National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

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National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Where anyone can learn about the arts, histories and cultures of Africa. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, except Dec. 25. Admission is always FREE.
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09/03/2026

📆 Save the Date:

· Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:30–8 p.m. | Author Talk

One of our recent publications is "Ethiopian Devotions." Edited by Marilyn E. Heldman and published posthumously, the book includes essays by notable scholars discussing various aspects of Ethiopian Orthodox church art, liturgical music, hagiographic traditions and architecture.

Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Denis Nosnitsin, Marie-Laure Derat, LaVerle Berry and the late Getachew Haile are among those featured, and the foreword is written by the National Museum of African Art’s Deputy Director Heran Sereke-Brhan.

Join us to hear from the authors in the spirit of celebrating Heldman’s work and legacy.

Learn more and register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ethiopian-devotions-book-launch-tickets-1998498470724?aff=erelpanelorg

📖 Heldman, M. E. "Ethiopian Devotions: Paintings, Illuminated Manuscripts, and Processional Crosses from the Fourteenth to the Twentieth Centuries." Smithsonian Books, 2025

09/01/2026

"Wind Sculpture VII" by contemporary British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE RA celebrates a decade with us on Dec. 3, 2026.

Leading up to the 10-year anniversary, we invite you to share your snapshots of "Wind Sculpture VII" on social media using the hashtags and . Maybe a group photo staged outside of our museum, a portrait of the sculpture in beautiful lighting, a selfie you took for your scrapbook—post a memory with "Wind Sculpture VII" that is meaningful to you.

Here are some of our favorite images through the seasons. ❄️🌷☀️🍂

At 20 feet tall, weighing 900lbs, “Wind Sculpture VII” is the first sculpture installed permanently in front of our museum. The generous support of Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi and Adebayo Ogunlesi and the Sakana Foundation made this significant acquisition possible.

It evokes the rippling sails of ships that carried Africans across the Atlantic and other oceans. Constructed from fiberglass, Shonibare’s gold-leaf wind sculpture suggests that the opening of the seas led not only to the slave trade and colonization, but also to the dynamic contributions of Africans and African heritage worldwide. Using vibrant colors, the artist celebrates the African people who have shaped the United States, Great Britain, and other nations of today and for the future.

Shonibare incorporates the patterns of textiles that are often called “African print” cloth. Based on Indonesian batiks and manufactured in the Netherlands and Great Britain, then named, worn, and sold across western Africa, these textiles speak to the global networks that link us all.

🎨 Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Wind Sculpture VII, 2016, Sculpture, Steel armature with hand-painted fiberglass resin cast and gold leaf, 609.6 × 304.8 cm, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Museum purchase with funds from Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi and Adebayo Ogunlesi and the Sakana Foundation, 2016-11-1

08/28/2026

Need weekend plans? Join us at the National Museum of African Art!

🎶 Tickets are going fast for our Sounds of Africa concert on Saturday, Aug. 29, with Son Cubano Subterraneo. The six-piece ensemble will perform son cubano, a musical style at the core of salsa music that blends elements of Spanish and African origin, as part of our series featuring music from the African diaspora.

🎨 And it's the final weekend to see our major exhibition "Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art," up through Sunday, Aug. 30. Based on years of dialogue with artists and their communities, the exhibition explores how LGBTQ+ artists from Africa and its diaspora are part of a larger, joyful story of African art history.

Plan your visit: https://africa.si.edu/plan-your-visit

📸 National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, 2026, Photo by Brad Simpson

08/24/2026

When is the last time you made a family video?

South African artist Zanele Muholi recorded the 2013 wedding of Ayanda Magolozo and Nhlanhla Moremi in the township of Katlehong, outside Johannesburg. Their family, friends and pastor came together to recognize and bless the union of these two women, and to set them off on a new path together.

Muholi, one of the most renowned photographers of our time, has worked to document and share the rituals and celebrations of their community of le****ns in South Africa.

