National Center of Afro-American Artists
Encyclopedia
The National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) is an institution founded in 1968 by Elma Lewis
to "preserv[e] and foster[] the cultural arts heritage of black peoples worldwide through arts teaching, and the presentation of professional works in all fine arts disciplines." Although the organization's name specifies African American
artists, the organizational mandate includes all African diasporic art
.
The museum
subsumed Lewis' previously launched "Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts" (ELSFA). The NCAAA is the largest independent black cultural arts institution in New England
, USA.
At its founding, the NCAAA was housed in a former firehouse
in Franklin Park, Boston
. The museum was moved to a separate building in 1980 and is now located at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
.
Two fires in the early 1980s significantly damaged the firehouse, where the NCAAA was housed, although collections stored at the museum, which had its own facility, were unharmed.
Activities of the NCAAA have included:
Elma Lewis
Elma Idna Lewis was the founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists and the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. She received the MacArther Fellows Grant in 1981. She was also given a Presidential Medal for the Arts by President Ronald Reagan in 1983...
to "preserv[e] and foster[] the cultural arts heritage of black peoples worldwide through arts teaching, and the presentation of professional works in all fine arts disciplines." Although the organization's name specifies African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
artists, the organizational mandate includes all African diasporic art
African art
African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize "traditional" African art, the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African...
.
The museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
subsumed Lewis' previously launched "Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts" (ELSFA). The NCAAA is the largest independent black cultural arts institution in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, USA.
At its founding, the NCAAA was housed in a former firehouse
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
in Franklin Park, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The museum was moved to a separate building in 1980 and is now located at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
Abbotsford (Boston, Massachusetts)
Abbotsford, now the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, is a historic house at 300 Walnut Avenue in Boston. The museum is dedicated to black visual arts heritage worldwide, and presents historical and contemporary exhibitions in many media, including painting, sculpture,...
.
Two fires in the early 1980s significantly damaged the firehouse, where the NCAAA was housed, although collections stored at the museum, which had its own facility, were unharmed.
Activities of the NCAAA have included:
- Establishment and maintenance of a museum;
- Hosting arts performances ("Black Musical Productions" and others) and exhibitions, individually and in collaboration with other fine arts museums in Boston;
- Offering arts education programs to a variety of students (professional, community primary students, and local prisoners) .
External links
- NCAAA website
- The Elma Ina Lewis papers, 1917-1998 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA.
- The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts records, 1954-1992 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA.
- The National Center of Afro–American Artists records 1924–1998 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA.
- The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists records, 1966-1998 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA.