MoAD Annual Report 2024

ANNUAL REPORT

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Letter from Monetta White Dear Friends, 2024 has been a transformative year for MoAD (Museum of the African Diaspora). As we reflect on this year, I am proud to present our 2024 Annual Report – a testament to the impact of your generous support. Your belief in our mission has been instrumental in ensuring that MoAD remains a dynamic, vital, and internationally recognized institution that celebrates Black cultures, fosters thought-provoking dialogue, and inspires learning through the global lens of the African Diaspora. We are deeply grateful for your continued partnership in shaping our present and securing our future.

At the core of our mission is the elevation of contemporary Black art and artists. MoAD has continued to expand its artistic and educational reach, showcasing a diverse and powerful array of exhibitions. Our Chief of Curatorial Affairs and Public Programs, Key Jo Lee, expanded her leadership and has positioned MoAD as a frontrunner in the global contemporary art scene by curating nine exhibitions in 2024.

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Since its launch in 2015, MoAD’s Emerging Artist Program (EAP) has become a powerful platform for elevating the voices and visions of Black artists rooted in the Bay Area. What began with just two visionary artists—Tim Roseborough and Cheryl Derricotte—has grown into a thriving initiative that has supported 31 solo exhibitions and 20 jurors to date. In 2024 alone, we proudly curated five groundbreaking solo exhibitions and hosted twelve dynamic public programs that spotlighted the work and stories of outstanding Bay Area artists who are pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.

Interest in the Emerging Artist Program soared in 2024, with nearly 220 artists initiating applications and 113 completing submissions—marking a remarkable 46% increase from the previous year. This surge reflects the program’s notable industry recognition, expansive global visibility, and increasing international reach, as artists from across the globe sought the opportunity to join MoAD’s acclaimed cohort and contribute to the museum’s legacy of innovation in contemporary Black art.

The Emerging Artist Program continues to demonstrate significant impact, with many EAP alumni achieving national recognition and advancing their artistic practices in bold, new directions. Notable former EAP artists include Helina Metaferia, Sydney Cain, Angela Hennessy, Ramekon O’Arwisters, and Mary Graham—each exemplifying the transformative potential of MoAD’s Emerging Artist Program and the profound influence of Black art across the global diaspora.

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While the program does not currently support international applicants, we were excited to showcase the work of one of the international applicants, Oluseye Ogunlesi, a Nigerian born artist residing in Cape Town, South Africa, in the exhibition, Unruly Navigations. This growing interest underscores the program’s expanding reach and continued relevance in elevating emerging Black artists on both a local and global scale.

Our commitment to engaging with and uplifting our community remains steadfast.

In 2024, we welcomed over 30,000 visitors and hosted nearly 100 dynamic public programs, including artist talks, live performances, literary salons, and educational workshops in collaboration with SFJAZZ. We celebrated the second year of our Cultural Critic-in-Residence program, which explored the birth of Black cinema in the 1970’s and the continued cultural influence Black cinema has made on the decades that followed.

In 2024, MoAD engaged 2,300 youth and educators across 7 school districts through MoAD in the Classroom, the MoAD Teens Summer Program, and numerous events and guided tours.

We also proudly led the launch of Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week - a groundbreaking new initiative that brought together more than 66 artists and cultural institutions across the Bay Area. This week-long celebration featured a vibrant mix of dynamic artist talks, open studios, film screenings, exhibitions, and major public art unveilings - spotlighting the creative excellence and diverse voices of Black artistry in the SF/Bay Area region. Through these programs and partnerships, MoAD is able to expand its reach beyond museum walls - engaging audiences of all ages and backgrounds. As a leader in the arts and culture community, we are deepening our impact and shaping the regional and global dialogue of Black art and culture across the diaspora.

With Gratitude,

Monetta White CEO and Executive Director

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EXHIBITIONS

WE WELCOMED

20,628 VISITORS 2024

Rachel Jones: !!!!!

3.27.24 - 9.1.24 MoAD proudly presented !!!!!, a compelling new body of work by acclaimed British visual artist and painter Rachel Jones. Curated by Erin Jenoa Gilbert, !!!!! debuted a series of vivid oil pastel landscapes that continued Jones’ ongoing exploration of Black interiority and personhood. Following solo museum exhibitions in the U.K. and China, this marked Jones’ first solo museum exhibition in the United States. In !!!!!, Jones reimagined her signature aesthetic, creating complex compositions that oscillated between the figurative and abstract. Drawing inspiration from the poetics of Black writers and the dynamic visual and sonic languages of cartoons, her work showcased masterful mark-making, producing images that were both seen and felt.

Unruly Navigations 3.27.24 - 9.1.24 MoAD unveiled Unruly Navigations, a powerful exhibition curated by Key Jo Lee, Chief of Curatorial Affairs and Public Programs. The exhibition explored the urgent, rebellious, and nonlinear movements of people, cultures, ideas, religions, and aesthetics that define diaspora. Through twenty-two artworks and four site-specific installations, Unruly Navigations illuminated multidimensional trajectories across time, geographies, and spiritual landscapes.

