Cultural Museum Of African Art Opens In Bed-Stuy

BED-STUY, NY — Restoration Plaza is now home to over 3,000 ancient African artifacts, collected over 50 years, in the newly opened Cultural Museum of African Art.

Previously sat in Clinton Hill, Eric Edwards' collection opened on Nov. 18 on the second floor of Restoration Plaza on Fulton Street between New York and Brooklyn Avenues.

The new location has been in the works for years, specially designed by architect Rodney Leon, curator Eric Edwards told Patch.

And attendees have loved the new location, Edwards said. The new space opened with a six-month exhibit titled "Survival," featuring hundreds of pieces, many from West Africa, Edwards said.

"They're flabbergasted," he said of early museum guests.

"The collection illuminates our stories and journeys over thousands of years to the beginnings of man and womankind," Edwards said of the collection on the museum's website.

The Bed-Stuy space will allow Edwards to put on rotating six-month exhibitions, educational programming for local kids and receptions, he said.

A $1 million grant from Assembly Members Stefani Zinerman and Carl Heastie helped the museum get to its new location.

"The preservation of history, specifically African American history, has oftentimes been overlooked," said Heastie in a statement on the museum's website.

"Investments like these ensure that African art and its rich history can be studied and enjoyed by future generations."

The museum — which is free for visitors — is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10. a.m. to 6 p.m.