History
In 1964, Warren M. Robbins founded the Museum of African Art. It was a privately funded African art museum at the Frederick Douglass House, in Washington, D.C. Robbins owned the building. Robbins, who was a former American Foreign Services officer, was the first museum director. The museum showcased traditional African art and had educational programs about African art and culture. The museum consisted of nine row homes with twelve galleries, a library and a small auditorium. Robbins, who collected African art while serving overseas, sought to "foster an understanding African art in the U.S." The museum grew to have an annual budget of $900,000. Robbins and staff approached the government in 1976 asking the Smithsonian Institution to acquire the museum.
On October 5, 1978, the Smithsonian Institution was approved, by the United States Congress, to acquire the museum. The transfer ended on August 13, 1979. Approximately eight thousand objects were transferred to the Smithsonian. In 1981 the museum was renamed the National Museum of African Art.
Two years later, in 1986, the house was sold and the collections were transferred to the Smithsonian at the National Mall. The museum opened in the quadrangle complex behind the Smithsonian Institution Building on September 28, 1987. That same month, a donation of $200,000 was given by an anonymous donor to the museum. On behalf of the donation, the museum library was renamed the Warren M. Robbins Library. Sylvia H. Williams became the director of the museum in 1983, making the museum the first Smithsonian museum to have a female director. She retained her position as director until her death in 1996. After Williams death, assistant director Patricia L. Fiske stepping in as acting director. Art historian and curator Roslyn Walker was named director on January 15, 1997 and Fiske returned to her role as assistant director. Sharon Patton also served as director.
The current museum director is Johnnetta B. Cole. As of 2009, the museum's budget was approximately $6 million.
Read more about this topic: National Museum Of African Art
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