From Haitian-born ceramicist and painter Morel Doucet’s delicate porcelain busts to vanessa german’s provocative multimedia sculptures and Jamaican sculptor Nadine Natalie Hall’s hand-molded paving blocks

made of sugar, coconut, water, and peanuts, each work challenged conventional narratives of diasporic experience. The exhibition deepened, augmented, and, at times, completely refuted historical accounts that have misrepresented and mischaracterized the perspectives of the enslaved, the forcibly displaced, and the disenfranchised.

Participating Artists: Nafis M. White, Nadine Natalie Hall, M. Scott Johnson, Samuel Levi Jones, Winfred Rembert, Myrlande Constant, vanessa german, Morel Doucet, Oluseye, Anina Major.

10.2.24 - 3.2.25 Liberatory Living: Protective Interiors & Radical Black Joy brought together contemporary designers, artists, and creatives whose work explores the necessity of cultivating Black domestic interiors as sites of both revolutionary action and radical joy.

The exhibition drew on bell hooks’ concept of “Homeplace”—a space of safety, arrival, and homecoming—as well as Elizabeth Alexander’s notion of the “Black interior,” a realm of limitless imagination that challenges traditional narratives and celebrates unfetishized Black beauty and empowerment.

Through furnishings, wall coverings, lighting, ceramics, and other elements of interior design, Liberatory Living highlighted the ways in which beauty, comfort, and personal sanctuary contribute to a sense of belonging and resilience. Featuring sixteen visionary artists and designers, the exhibition bridged custom and retail objects to present a dynamic spectrum of work that fosters spaces for rest, creativity, and profound relief.

As the first exhibition of its kind at the MoAD, Liberatory Living offered a compelling invitation to explore contemporary interior design as an essential practice in dismantling colonial legacies and embracing Radical Black Joy. The exhibition underscores the power of design in shaping environments that nurture, protect, and celebrate Black life beyond narratives of struggle and resistance.

Featured Artists: Andile Dyalvane, Angela Hennessy, Chantal Hildebrand, Cheryl R. Riley, Chuma Maweni, dach&zephir, Germane D. Barnes, Kapwani Kiwanga, King Houndekpinkou, Lina Iris Viktor, Malene Djenaba Barnett, Michael Bennett,

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Liberatory Living: Protective Interiors & Radical Black Joy

Nandipha Mntambo, Norman Teague, Sandra Githinji Studio, Sheila Bridges, Traci Johnson, Zanele Muholi, Zizipho Poswa.

This is a museum of joy.

- Visitor

Helina Metaferia: “What We Carry to Set Ourselves Free” 10.2.24 - 3.2.25 What We Carry to Set Ourselves Free was a solo exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Helina Metaferia that extends beyond the museum walls to engage both interior and exterior spaces. This research-driven project was an evolution of Metaferia’s ongoing By Way of Revolution series, which highlighted the often-overlooked labor of BIPOC women and gender-marginalized individuals in activist movements, both historically and in contemporary social justice efforts.

The exhibition featured a striking handmade collage reproduced as a large-scale vinyl mural, a text-based installation, a wearable sculpture, a video performance, and an interactive live performance at MoAD on October 12. Timed to align with the 2024 national presidential election, the works in this exhibition explore the duality of weight and liberation carried within activist histories—ideas that resonate directly with the exhibition’s title.

Developed through a year-long partnership with several Bay Area museums and libraries, the project employs a communi-

Organizational partners for this project included Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Bolinas Museum, and Stanford University, with archival research conducted at San Francisco Public Library, Stanford University Library, and UC Berkeley Library. Further expanding its regional impact, What We Carry to Set Ourselves Free was exhibited simultaneously at Bolinas Museum and Stanford University as an act of solidarity across the Bay Area’s cultural landscape.

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ty-organizing framework and process-based methodology. Metaferia’s research includes an in-depth exploration of Bay Area protest histories, supported by a dedicated local research team. Additionally, she collaborated with BIPOC femme-identifying residents through her signature By Way of Revolution workshop, incorporating their images and words into the final artworks and performances.

I absolutely love MoAD. These exhibitions are beautifully curated and thoughtfully done.

Everyone here is so kind and welcoming.

- Visitor

EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM 2024

Mary Graham: Value Test: Brown Paper 3.27.24 - 5.19.24 MoAD presented Value Test: Brown Paper, an evocative exhibition by Mary Graham that explored the intersections of colorism, classism, and power through a series of oil portraits on brown paper bags. The work referenced the historical “paper bag tests,” once used by the Black upper class to determine access to elite spaces based on skin tone, exposing the lasting impact of these exclusionary practices rooted in white supremacy.

Through her portraits of fictional Black women, Graham examined colorism’s continued presence as both an internalized and systemic phenomenon. The exhibition aimed to foster conversation, reconciliation, and intercommunal healing, inviting viewers to reflect on generational love, collective origins, and the unknown. Grounded in African American spiritual traditions, Graham’s work is deeply personal, beginning with the veneration of her own lineage and expanding to broader cultural themes. Primarily a figurative painter and portraitist, Graham is also a classically trained vocalist, infusing her art with a profound sense of rhythm, emotion, and storytelling.

