Will
Lead Only Museum of Its Kind To Explore Humanity's Origins,
Movements, Adaptations and Transformations
San Francisco, CA (BlackNews.com) - The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) today announced that V. Denise Bradley, who played a leadership role in the largest exhibition of contemporary art from Africa ever shown in Europe, is MoAD's newly appointed executive director. The museum is scheduled to open in downtown San Francisco in late November.
"This is a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Bradley, "to inform
and educate people about humanity's origins in Africa, as
well as about the dispersal movements that followed, populating
the world. We'll be commissioning original works, presenting
global traveling exhibitions, as well as using film, video
and multimedia presentations to tell the exciting story of
the African Diaspora," she said.
Bradley
most recently served in London as AFRICA REMIX Liaison
Officer at the South Bank Centre, where she developed
an integrated marketing and programming model that generated
large and diverse audiences. In that capacity she worked
closely with numerous art galleries, the Museum Kunst
Palast in Dusseldorf, the Centre Pompidou in Paris,
and the Mori Museum in Tokyo. Her career also includes
developing global licensing strategy for key Warner
Bros. consumer products. She also worked at Walt Disney
International, and graduated from Stanford University
and the Harvard Business School.
"With
MoAD's opening exhibitions featuring the oldest object
in the British Museum's collections, selections from
the renowned Eileen Harris Norton and Peter Norton Collections,
and site-specific creations by artists from Cuba, Brazil
and San Francisco - we know our opening exhibitions
will seize public attention and increase awareness of
remarkably diverse art, film and multimedia reflecting
the long-term impact of the African Diaspora in provocative
and engaging ways," Bradley added.
"MoAD
will focus on our shared human experiences," noted Belva
Davis, president of the Board of Directors, and a well
known Bay Area journalist who is Executive Producer
of a series of MoAD films. Producer Ron Stacker Thompson's
("Sister Act 2"," Deep Cover",) film will tell the story
of human celebrations. Bay Area writer Guy Johnson and
his mother, Maya Angelou, are producing material for
the "Slavery Passages'" exhibit. In MoAD's Freedom Theater,
South African Director Welcome Msomi, and Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane
(Nelson Mandela's daughter) will offer an intimate look
at the Mandela story of personal triumph; Doug McHenry's
("New Jack City," "Jason's Lyrics") film about the Haitian
Revolution will feature Danny Glover; and producer Arleigh
Prelow's film will convey the story of the civil rights'
movement and the leadership role played by theologian
Dr. Howard Thurman in that non-violent movement. Award-winning
Director Catherine Margerin, ("Hope") and the Luna Media
Group also will contribute original music and videos
for MoAD's Music, Culinary and Adornment exhibits.
MoAD's Grand Opening festivities begin with a free community
preview on Saturday, November 26 and run through Friday,
December 2. Visitors will begin their experience at
MoAD's Mission Street entrance with the spectacular
"Girl from Ghana" photo-mosaic based on a photograph
by Chester Higgins and created by Robert Silvers - a
two-storey high dramatic image comprised of more than
2,100 photos donated by people from around the world.
As of Dec. 3, MoAD is officially open to the public.
Located in Yerba Buena Gardens' Cultural District, where
both a new Contemporary Jewish Museum and a new Mexican
Museum are planned - MoAD will occupy the first three
floors of the new $200-million, five-star St. Regis
Hotel and luxury condominium complex. Its space also
will extend into the third floor of the San Francisco's
historic Williams' Building.
MoAD just successfully completed Phase I of its "Heritage
Campaign," and has raised $5.4 million since August
2004. The remaining goal of the Campaign is $15 million
over the next five years. The San Francisco Redevelopment
Agency, which has been an important partner in developing
and constructing the Museum, will continue to support
the Museum's operations over the next 12 years.
Major corporate contributors to date to MoAD include
Catholic Healthcare West, Wells Fargo Bank, Ronald MacDonald
House Charities, The Koret Foundation, Hewlett Packard,
The Hearst Foundation, Carpenter & Company, and PG&E.
Heritage Campaign Chair, Dr. Ernest Bates, chairman
of American Shared Hospital Services, and Venture Capitalist
Arthur Rock and his wife, Attorney Toni Rembe, are the
largest individual donors.
"What
we are about to unveil the week-end after Thanksgiving,"
Davis added, "will provide visitors with amazing information
about the origins and dispersal of the richly diverse
human family we interact with every day." Bradley added,
"It's a humbling challenge to present humanity's complexities
in ways at once informative, entertaining and motivating
for a broad range of audiences - but MoAD's staff and
its Board are eager to do the job. We look forward to
showcasing a unique, world-class, museum experience
for everyone."
For more information and JPEG photos of Ms. Bradley
and Ms. Davis, please visit the web site, www.moadsf.org,
or call 415-358-7200.
PRESS CONTACT:
V. Denise Bradley, vdb@moadsf.org, 415-358-7200
Ave Montague, avem@sbcglobal.net, 415-346-0199
William Strawn, wstrawn@mackenziesf.com, 415-403-0800
Email
This Article To A Friend
