Opened to the public in 1984, the Museum for African Art is dedicated to the arts and cultures of Africa and the African Diaspora. The Museum is internationally acknowledged as a preeminent organizer of exhibitions and publications related to historical and contemporary African art, with programs that are as diverse as the continent itself.

The Museum was located in a rented townhouse on New York City's Upper East Side from 1984 until 1992, when it moved to rented space in the City's SoHo district. In 2002, the Museum moved to temporary quarters in Long Island City, Queens, and in late 2005 it closed its gallery space there in order to focus on developing plans for a new, larger facility that it would own. In September 2007, ground was broken for a new building that will enable the long-needed expansion of the Museum's exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives.

Designed by the celebrated Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP, the new Museum for African Art will own and occupy about 90,000 square feet in a mixed-use joint-development project. The new Museum building is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 110th Street, in New York City, where it will join Manhattan's "Museum Mile." With its expansive exhibition and programming spaces, the new facility will enable the institution to dramatically expand the audiences it serves. An announcement of the Museum's public opening date will be made during the final phase of construction.

While it prepares for the public opening of its new quarters, the Museum continues to develop important exhibitions that travel to major venues internationally and are accompanied by scholarly publications. The Museum also presents a wide range of public programs for adults, families, and schoolchildren, held at locations throughout New York City.

The Museum for African Art is dedicated to increasing public understanding and appreciation of African art and culture. The Museum is recognized worldwide as the preeminent organizer of exhibitions and publisher of books devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary African art.

The Museum for African Art is the center for discovering the arts of Africa, from classic to contemporary.

-We collect, preserve and exhibit art that is as dynamic and diverse as the continent of Africa.

-We cultivate an appreciation for Africa's historical and current impact on world culture

-We inspire respect for Africa and its people by building awareness and understanding of the arts, history, and heritage of Africa.

-We bring diverse communities together and create opportunities for dialogue and experiential and interactive learning.