325 South Clara Avenue
DeLand, FL 32721 (386) 736-4004
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We are delighted to announce that the African American
Museum of the Arts, Inc. is officially opened four days a week
starting on April 6, 2023. The hours are Wednesday through Friday
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m. The admission is free and open to the public.
We hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
Mary Allen, CEO
Our Community’s History
DeLand Black Heritage Trail
AAMA is proud to report its support of the DeLand Black Heritage Trail. The Trail offers self-guided cycling
or walking routes to connect local Black heritage sites, including the Museum and its Dr. Noble “Thin Man”
Watts amphitheater and Moses Sun mural celebrating the joy of jazz.
Mary Allen and several members of the AAMA Board participated in planning meetings to develop a list of
important sites. AAMA is listed as a co-sponsoring organization, along with The St Johns River to Sea Loop
Alliance, Cusack Spring Hill Resource Center, Great Union First Baptist Church, West Volusia Historical
Society, Stetson University, and Spring Hill business owners and residents, among others. Funding was
provided by the Florida Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
As stated by the Black Heritage Trail leaders, including St. Johns River to Sea Loop Alliance director,
Maggie Ardito, the trail encourages cyclists and pedestrians to explore places of historical importance and
to create deeper connections within their community in a health-oriented way. These connections can be a
catalyst to breaking barriers and economic divides through shared historical awareness and community bonds.
The Black Heritage Trail will benefit from the City of DeLand’s proposed improvements to West Voorhis Avenue
to the Clara Avenue intersection. Both projects will also improve the visibility of AAMA’s new building and
its gallery and community meeting spaces.
The Trail will likely also contribute to plans for bringing out-of-towners into DeLand from the new SunRail
station, placing AAMA at the city’s “front door.”
Select the button below to view a map of the trail and its heritage sites and to find out more about the
DeLand Black Heritage Trail.
“A Message of Peace”
A Virtual Exhibit, By Sarah Matthaei
Sarah Matthaei has created over 1,000 minicanvases
(2×2) with a personal message with you
in mind. Each canvas she created is one of a kind,
limited edition with a message for you. You can
obtain your two-by-two message of peace
original artwork canvas with your donation of $20
by pressing the donate button on the museum
website. You can pay three ways by PayPal, credit
card or debit card.
If you need additional information you can
contact the museum from Wednesday – Friday
10am-4pm. By phone and email only.
Phone: (386) 736-4004
Email: africanmuseumdeland@gmail.com
Your support will help the museum to provide
cultural and historical programs and activities for
the Deland community.
Get Involved
The AAMA is a not-for-profit arts facility dedicated to promoting multicultural artistic excellence and
providing educational, historical and cultural opportunities to all ages, specifically the African American
community, in visual, literary and performing arts; while encouraging interaction with the community through
on-site and outreach exhibitions, presentations and historical research.
PROGRAMS
The African American Museum of the Arts has a variety of year-round internship programs available for college
students.
PROGRAMS>
CALENDAR
Check out The Story Quilters of Hannibal Square Exhibit and our other upcoming events.
CALENDAR>
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Please click on the link below to read the most recent monthly newsletter from the African American Museum of
the Arts.
NEWSLETTER>
Our Exciting News!
The African American Museum of Arts, Inc. is happy to report that we have received about $1 million dollars
in grant funds for the purpose of renovating our current building and constructing a new building with a
greatly expanded gallery and meeting space. Florida’s Department of State and Volusia County’s ECHO Program
provided the grant in support of these plans to support our mission of providing art, culture, and history
to the public.
Our current museum is housed in an 800-square-foot building that has a restroom, a small office, a storage
room, our main gallery for rotating exhibits, and a small gallery for our permanent collections. We are
planning to renovate our current premises in addition to constructing a new facility adjacent to it at 325
Clara Ave. in DeLand.
In the latest design, the new building has a welcome desk, gift store, several gallery spaces, a
multipurpose meeting room, a library of material on Black art and culture, ADA restrooms, and storage and
catering space. CPH is the design firm for the project. The Project Advisory Committee for the Museum is
headed by Reginald Williams, Board Chair, and Keith Riger, a retired civil engineer for the City of
DeLand.
To help with the rising expense of building and to finish and furnish the new building, we’re committed to
raising additional money from our supporters. We also hope to establish a fund for the maintenance of the
Museum’s complex.
Please consider making a donation to help us in our mission to expand the museum. Reach out to Chair
Reginald Williams if you’d like to discuss a gift and naming opportunities.
You can also mail a donation to the museum or make one here through PayPal in any amount. The ‘’donate”
button located at the top of the page will lead you directly to the link. Tax deductions apply to all
donations. In advance, we appreciate your help!
We hope you will return to our webpage and Facebook page to follow the progress of our new building
construction and renovation of our current building
