Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists

The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists celebrates the visual arts heritage of African cultures and the African diaspora. Housed since 1980 in the historic Abbotsford Estate in Roxbury, it has presented historical and contemporary exhibitions of African, African American and Caribbean art in painting, sculpture, graphics, photography and decorative arts. Its collection numbers over 3,000 objects, and its exhibits have included Aspelta: A Nubian King’s Burial Chamber.

The center’s music division produces Black Nativity, written by Langston Hughes, which over fifty years has become a cherished Boston tradition, with a December 2026 run at the Emerson Paramount Center. The organization has long provided a platform for established, new and underrepresented artists of the diaspora. After the pandemic, its board began reassessing its financial and operating model and how best to steward its history for future artists, scholars and visitors.

What to Know

• The museum is currently closed to the public except for special events.
• The Aspelta exhibit features 60 objects from the Nubian king’s tomb.
• The music division has also produced a theatrical presentation of Nubian history.
• Memberships and donations support the organization.