The Guide to Black Cultural Institurions in Los Angeles

The Underground Museum

From history to art and music, explore the full spectrum of the African American experience at these LA cultural institutions.

African American Firefighter Museum: The city's first segregated fire station, Fire Station No. 30 was built in 1913 and reopened in 1997 as the home of the African American Firefighter Museum. The two-story museum includes original poles and a vintage hose cart from 1890, as well as photos and news clippings, helmets, badges, vintage uniforms and more.

Band of Vices: One of the leading contemporary art spaces in the burgeoning West Adams Arts District of Los Angeles, Band of Vices was founded in 2015 by veteran actor and art curator Terrell Tilford.

(Please see more @Curate.la's fantastic list here.)

CAAM: Located at Exposition Park in Downtown LA, the California African American Museum (CAAM) exists to research, collect, preserve and interpret the history, art and culture of African Americans. The museum's permanent collection houses 4,000 objects that span landscape painting and portraiture, modern and contemporary art, historical objects and print materials, and mixed-media artworks.

Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center: Part of the world famous Watts Towers Campus and named after jazz great Charles Mingus, the youth center gives children a safe and creative atmosphere for individual expression with guidance and direction from professional artists.

LEIMERT PARK
Dubbed the “Black Greenwich Village” by the late filmmaker John Singleton, the historic neighborhood of Leimert Park is widely regarded as the cultural hub for African Americans in LA.

• Art + Practice: Founded by artist Mark Bradford, philanthropist and collector Eileen Harris Norton, and community activist Allan DiCastro, Art + Practice (A+P) is a nonprofit foundation based in Leimert Park Village. A+P supports the needs of South L.A. foster youth and provides the community with access to museum-curated contemporary art.
• KAOS Network: Ben Caldwell founded the acclaimed community media lab, KAOS Network in 1990. Since then the institution has garnered a worldwide reputation with its signature program, Project Blowed. Co-founded in 1994 by Aceyalone and Abstract Rude, Project Blowed is renowned as the longest running open mic youth workshop in the world.
• The World Stage: Founded in 1989 by the late legendary jazz drummer, Billy Higgins and poet and community arts activist, Kamau Daáood, The World Stage is affectionately known locally as simply "The Stage."

Museum of African American Art: Hidden inside the Macy's at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, the Museum of African American Art was founded in 1976 by artist and art historian Dr. Samella Lewis and a group of community leaders. Over the years, the museum CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum: Located in South Los Angeles, Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum (TAM) is a living classroom that brings aviation history to life and empowers the dreams of underprivileged youth to literally take flight. TAM features interactive exhibits that explore racial diversity in the evolution of modern flight, as well as a Sky Lab computer center, Tuskegee Airmen Learning Center, and operating and static display aircraft.

The Underground Museum: Opened in 2012, The Underground Museum is the realization of the dream of the late artist Noah Davis to bring world-class art to Arlington Heights. Davis was a rising star in the art world who established a relationship with MOCA to exhibit works from the permanent collection. Although The Underground Museum focuses on contemporary African American art, a message at the museum's entrance notes, "This is a black space, but all are welcome."

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