Arts & Culture
First Look: The International African American Museum
The stunning new Charleston destination uses historical and immersive displays to tell the story of enslaved Africans and Black Americans
Years in the planning, the International African American Museum opens its doors on June 27 at Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina, the spot where some 40 percent of the country’s enslaved Africans set foot on American shores. With twelve permanent exhibitions that include dozens of artifacts, more than thirty works of art, and state-of-the-art interactive experiences, the museum will emphasize the ties between past and present. “This is an encyclopedic museum in the sense that it covers a wide body of history,” says Malika Pryor, the IAAM’s chief learning and engagement officer, “but what you are not going to get is a simple time line.” Read more about the museum here, and below, get a sneak peek inside the facility.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
A view of the Transatlantic Gallery in the museum.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
The entrance.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
The museum includes displays about Charleston, the state of South Carolina, and the broader South.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
Demond Melancon’s Jah Defender Suit, on loan from the Arthur Roger Gallery.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
The Atlantic Worlds Gallery, which blends history, art, and media.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
The Gullah Geechee Gallery, featuring a bateau on loan from Penn Center Inc.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
A Senegalese wooden statue, donated by Gene Waddell.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
Videos and interactive displays greet visitors throughout the museum.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
A sweetgrass basket, a traditional Gullah creation, by basket weaver Corey Alston.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
An exhibition in the museum’s Center for Family History.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
Mohou Modisakeng’s film Passage playing in the Atlantic Worlds Gallery.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
Twelve Years a Slave, an 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup, next to an eighteenth-century freedman’s badge donated by Louise Beidler des Francs.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
The Carolina Gold Gallery details enslaved people’s work in South Carolina’s rice industry.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
“We Begin Here” greets visitors as they enter the American Journeys gallery.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
A work by artist Shaun Leonardo depicting the hands of NBA star LeBron James from the museum’s special exhibition, Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
The museum sits at Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, where thousands of enslaved people arrived from Africa.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
A view outside the building.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
An aerial view.
Photo: Richard Van De Water
The museum, with downtown Charleston as its backdrop.
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