A Day at the African Art Museum of Maryland

As part of our Summer Youth Leadership Program the Changing Destination's staff and program participants toured the African Art Museum of Maryland (AAMM). Since its inception, the African Art Museum of Maryland has presented for viewing pleasure, in its location and at Outreach events, astounding works of the highest quality including contemporary, intercontinentally known, stellar artists, held in the highest esteem.

We received a warm greeting from museum Director, Mrs. Doris H. Ligon. Mrs. Ligon earned a Master’s Degree in Art History Museology in 1979 from Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore, Maryland, and studied under Professor James Lewis, who was an early pioneer for the importance of the exploration of African art. We were lucky enough to have Mrs. Ligon provide detail on the history of the unique pieces on display.

The African Art Museum of Maryland (AAMM), founded in 1980 as the first Museum in the planned community of Columbia, MD, is unique. It is one of only three museums of its kind in the USA devoted exclusively to the art of Africa. Of those three, it is the only one founded by an African American. Among other supports, it has been recognized as “one of the State’s most respected cultural institutions,” and in 2013 was cited as “one of the top ten places to visit in Howard County, MD.” In 2011, AAMM became the first museum in the community of Maple Lawn in Fulton, MD, in Howard County. In addition, AAMM is the only known museum in the United States of America which is devoted exclusively to the art and culture of the continent of Africa founded by a Black female.