa /​Nelson Mandela and blacks migration from the south to Muskegon Michigan. The search for a better life than picking cotton. Black men took jobs in factories which ended up a different type of slavery. It was very intense. Narrated by people who lived it. Highly recommend a visit.

Came here after finding the nearby SFMOMA closed. (Hint: SFMOMA is closed on Wednesdays)
Boy, what a disappointment. Roxana L. wasn’t joking when she said it was small. When you walk in, the foyer and gift shop /​admissions desk is literally ½ of the museum area. My buddy and I paid our $ 5 admission, and went up the stairs. There’s a small conference room, a 25 seat theatre, and a dark (pitch black) room where you could listen to stories from former slaves. And. that’s it?
There was no 3^rd floor when we went — it was under renovations. Maybe that’s why the admission was $ 5 instead of $ 10.
My friend and I left scratching our heads. It was somewhat informative, but definitely not what I was looking for, even in terms of information. I do have a hard time recommending this place.

I’m all about sf and having all this awesome culture! This museum is okay but a little small! I don’t think I would really pay to visit. Thank goodness the library gives free tickets. My favorite part was the 2^nd floor where you learn about the music. Museum is nice, clean and well maintained.

I’m giving MoAD four stars for its potential. There is a definite need for MoAD and I hope that it continues to build on its permanent exhibits. Our visit also coincided with the temporary exhibit, Desert Jewels: North African Jewelry and Photography from the Xavier Guerrand-​Hermes Collection. The jewelry and photography were stunning.
Prior to our visit, I read through their website and viewed their online exhibits, and shared this with my 13yo. Our expectations were met. The staffer at the front desk was amazing. I would have loved to have had her provide a guided tour of the museum. She connected the dots for my 13yo. The Slavery Passages exhibit was powerful. The Celebrations: Ritual and Ceremony exhibit was a great introduction to the diaspora experience. It hit home that were are more alike than different.

I came here for the opening reception for their new exhibit, and I was really excited to view this museum because I love museums and I hadn’t been here before! We decided we’ll start at the top and work our way down.
Unfortunately, the top floor, the 3^rd floor, was closed off for the night, so we didn’t get a chance to see it. It could be awesome, but for now, we have no idea. The 2^nd floor was featuring the new exhibit. There was a massive room with live music, and historic movie posters on the walls, but not much else. I’m not sure if they moved out some of the exhibits for the party, but if not, it was very small! Also on the 2^nd floor, there were a few interactive exhibits (children’s activities), a movie screening room, and a cool transitioning-​portraits section in one room, but unfortunately, that’s it. It was just too small. We saw the entire 2^nd floor in about 10 minutes and we read every word on every sign, and examined everything there was to see.
There wasn’t really anything on the 1^st floor except for a gift shop. I don’t really have anything bad to say about this museum, I just wish it featured more. I really thought the patrons and staff were interesting and friendly. The building itself is really modern and interesting. I wish this museum the best and I hope it grows! I hope to visit it again and see the 3^rd floor and hopefully they will have more to see.

Yay for $ 5 admission even though I’m not a student.
Yay for the beautiful building that houses the museum.
Yay for the Celia Cruz video that made me want to dance.
Nay for not learning anything about African culture after spending half an hour in the museum.
Nay for the fact that there’s most of the museum consists of 1 exhibit and what I saw was a bunch of quilts that were pretty to look at but unimpressive and noneducational.