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS TO DATE

Corinne Smith: Silene Capensis 5.29.24 - 7.21.24 MoAD showcased Silene Capensis, an introspective exhibition by Corinne Smith that explored the intersection of dreams, ancestral connection, and healing. Since childhood, Smith has experienced night terrors, sleep paralysis, and moments of uncertainty in distinguishing between reality and the unknown. Through the use of Silene Capensis, also known as the African dream root, Smith engaged in guided meditation and dream re-entry, harnessing powerful dreams as a means of accessing knowledge, symbolism, and deeper spiritual connection.

Smith’s work incorporated dream re-entry, intuitive plant medicine, and color as mediums to confront difficult aspects of the self, unveiling personal and collective mythologies within spiritual realms. Through paintings, illustrations, risographs, and animations, the exhibition offered a glimpse into the etheric process of self-discovery and ancestral communion, embracing non-colonial ways of knowledge and storytelling.

Zekarius Musele Thompson: The Meeting Place 7.24.24 - 9.1.24

MoAD presented The Meeting Place, an immersive exhibition by Zekarias Musele Thompson that explored agency—both individual and collective—across conceptual, physiological, and geographical landscapes. The exhibition featured diptychs of photographic landscapes enhanced with oil paint, accompanied by eight continuously playing musical compositions.

These compositions were visually translated into oil on canvas, creating a unique intersection

of sound and image. Sculptural seating arrangements further encouraged communal listening and observation, fostering an interactive experience for visitors.

By layering disparate artistic gestures, The Meeting Place challenged entrenched ideas about art objects, authorship, and viewership. Thompson’s multidisciplinary practice—incorporating sonic composition, spatial facilitation, photography, performance, writing, and mark-making—disrupted historical narratives surrounding individual and collective self-deception and embodied trauma. The exhibition continued Thompson’s ongoing interrogation of perception and memory, offering a space for reflection and engagement with the complexities of identity and history.

Jessica Monette: Unveiling Histories: A Fabricated Archive 10.2.24 - 12.15.24 This exhibition was a deeply personal exploration of Jessica Monette’s lineage, disrupted not only by the Middle Passage but also by ongoing challenges in preserving a familial archive. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 further underscored the fragility of this preservation. From ancient to recent pasts, this collection amalgamates items and information, forming a fabricated archive that documents a colonial and ancestral past reshaped by historical turbulence.

A New Orleans native, Monette intricately wove the tangible and the elusive, transforming inherited, found, and fabricated materials into a richly layered narrative. Her multidisciplinary practice—encompassing painting, sculpture, and installation—seamlessly intertwined these themes, creating a dynamic meditation on ancestry, memory, and cultural resilience.

Soleé Darrell: Cosmic Ceremony 12.18.24 - 2.2.25 Soleé Darrell designed this exhibition to create an environment that compelled introspection through abstraction and color. Featuring six masterful silk velvet paintings, a triptych, a soundscape, and an offering altar, the show invited viewers into a sensory, ethereal experience, where distant galaxies and celestial phenomena mirrored the depths of our inner worlds.

The expansive triptych fully enveloped the viewer in rich color and texture, while the soundscape wove together recordings from moments in Darrell’s life when she felt most profoundly alive. A flower arrangement and candle stood as offerings to the universe, and a designated seating area encouraged deep reflection.

Through Cosmic Ceremony, Darrell offered a space for clarity, presence, and gratitude—guiding viewers in a reflective dialogue between their inner landscapes and the vast cosmos.

A Bermudian-born artist based in Northern California, Darrell (b. 1989) is entirely selftaught, relying on intuition to guide her practice. Her work delved into the depths of human existence, forging connections between this world and others through meditation and creative exploration. Each brushstroke carried intensity—layering color, vulnerability, passion, and unwavering trust in the universe. Through this exhibition, she sought to inspire optimism and dissolve the barriers between the physical and intuitive realms.

Malene Djenaba Barnett, Illusions of Softness, 2024. Embossed Earthenware. Courtesy of the artist, Commissioned by MoAD.

RESIDENCIES, RESIDENCIES, AWARDS & PUBLIC PROGRAM AWARDS, & HIGHLIGHTS PUBLIC PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

7,334 ATTENDEES 2024

Chef-in-Residence

African Literary Award

MoAD’s Chef-in-Residence program—the first of its kind at a contemporary art museum—has been instrumental in creating space for people of color to explore and amplify critical conversations around food justice, climate justice, and social equity, while also fostering a deep appreciation for healthy food, creativity, and community.

From its inaugural offering, a panel discussion titled Black Women, Food, and Power, to the widely acclaimed Black Food Summit in September 2022, the program has convened hundreds of leading Black chefs, writers, scholars, activists, artists, and cultural workers to advance the health and well-being of the African Diaspora. In 2024, MoAD was honored to welcome Jocelyn Jackson as Chef-in-Residence, continuing the program’s tradition of visionary leadership and cultural nourishment.

Presented by MoAD, the African Literary Award recognizes an African author who has produced a work of literary excellence and taken a leadership role in promoting writing and literacy in their local communities. The award is granted to an author whose work has been read by the Museum’s African Book Club. In September 2022, author Rémy Ngamije was selected as the inaugural African Literary Award recipient for his book An Eternal Audience of One and his community literary initiatives in his home country of Namibia. In 2023 Nigerian writer Eloghosa Osunde, author of Vagabonds!, was selected as the African Literary Award finalist.

