Cultural Museum of African Art

The Cultural Museum of African Art, also called CMAAEEC and the Museum of African Culture Art and History, is a special place in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. It is a museum where people can see beautiful and important pieces of art from Africa.

This museum has one of the biggest private collections of African art in the United States. It holds more than 3,000 artifacts from all 54 African countries. These items show almost 4,000 years of history from the continent.

There are only three museums in the United States that focus only on African art. The other two are the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., and The Africa Center in Manhattan, New York. The Cultural Museum of African Art is a wonderful place to learn about and enjoy the rich culture and history of Africa.

History

The Cultural Museum of African Art was created by Eric Edwards, a former AT&T executive from Brooklyn. He started collecting African art in the early 1970s, gathering pieces from his travels and from artists and sellers across Africa. Over many years, his collection grew to include masks, sculptures, musical instruments, and ceremonial objects.

In 2014, the museum was officially formed. In 2015, it became a nonprofit organization and Edwards started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to open the museum to the public. The museum opened its doors on November 18, 2023, with an exhibition called "Brooklyn is Africa: Survival + Persistence = Resistance." The opening included special performances and celebrations of important historical events.

Collection

The Cultural Museum of African Art has a big collection with over 3,000 items from African countries. These items show art and history from about 4,000 years ago up to today. They come from all 54 African countries and include things like musical instruments, clothes, and modern art made by African artists.

Some special pieces in the museum are very important. One is a beautiful palace door made by a Yoruba artist named Olowe of Ise from Nigeria. The museum also has bronze statues that were used by kings a long time ago in West Africa. There are also special sculptures, drums, and carvings from places like Mali, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of these pieces have been shown in other big museums, like The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2024, the museum shared some of its art with a gallery at SUNY Old Westbury for a special show. The museum also received gifts of art from the Romare Bearden estate in 2025.

Programs

The museum wants to teach people about African art and traditions through shows and activities. It uses a lesson from West Africa called the Sankofa, which is like a bird looking back while flying forward, meaning we need to learn from the past to move ahead. The museum also has a virtual reality tour. This tour lets people all over the world see the art up close and hear stories about it.

Funding and support

In February 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams gave the museum $5 million to help improve its buildings and keep it running. This money was given during a Black History Month celebration, showing thanks for many years of work to protect and share African culture.

Later, in July 2025, the museum got another $1 million from the New York State Assembly to help with its costs. It also gets support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and sometimes receives money for special programs from the Brooklyn Arts Council.