MoAD Hosts Black History Month Showcase

- The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is a Smithsonian-affiliated contemporary arts and culture museum that opened in 2005, located in San Francisco's Yerba Buena arts district. - The showcase is a collaboration with 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization that supports under-resourced students aged six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills. - Student performances will be inspired by the "Black Renaissance," drawing on the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance to celebrate Black creativity, student voice, and leadership. - The young authors featured are part of 826 Valencia's Black Students Initiative, an affinity-based program where students receive mentorship from Black-identifying staff and volunteers to explore their identities through writing. - MoAD offers ongoing educational programs, including "MoAD in the Classroom," which provides arts-based visual literacy for 3rd and 4th graders in Bay Area schools with limited arts programming. - For older students, the museum runs a paid five-week summer apprenticeship program for teens, offering hands-on work experience and mentorship in various art-related careers like curating and graphic design. - The museum is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025 and recently underwent a seven-month renovation to expand its gallery spaces. - MoAD does not have a permanent collection, instead focusing on developing exhibitions by working directly with artists and independent curators to present contemporary art.