Poets-in-Residence Founded in 2018, the MoAD Poets-inResidence program provides writers with opportunities to respond to contemporary art of the African Diaspora and extend the reach of the museum through public programs and school-based writing workshops. This annual four-month paid residency provides two poets of African descent the opportunity to pursue their own writing projects, in addition to responding to MoAD’s current exhibitions. Over the course of the program, the selected residents develop and host poetry workshops for the high school students in the Spoken Arts Department of Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in San Francisco. The 2024 Poets-in-Residence were Reggie Edmonds-Vasquez and reelaviolette botts-ward.

Cultural Critic-in-Residence Launched in January 2023, MoAD’s Cultural Critic-in-Residence program connects film, scholarship, visual and pop culture in an exciting and novel approach. The museum’s inaugural Cultural Critic-in-Residence is acclaimed filmmaker, author, and scholar Dr. Artel Great. Dr. Great is an intellectual and creative force who transcends boundaries and defies conventional categorization. His publically-engaged scholarship contributes to the production of knowledge in Black cinema and visual culture and Black cultural theory. Through this residency, Dr. Artel Great engages filmmakers, historians, scholars, media experts, artists, and cultural producers and local, national, and international audiences through virtual and in-person programming.

Chef-in-Residence Jocelyn Jackson presents Diaspora Dinner 2024 The Diaspora Dinner is an immersive dining experience that celebrates the ingredients, cooking techniques, and flavor profiles of the African Diaspora. Last year, MoAD Chef-in-Residence Jocelyn Jackson invited Dr. Jessica B. Harris to join her as we honored the iconic contributions made to the canon of African foodways.

The evening was be filled with melodic music, delicious drinks, exquisite food, and inspiring conversation that reflect Dr. Harris’s culinary scholarship and remarkable life. The evening was filled with melodic music, delicious drinks, exquisite food, and inspiring conversation that reflected Dr. Harris’s culinary scholarship and remarkable industry achievements.

Curator & Artist Talk | Liberatory Living MoAD presented “On Leather & Lace,” a Curator & Artist Talk featuring Liberatory Living artists Michael Bennett and Malene Barnett in conversation with Curator Key Jo Lee. This program was part of Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week. Liberatory Living centered on creating spaces that allowed us to imagine the world otherwise.

Exceeded expectations.

[Keisha] was an incredible and thoughtful guide, giving space for us to ask questions and share answers.

Pacing was wonderful.

- Program Attendee

In this conversation, moderated by Lee, the audience was invited to reflect alongside Barnett and Bennett on how leather and lace inspired them to create new forms.

Curator & Artist Talk | !!!!!

MoAD hosted a curator and artist talk celebrating the opening of the exhibition !!!!!, curated by Erin Jenoa Gilbert. !!!!! was a new body of work by acclaimed British visual artist and painter Rachel Jones, continuing her ongoing exploration into Black interiority and personhood.

Curator & Artist Talk | Unruly Navigations MoAD hosted a curator and artist talk celebrating the opening of the exhibition Unruly Navigations, curated by Key Jo Lee, Chief of Curatorial Affairs and Public Programs at MoAD. Artists Nafis M. White, Nadine Natalie Hall, and Oluseye joined Key Jo Lee in conversation to discuss how the artists in this exhibition augmented and deepened—and at times, completely refuted—conventional accounts of diasporic experience.

Demographic Breakdown of Program Attendees Data from our Online Program Surveys indicated the ethnic demographics of last year’s program attendees were as follows: 47% African Descendant; 31% White; 14% Asian or Pacific Islander; 9% Latinx; 5% Other; and 2% Prefer Not to Say.

Program Feedback The feedback we received from participants and community partners was extremely positive and demonstrated the effectiveness of our programming.

According to the feedback we received from our Online Program Surveys in 2024:

• 98% either Strongly Agree or Agree with the statement: “I enjoyed this program.”

• 96% either Strongly Agree or Agree with the statement: “I learned something new from this program.”

• 97% either Strongly Agree or Agree with the statement: “I would recommend this program to a friend.”

1,536 PARTICIPATED

I N TO U RS Program Themes and Content In 2024, Public and Academic Engagement deepened its impact by curating dynamic, interdisciplinary programming that amplified the museum’s exhibitions and expanded community engagement.

Key initiatives included: Exhibition-Inspired Artist Talks and Performances – Showcasing thought-provoking discussions and live presentations that brought exhibitions to life.

Residencies – Inviting visionary creatives to engage with MoAD’s exhibitions and audiences through: Chef-in-Residence – Exploring the intersections of food, culture, and identity.

Cultural Critic-in-Residence – Providing critical perspectives on contemporary and historical themes.

Poets-in-Residence – Creating original works that responded directly to the exhibitions.

Community Free Days – Breaking barriers to access by welcoming all visitors to experience MoAD’s offerings at no cost.

Whenever possible, Residency programs and Community Free Days were intentionally designed to align with the exhibitions on view. By featuring artists whose work was displayed in the galleries—or, in the case of Poets-in-Residence, commissioning new poetry that directly engaged with the art—MoAD fostered deeper connections between audiences, creators, and the museum’s mission.

