by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
San Francisco’s Black art scene is thriving.
The Golden Gate Bridge. Cable cars with a backdrop of San Francisco Bay. Fog rolling over the hills. That’s often the version of San Francisco that people see on postcards and crave when they finally make a trip to Northern California.
But San Francisco has long stood at the intersection of innovation, activism, and art, especially for Black artists. Tucked into the heart of the Yerba Buena arts district is the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), where Black art, culture, and history are the main attraction and not just a footnote. It’s the other side of San Francisco that isn’t always on display, but is absolutely worth booking a flight for.
At the helm is Monetta White, executive director and CEO, who is notably a native San Franciscan. Leading MoAD is personal for White.
“I want to make sure that the representation of Black culture is here and shown,” she says. “The Bay Area has been a beacon of Black art … and to be able to really highlight those artists, to see them, to give them their flowers, especially for the older artists that hadn’t been seen, it really is a big thing for us.”
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“That, to me, made me really proud,” White says.
“It’s really about timing and impact,” she explains.
White says that a solo exhibition at a major museum, at the right moment, can change the entire trajectory of a career, opening doors to galleries, collectors, and institutions and creating pathways toward long-term financial sustainability.
But if there is one event that crystallizes everything MoAD stands for and gives travelers a specific reason to put San Francisco on the calendar, it is Nexus.
“If you’re looking for what’s happening in San Francisco around Black art,” White says, “this is something you should check out.”
For the culturally curious traveler, Nexus is more than an invitation. It is a reason to go. Find more information about Nexus, including the artists and exhibitions, on the event’s website.
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Source: Black Enterprise
