ABOUT MoCADA

Dear Friend,

I am pleased to welcome you to MoCADA - The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts! We are Brooklyn’s first museum devoted to utilizing the visual arts as a medium to address, discuss, debate and resolve contemporary social, political and economic issues affecting people of the African Diaspora. We are accomplishing our goals through the creation of innovative exhibitions, public programs, community outreach initiatives and educational interactive tours. MoCADA looks forward to welcoming local and international visitors to our exhibitions, educational activities, and events.

MoCADA is certainly an idea whose time has come. In 1999, when I founded the museum, I simply wanted to create a space where Black artists could exhibit their work. However, I realized over the years that MoCADA could be more than a place for exhibitions, it could be a place where change can happen, ideas can grow, and solutions can be found. We want to work with you in order to create an institution that not only identifies the issues that affect the Black community [from the repercussions of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and colonization to Hurricane Katrina], but also will utilize the visual arts to begin to resolve these issues. Moreover, we want all audiences to recognize and understand that the fate of any race is inevitably tied to every race. In the words of the great philosopher Bob Marley, “When the rain falls, it don’t fall on one man’s house.”

The Trustees, staff, volunteers and I deeply encourage and appreciate your active participation in our programs, especially the ongoing donations of funds being made by various Members and Friends of the Museum. Please explore this website to learn more about our current activities and feel free to contact us if you have questions.

We look forward to welcoming you here!

Warm regards,
Laurie Cumbo
Founder & Executive Director