Interdisciplinary Engagement Interdisciplinary approaches were central to MoAD’s 2024 programming, ensuring multiple entry points for audiences to connect with the museum’s mission.

Public and Academic Engagement intentionally showcased diasporic cultural expression across diverse disciplines, creating immersive and thought-provoking experiences. This approach was reflected in programming that engaged: Literature and Poetry – Elevating voices through spoken word, readings, and literary discussions.

Music – Showcasing the sonic landscapes of the African Diaspora through live performances and explorations of musical heritage.

Dance – Highlighting movement as a form of storytelling, resistance, and celebration.

Social Justice – Addressing critical issues through dialogue, activism, and artistic expression.

Food Justice – Examining the intersections of culinary traditions, sustainability, and equity.

Film – Presenting cinematic works that reflect diasporic histories, narratives, and contemporary realities.

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This was the first time I’ve enjoyed a tour at a museum. I loved how Gustavo engaged his audience and asked us what we thought and what we saw versus just telling us.

It gave me an opportunity to really look at the piece on my own and try to decipher.

- Visitor

Cultural Politics – Exploring the impact of historical and contemporary socio-political movements on Black art and identity.

By embracing an interdisciplinary framework, MoAD fostered deeper engagement, inspiring audiences to explore the rich and evolving narratives of the African Diaspora from multiple perspectives.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

2024 Diaspora Dinner, St. Regis San Francisco

ARTIST COLLABORATIONS Public and Academic Engagement engages many exhibition artists, curators and scholars throughout the year. These include the following artists: Joe Sam Dewey Crumpler Oliver Lee Jackson Tawny Chatmon Delita Martin Nafis White Nadine Natalie Hall Oluseye Lishan AZ Rachel Jones Mary Graham Corinne Smith Morel Doucet M. Scott Johnson Anina Major

Zekarias Musele Michael Bennett Malene Barnett Helina Metaferia Titus Kaphar Jessica Monette

CURATORS / SCHOLARS

Erin Gilbert Louisa Gloger Jheanelle Brown Ashara Ekundayo Jacqueline Francis James Gordon Williams Nikole Hannah-Jones

PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MoAD’s Public Programs and Academic Engagement division had the honor of forging long-term partnerships with many community and cultural institutions. Our main school collaboration was with the Ruth Asawa School for the Arts in San Francisco. This is an integral part of the Poets-in-Residence program. Here are the organizations and institutions we collaborated with in 2024: Noise Pop Festival Lorraine Hansberry Theater 4Color Books SFJAZZ Yerba Buena Gardens Festival CubaCaribe Festival of Dance & Music City Arts & Lectures Quiet Lightning African Book Club Hospitality for Humanity SFMOMA

Litquake Berkeley Repertory Theater Mechanic’s Institute Library Downtown First Thursdays Frameline St. Regis San Francisco Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Stanford Institute for the Diversity in Arts The Bolinas Museum Black Freighter Press

The SF/Bay Area’s first ever Black-Art Week led by MoAD! MoAD proudly led the way for SF/Bay Area’s first ever Black art week. Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week – a landmark celebration of Black artistic expression and creativity, hosted a vibrant lineup of artist talks, open studios, film screenings, exhibitions, and a major unveiling of public art hosted by more than 66 artists and cultural institutions around the Bay Area.

Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week is a unique initiative introduced by the MoAD, serving as a landmark event that brings together artists, cultural institutions, and art lovers to celebrate and support Black art and culture.

Nexus illuminates the richness of the Black artist community in the San Francisco Bay Area by offering opportunities to connect with diverse participants, including art museums, galleries, non-profit organizations, and creative spaces.

This event fosters new and meaningful connections within the arts community and beyond.

• 66+ Artists and Arts Organizations • 16 Exhibitions • 2 Film Screenings • 6 Open Studios • 5 Artist Talks • 1 Unveiling of Public Art • 2 Public Art Walks • 3 Opening Receptions

EDUCATION PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

2,300 SERVED YOUTH & TEACHERS

2024

MoAD in the Classroom

MoAD Teens

MoAD in the Classroom is a dynamic arts-based program that brings visual literacy and cultural studies to third-grade classrooms across the San Francisco Bay Area. Designed to foster a deeper connection to art and museum experiences, the program includes 8 in-class visits from a MoAD Teaching Artist and one museum visit, per session from each participating school to the museum.

MoAD Teens is a transformative fiveweek program that combines structured learning with hands-on, paid work experience, equipping young artists with the skills and confidence to pursue careers in the arts.

Through project-based learning, they create artwork that reflects and reinforces their understanding of the program’s themes. The program culminates in a special showcase, where students proudly present their work to classmates and the broader school community.

Last summer, MoAD welcomed 25 wonderfully talented teens from all corners of the San Francisco Bay Area to participate in “Art Careers Apprenticeship.”

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While in the classroom, MoAD Teaching Artists introduce students to museum themes, current exhibitions, and key visual arts concepts. During their museum visits, students explore exhibitions, develop skills in viewing and discussing art, and engage in hands-on creative activities.

A highlight of MoAD’s 2024 Teen Summer Program was the “Art Careers Apprenticeship” - an intensive 5-week program focused on helping students build pathways toward career opportunities in the professional art industry.

Each teen apprentice participated in workshops, seminars, and site visits to learn directly from our arts partners.

