The International African American Museum (IAAM) is a museum of African-American history in Charleston, South Carolina, on the site where Gadsden's Wharf, the disembarkation point of up to 40% of all American enslaved persons, once stood. Construction of the IAAM began in January 2020 after 20 years of planning. [1] The museum opened on June 27, 2023. [2]
Conception and construction
The idea of the museum was initiated by former Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. [3] The city had previously sold the land to a restaurateur, but after construction on the site discovered traces of Gadsden's Wharf, Riley decided to repurchase the land. [4]
The construction budget of the museum is $75 million. Joe Riley raised money for the project as a private citizen. The $25 million private donation goal was met in 2018. [4] The South Carolina General Assembly delayed a $25 million contribution to the project, which delayed construction of the 40,000-square-foot facility.
The city of North Charleston donated $1 million to the project. Keith Sumney, the mayor of North Charleston, stated that he hoped the museum would include an exhibit on Liberty Hill, a historically black neighborhood in North Charleston. [5]
The design architect is Harry Cobb, of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, working in collaboration with Moody Nolan architectural firm of Columbus, Ohio; the exhibition designer is Ralph Appelbaum Associates and the landscape designer is Walter Hood, of Oakland, California. [6] The museum will be built on the Cooper River, with a view towards Fort Sumter and out to the Atlantic Ocean. [3] [7]
References
- ^ "IAAM, the International African American Museum Is Now Under Construction". ArchDaily. January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ Fernandes, Megan. "Post and Courier: Connecting the past to the present: IAAM opening month attracts 14K visitors". IAAMuseum.org. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ a b "Charleston's New Museum: Cobblestones and bones". The Economist. January 5, 2017.
- ^ a b Kimmelman, Michael (March 28, 2018). "Charleston Needs That African American Museum. And Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
- ^ Williams, Emily (August 21, 2019). "City of North Charleston plans to give $1 million to International African American Museum". Post and Courier. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
- ^ Kimmelman, Michael (March 28, 2018). " Charleston Needs That African American Museum. And Now Archived March 29, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". New York Times. nytimes.com. Retrieved April 1, 2018. Print version, "In Charleston, a Museum Long Past Due", March 29, 2018, p. C1, 4.
- ^ Waters, Dustin (September 23, 2016). "International African-American Museum to go before architectural review board next week". Charleston City Paper. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.