Watch the full video in “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art.” Sunday, Aug. 30, is the last day to view this groundbreaking exhibition at the National Museum of African Art.

🎥 Zanele Muholi, “Ayanda & Nhlanhla Moremi’s Wedding, November 9, 2013," 2013, Video (still), 11:50 min., © Zanele Muholi, Courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York

08/19/2026

Can you believe it's already back-to-school season? We're marking the moment with our annual Teaching Africa Day on Saturday, Sept. 12, 1–5 p.m. Join us!

The full day of programming is designed to engage and increase students’ appreciation for the arts of Africa.

This year's theme is “Afrofuturism & Innovation: Imagining Africa’s Tomorrow.” Now in its 11th year, Teaching Africa Day provides a platform for educators, families and the DMV community to showcase books, films, games, programs and other resources on Africa and its rich and vibrant heritage in one place.

See the full schedule and reserve free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teaching-africaday-afrofuturism-innovation-imagining-africas-tomorrow-tickets-1996511188710?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/17/2026

This artwork bridges needlepoint, hieroglyphics, 1786 painting and stencil. It includes a re-colored rendition of Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art lithograph "Spray" (1962).

Artist Nicholas Moufarrege was born in Egypt to Lebanese parents then moved around before hitting his stride in New York. In this diptych, the image alongside the pop art piece brings together ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions, a doubled image of Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s 1786 painting "Le chiffre d’amour" (“The Souvenir”) and an apparently stenciled rendition of the artist’s nickname in English (his third language).

Moufarrege developed a unique style of embroidered paintings, as in this diptych, which brought images into radical juxtaposition.

See this work on view in “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art” through Aug. 30, 2026. Based on years of dialogue with African LGBTQ+ artists, this is the first survey of its scale outside of Africa.

🎨 Nicholas Moufarrege, Title Unknown, 1985, Thread, pre-printed needlepoint canvas, fabrics and needlepoint canvas, Diptych, each approx. 19 11/16 x 27 9/16 in., Courtesy of Nabil Moufarrej MD

08/14/2026

📆 Save the Date: On Saturday, Aug. 29, 7–10 p.m., the six-piece ensemble Son Cubano Subterraneo will perform at our museum!

Enjoy lively beats and dance the night away to son cubano, a musical style at the core of salsa music that blends elements of Spanish and African origin.

This concert is part of our ongoing Sounds of Africa concert series, which features music from the African diaspora. The series runs through October, bringing together a stellar lineup of artists who are pushing the boundaries of music from Africa while honoring its roots.

Learn more and reserve your free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sounds-of-africa-concert-featuring-son-cubano-subterraneo-tickets-1993708814734?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/10/2026

Happy birthday, Smithsonian!

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is celebrating 180 years. We’re proud to be a part of it!

What was originally known as the Museum of African Art in Capitol Hill became part of the Smithsonian following an act of Congress in 1979; it was officially renamed the National Museum of African Art in 1981.

Six years later, the museum relocated to its current facility at 950 Independence Ave. S.W. to make African art accessible to a new and larger audience.

Check out these early photos.

The first image, taken in 1986, shows the National Museum of African Art under construction. The second image was taken in 1987, the year that it opened to the public.

📸
1. Jeffrey Wayne Tinsley, 1986, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 86-5103-16
2. Jeffrey Wayne Tinsley, 1987, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 87-7812-36

08/07/2026

Today, Aug. 7, all Smithsonian museums and locations on the National Mall are open. We look forward to seeing you! Plan your visit: https://www.si.edu/visit

08/06/2026

Today, Aug. 6, the following Smithsonian locations on the National Mall are closed due to a mechanical issue: Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Castle, Arts and Industries Building, and the Ripley Center. We will share updates at si.edu/visit.

Address

950 Independence Avenue SW
Washington D.C., DC
20560

Telephone

+12026334600

Website

https://africa.si.edu/

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