In a final culminating event, teen apprentices shared projects they created in the program and hosted a talkback discussing their experience working in the arts field.

Our docents were superb in working with our 8th graders from Berkeley. Super patient, engaging, and welcoming.

- Teacher

EDUCATION PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS (continued)

SCHOOL PARTNERS

Manzanita Seed Elementary Meadows Livingstone School Olinda Elementary Cornell Elementary Malcolm X Academy Rosa Parks Elementary - Berkeley Buri Buri Elementary St. Leo’s the Great Joaquin Miller Elementary Rosa Parks Elementary - San Francisco Sylvia Mendez Bella Vista Elementary Ocean View Elementary Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy George Washington Carver Elementary Markham Elementary Greenleaf Elementary Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary Berkeley Arts Magnet Kipp Bayview Elementary Northern Light School John Muir Elementary Rooftop Elementary

PARTNERING DISTRICTS

Berkeley Unified School District Oakland Unified School District Alameda Unified School District Albany Unified School District West Contra Costa Unified School District San Francisco Unified School District South San Francisco Unified School District Oakland Diocese

PARTNERING COUNTIES

Alameda County Contra Costa County San Francisco County San Mateo County

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CLASSROOMS

SERVED

CURRICULUM AND THEMES MoAD in the Classroom MIC serves schools and educational institutions by providing curriculum-based art programming designed to be engaging, inclusive, and culturally reflective.

The program includes classroom visits, interactive activities, and exhibitions that allow students to explore themes related to the African Diaspora while enhancing their visual literacy skills.

This year’s curriculum focuses on exploring Radical Black Joy, freedom, and the role of design in creating spaces of belonging. Inspired by Lee’s exhibition, which showcases contemporary furnishings and atmospherics that foster safety and beauty, the curriculum introduces these ideas in a way that is accessible to our 3rd and 4th-grade participants.

Activities and Programming are built around three essential questions: 1. What does freedom mean to you?

2. What is “Radical Joy” and how can we create it in the world around us?

3. How can design and architecture be a form of artistic expression?

With gentrification impacting many of the neighborhoods our students call home, we were mindful of creating programming that invites them to reimagine their surroundings in ways that reflect their experiences and needs.

Through hands-on activities and thoughtful discussions, students are encouraged to design spaces that offer joy, safety, and a sense of belonging.

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TOURS

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS 2024

In the Artist’s Studio

Art As We See It

Each month, MoAD staff visited some of our favorite artists in their studios for an intimate look at their creative process.

These visits provided a rare opportunity to hear directly from artists about their current work and how their practice has evolved since the onset of COVID-19. Each conversation concluded with an audience Q&A, fostering meaningful dialogue between artists and the community.

This unique docent-led series explores the deep connections between visual art and music across the African Diaspora.

Through careful research in online archives, MoAD docents curate compelling pairings of artworks and musical compositions, creating a multisensory dialogue that highlights shared themes of style, inspiration, and cultural expression. Participants are invited to engage in lively discussions via chat, examining the political and historical contexts that shape these artistic forms while immersing themselves in the rich textures and rhythms of both art and music.

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The program is fabulous and it has been fun watching it grow and improve over the years. We feel very fortunate to be able to participate every year.

- School Teacher

RICHARD MAYHEW EXHIBITION FUND 2024 The Richard Mayhew Exhibitions Fund was inaugurated in commemoration of the celebrated artist’s 100th birthday on April 3, 2024. MoAD is deeply honored to be able to recognize Richard Mayhew for his great achievements as an artist and creative. The Exhibitions Fund aims to inspire contributions from donors who want to honor Richard Mayhew while ensuring MoAD’s exhibitions are generously funded.

Richard Mayhew (April 3, 1924–September 26, 2024) was an American painter known for his vivid landscapes.

100th Birthday Photos by Chloe Jackman Photography

2024 ART AUCTION 2024 In 2024, the Museum of the African Diaspora proudly presented its third Benefit Art Auction, held in partnership with Artsy. This highly anticipated online event, which took place from May 16 through May 30, advanced MoAD’s mission to celebrate and elevate contemporary art of the African Diaspora—both within the Bay Area and across the globe.

The auction convened a dynamic community of artists, collectors, and patrons united in their commitment to supporting the creative voices of the Diaspora. Showcasing a thoughtfully curated selection of works by both established and emerging artists, the event illuminated the power of narrative and identity in Black art, while fostering global dialogue and connection.

Additionally, last year’s auction further underscored MoAD’s role as a cultural leader dedicated to amplifying Black artists and their diverse perspectives. Proceeds directly supported the museum’s acclaimed exhibitions and transformative educational programs, reinforcing our investment in a thriving, expansive Black arts ecosystem.

Through this meaningful initiative, MoAD deepened its impact—broadening access, strengthening artistic networks, and reaffirming its unwavering dedication to honoring and advancing the art of the African Diaspora worldwide.

