Admission: free

Location: The National Museum of African Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution, is located on the National Mall at 950 Independence Avenue SW, in Washington D.C.

The Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum complex in the world with 14 museums and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and two museums in New York.

Founded in 1964 by Warren M. Robbins as a private educational institution, the Museum of African Art became part of the Smithsonian Institution following an Act of Congress in 1979.

The National Museum of African Art is dedicated to the collection, exhibition, conservation and study of the arts of Africa. The building, which opened to the public in September of 1987, houses the museum’s collection, exhibition galleries, public education facilities, an art conservation laboratory, a research library, photographic archives and offices.
The museum collects and exhibits the classics arts of Africa south of the Sahara, as well as the arts of northern Africa and contemporary arts of the entire continent. Today, the permanent collection, numbering more than 7,000 objects, is an excellent resource for the study of African art and culture. Included in the collection are works in wood, metal, ceramics, cloth and ivory.

The Images of Power and Identity permanent exhibition presents more than 100 works, complemented by several superb loans from other collections. The objects are grouped according to geographical and cultural regions to foster public appreciation and understanding of the diverse cultures and artistic achievements of African artists.

The Art of the Personal Object features utilitarian objects from Africa and celebrates their aesthetic values. Among the objects on display are chairs, stools, headrests, snuff containers, pipes, cups, drinking horns, bowls and baskets.

The Ancient West African City of Benin, A.D. 1300-1897, is a reinstallation of the National Museum of African Art’s collection from the royal court of the capital of the Kingdom of Benin as it existed before British colonial rule. On display are images of kings and attendants in the form of cast-metal heads, figures and architectural plaques. These objects present a culture that, although modified over time, continues today.

The final permanent collection is Ceramic Arts at the National Museum of African Art. The beauty and richness of Africa’s pottery resonates through the traditional and modern ceramic works of art collected by the museum. The continent’s master potters — primarily women — display their dexterity by handbuilding a variety of vessels, coloring their surfaces with slips or other concoctions prepared from clay or vegetable sources, incising or impressing decorations with wood or metal tools, and firing the vessels at low temperatures. On view in this small exhibition are 14 works from the museum’s collection of traditional vessels.
Hours: Monday - Sunday 10 AM - 5:30 PM (NOTE: The museum will have extended summer hours on Thursday evenings until 8 PM from May 31 through August 30.)

For tickets/information, call: 202-357-4600
Hours to call: Monday - Sunday 10 AM - 5:30 PM
The Smithsonian Castle is not only the original Smithsonian museum, but also houses the Smithsonian Information Center. Visitors can plan their day by dropping by Monday - Friday 9 AM - 5 PM and Saturday and Sunday 10 AM - 4 PM, calling either 202-357-2700 or 202-357-1729 (TTY), 202-633-9126 (Spanish) and by logging on to www.si.edu to learn about current exhibitions and activities.

Visit their Web site at: http://www.si.edu/nmafa/