African-American Museum of Washington – Seattle, WA
This Museum is dedicated to providing a gathering place for youth, adults and families to honor the past and embrace the future.
At the Museum are documents and exhibits of the unique historical and cultural experiences of the African American population in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. This is a place to go, learn and enjoy while gaining appreciation for the life and times of the African-American population of this area.
The displays of this Museum include visual arts, music, crafts, literature and history. The displays encompass the time from the African-American slavery to the new immigrants from such places as Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia.
The displays of Jacob Lawrence and James W. Washington Jr. include paintings and sculptures of Washington showing both security and freedom. His works show his enduring commitment to social justice, deeply spiritual nature and the belief in the universality of art and all life.
Jacob Larence’s works demonstrate his storytelling style of painting. His works show the struggle and survival central to the African American population.
There will be displays of the East African immigrants who came to this area and shows where they have chosen to settle, the jobs they hold and the challenges they face. It shares the stories of the differences between those that have been in the region for some time and those that have just come, the cultural differences, the emotional differences between these two groups of African Americans. They have the opportunity, at the Museum, to learn to appreciate each others ways and to work together and communicate with each other.
In partnership with the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters, the Gallery will display quilts made by African Americans in the Pacific Northwest, telling the story of this region’s Black community through the unique lens of quilting.
The Museum’s 19,000 sq ft floor plan includes three principal galleries:
The Journey Gallery, the Northwest Gallery and the Multi-Purpose Gallery. Long-term exhibits in the Journey Gallery tell the broader story of how African Americans arrived in the Northwest to build lives and communities. Walking into this space, visitors find a flexible mix of photos, artifacts and compelling narratives that represent a sampling of the region’s ‘cultural album.’
The Northwest Gallery houses exhibits specifically geared to the rich history of African American experiences in the Northwest. Early pioneers, cultural icons, community leaders and unsung heroes will find a home, and a voice, in this gallery’s temporary exhibits.
The Legacy Gallery lives up to its title by hosting a myriad of events, exhibits, performances and lectures of importance to the Museum’s mission and its surrounding community. Exhibits in this gallery are used to support or amplify shows in the Northwest and Journey galleries.
Hours:
Wednesday
11:00am – 4:30pm
Thursday
11:00am-7:00pm
Friday
11:00am-4:30pm
Saturday
11:00am-4:00pm
Sunday
12:00pm-4:00pm
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
The Museum will be closed for Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas holiday, New Year’s holiday.
Admission: Adults: $6; Students/Seniors: $4 and Children 5 and under are free. There is also Free Admission the first Thursday of every Month!
Location:
2300 S. Massachusetts Street
Seattle, WA 98144
Tel: 206-518-6000
Fax: 206-518-5665
Email: info@naamnw.org
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You would have to send them to me for editorial review.
As a direct descendant of an African American pioneer family, and relative to five more, words cannot express the level of my disappointment in this museum. It could be so much more than the ‘museum lite’ that it is now. It was a total waste of my time to visit, I am just happy that I went on a free day, because had I paid, I would have demanded my money back.