Participating Artists: Annan Affotey, Alanna Airitam, Alex Anderson, Simone Bailey, Ebitenyefa Baralaye, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Gavin Benjamin, Leonardo Benzant, Lili Bernard, Amoako Boafo, Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, Shenequa Brooks, Nyame Brown, Adrian Burrell, Elan Cadiz, Sydney Cain, Albert Chong, Dewey Crumpler, Kenturah Davis, Erica Deeman, Cheryl Derricotte, Conrad Egyir, Rodney Ewing, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Jerrell Gibbs, Adler Guerrier, Angela Hennessy, David Huffman, Wadsworth Jarrell, Basil Kincaid, Dionne Lee, Kija Lucas, Nelson Makamo, Demond Melancon, Ian Micheal, Lavar Munroe, Ed Ntiri, Ramekon O’Arwisters, Angel Otero, Woody De Othello, Dr. Fahamu Pecou, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Enrico Riley, Muzae Sesay, Ferrari Sheppard, Nyugen E. Smith, Chanell Stone, Barbara Earl Thomas, Autumn Wallace, Nate Watson, Ricky Weaver, Bri Williams, Andrew Wilson.

FINANCIALS REVENUES Individuals

$985,161

Corporations

$462,881

Foundations

$1,844,634

Government

$1,131,300

Earned Income

$581,262

In Kind Revenue

$987,448

Restricted Funds Released

$701,017

Applied Reserves

$73,978 $6,767,682

EXPENSES Fundraising

$1,499,411

General Management

$906,983

Programs

$4,361,288 $6,767,682

*Financials are reported prior to our annual audit.

2024

Liberatory Living: Protective Interiors & Radical Black Joy

2024 Afropolitan Ball, San Francisco Design Center Galleria

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS This list reflects gifts received between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. If you have any questions or concerns, please email development@moadsf.org.

VISIONARY

Beryl and James Potter Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC

INNOVATOR

Backstrom McCarley Berry & Co., LLC Bloomberg Philanthropies Ken and Caretha Coleman Karen Clopton Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan Corinne Dixon Dodge and Cox Elisa Durrette and Ruth McFarlane Michele and Harry Elam FivePoint Holdings, LLC Footlocker LISC Peggy W. Forbes and Harry Bremond Google Greenberg Traurig Melinda Hightower Akieva and Martin Jacobs Schatzie Allen Jefferson and Family Kim and Daniel Johnson Dorothy Lathan Shannon and William Nash Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe LLP LSP Family Foundation Anonymous

KHR McNeely Family Fund San Francisco Grants for the Arts

CommonSpirit Health Kaiser Permanente Jill Cowan and Stephen Davis Crankstart Foundation Ford Foundation Salesforce

CHAMPION

CSAA Insurance Group Gilead Sciences Jackson Family Fund National Endowment for the Arts Westridge Foundation Robin and Carl Washington

BENEFACTOR

Benefit Cosmetics Wayee Chu and Ethan Beard HK Charitable Fund Karen Jenkins-Johnson and Kevin Johnson Kimball Foundation David Neequaye and Deepa Chatterjee Pacific Gas and Electric Company

ADVOCATE

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS (continued)

Tiffany Stevenson Susan Swig Cheryl and Charles Ward Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati Foundation Denise Vohra

CURATOR

Victor Baker Lawrence Bancroft Anna E. Banks and Gregory Hunter Suzette and Jeff Clarke Brook Dooley Empire Records Randi and Bob Fisher Golden State Warriors Julie Goldman and Robert Rosner Gordon and Tameka Greenwood Pamela and David Hornik Vimbayi Kajese and Tawanda Sibanda Tonia and Adam Karr Lisa Kim and Eunu Chun Miyoung Lee and Neil Simpkins Kimberly Marshall Vincent McCarley and Patrice Mallory-McCarley Eric McDonnell and Hydra Mendoza McKesson Corp.

Pam Moore Kerry and David Morgan Diana Nelson and John Atwater Wayne H. Perry The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Gregory and Sonjia Redmond L. Wade and Madalene Rose Jacqueline Sellers Jessica Silverman Lava Thomas and Peter B. Danzig Marie Washington Jay West and Aphriekah DuHaney-West Barry Williams and Lalita Tademy Monique Woodard

Robin Wright Yerba Buena Community Benefit District

COLLECTOR

Brenda Berlin Jacqueline Bradley Rena Bransten CBIZ Charles M. Collins and Paula Collins Julia Collins Gail Covington Michele Crumes Debra Flores Andrew Lindsay and Otilia Mirambeaux Toni Morgan Chandru Murthi Sherri Pittman Jennifer Roberts Thurman and Eileen White Breanna Zwart-Matthews and Samuel Kuntz Matthews

DOCENT

Nicole and Gene Alston Anonymous Francine and Thomas Anthony Peggy Aquino Pamela Bolen M Lucey Bowen Denise Bradley-Tyson Lynn Brinton and Daniel E. Cohn Philanthropic Fund Zoë Brizzolara Valerie and Lamont Brown Darrianne Christian Rosemarie and Ronald Clark Danny and Mia Conway Michael Coppock Brenda and Michael Drake Matthew Finney China Forbes Monte and Ingrid Ford

