The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) celebrates the cultural breadth of Africa and its diaspora via the production and presentation of visual, literary, and performing arts. Using art, education, and advocacy as vehicles for social change, we mitigate the effects of systemic racism by amplifying “voices” that are essential to the Black experience to transform people and neighborhoods near and far.
Our mission was born in 1999 from the graduate thesis of our founder Laurie Angela Cumbo on the feasibility of an African art museum contributing to the revitalization of neighboring Black communities. Twenty four years later, our mission has grown through artistic presentations, community conversations, creative expression, interactive learning, and cultural preservation. Operating as a safe space where few exist for Black people, MoCADA facilitates intersectional conversations about socio economic issues that directly impact our community, while delivering resources necessary for their thrive-ability and advocating for equity and access on every level.
Twenty plus years since our inception, MoCADA has grown through three programmatic arms — Art, Education, and Advocacy, operates from four spaces, and has given platform to over 100 artists from 20+ countries across the diaspora.