Keith Golden Thelma Golden Bob Goodman and Jayne Lipman Linda Harrison and Ellen Anderson Rebecca Henderson David Howse LaToya Jackson Jodi Jahic Susan Karp and Paul Haahr Kitsaun King Thane Kreiner Marvin and Kathryn Larbi-Yeboa Valerie D. Lewis Jamie and Marc Lunder Pringl Miller Catherine S. Muther Ramekon O’Arwisters Stan Onyewuchi Ed Penniman Mauree and Mark Perry Theresa Power and Ken Seeger Rodney and Vernell Reed Mack Roach Angela Rodriguez Sandy and Joe Samberg Andre Scott Emily Scott Francine O. Shakir Shana and Christ Simmons Farae Strickland Deborah Telman Gerald Vurek Harold Wallace Stasia and Michael Washington Joan S. Webster and Giovana Giscome Travis Weddington Carla and Tony Wicks Erica Williams Jasper Williams Diane B. Wilsey

IN-KIND

Adobe Systems Inc Black Studies Collaboratory Brown Estate Vineyards Cadogan Tate Common Ground Spirits Daou Vineyards Diaspora & Co Earthseed Encore Saint Flora The St. Regis Hotel Uncle Nearest Whetstone

ESTATE & TRUSTS GIFTS

The Estate of Frankie J and Maxwell Gillette

MATCHING GIFTS

Flourish Ventures Gilead Sciences Honeywell International Inc Microsoft

COLLABORATORS & PARTNERS Kaiser Permanente The Battery Jonathan Carver Moore Karen Jenkins Johnson Joyce Gordon Gallery Grand Nationxl / HiiWav PUSHDANCE Litquake Lorraine Hansberry Theater 4Color Books Black Freighter Press Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco de Young and Legion of Honor Institute of Contemporary Art SFMOMA SFJazz SF Travel Yerba Buena Partnerships Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Yerba Buena Community Gardens Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Berkeley Repertory Theater Bay Area Registry Ariel Mei Senay Alkebu-Lan Darrin Baldridge Trina Robinson and Charles H. Lee (Space Residency) Russell Gatewood African Book Club City Arts and Lectures CubaCaribe Festival of Dance & Music Downtown First Thursdays Frameline Hospitality for Humanity Mechanic’s Institute Library Noise Pop Festival Public Profit Ruth Asawa School for the Arts Stanford Institute for the Diversity in Arts The Bolinas Museum The St. Regis Hotel

BOARD MEMBERS

Eric McDonnell – Board Chair Peggy Woodford Forbes – Vice Chair Julius Robinson – Treasurer Jill Cowan Elisa Durrette Vimbayi Kajese Beryl Potter Tiffany Stevenson Ammanuel Zegeye David Neequaye Debra Flores

STAFF

TEACHING ARTISTS

Aja Johnson Jamiah King Sheleia Brooks Amelian Hamilton Asual Aswad Ramona Soto Viviana Carlos Feyi Ajayi-Dopemu Aambr Newsome

Monetta White – CEO and Executive Director Sheeka Arbuthnot – Chief Development Officer Philip Broadus – Chief Operating Officer Key Jo Lee – Chief of Curatorial Affairs Genesis A. Emery-Foley – Chief Marketing Officer Linda Spain de Bruin – Chief Financial Officer Demetri Broxton – Senior Director of Education Dariane Beamon – Education Program Coordinator Si Mon’ Emmett-Salah – Senior Education Manager Elizabeth Gessell – Curator of Public and Academic Engagement Nia McCallister – Senior Public Programs Manager Tinashe Chidarikire – Digital Content Manager Paul Plale – Brand Design Manager Maiyio Taylor-Jackson – Digital Marketing and Community Manager Danyn Oakes – Marketing Project Coordinator Alex Jenney – Events Manager Alicia Chow – Administrative Support Specialist Eden Tolico – Visitor Experience Supervisor Gabriela Myers-Lipton – Visitor Experience Associate Guadalupe Pacheco-Gomez – Visitor Experience Associate Mary Powers – Exhibitions Manager Kitsaun King – Development Manager Elyse Singleton – Database and Operations Manager Keisha Jones – Tour Guide Gustavo Fierros – Tour Guide

INTERNS

Hannah Hearn Michi Wong

CONTRIBUTING PARTNERS EXHIBITION PARTNERS

Cadogan Tate Installers: Brad Bourhan Gabe Jon Orlando Jeff Gio Jess Ben Pablo Jose Cammy

Freelance: River Black – Art Handler Keith Evans – Art Handler Devon Armstrong – Art Handler Anthony Russell – Art Handler & Fabricator Andy Zevallos – Fabricator Alicia Goode – Art Handler Amy Anderson – Wallpaper Installer Kerwin Dudley – Painter Nelio N. – Painter Task Rabbit Freelance: Mourad C. Skander S. Aziz M. Mohamed Aziz B. Bedr D.

SPECIAL PROJECTS, MARKETING, & PR PARTNERS

Third Eye PR – PR Agency McCalman Co. – Creative Design Agency Joan Rosenberg – Nexus Project Manager, Grants Manager Fox Nakai – Videographer Zac Westbrook – Photographer, Videographer Andrew Wong – Photographer Chloe Jackman – Event Photographer Josef Jacques – Exhibition Install Photographer Najee Tobin – Photographer Jose Cancio – Graphic Designer Marie-Christine Gervais – Graphic Designer Devon Moore – Email Marketing Specialist Danyn Oakes – Project Marketing Manager

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www.moadsf.org @moadsf

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