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.
Situated at the center of San Francisco’s premier arts and culture corridor, the contemporary art museum is solely dedicated to the art of the African diaspora. Its reach extends far beyond its walls with world-class exhibitions, robust community programming, and an education initiative that serves more than 50 Title One schools across the Bay Area.
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.”
MoAD Celebrates 10 Years of Highlighting Black Artists In Emerging Artists Program
MoAD’s commitment to Black artists through its Emerging Artists Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary. It’s
through this program that the late and great multimedia artist Joe Sam had his first-ever museum show. A well-known figure in Bay Area art circles, Sam spent decades creating without ever receiving institutional recognition until MoAD changed that. He passed away not long after the exhibition closed but had a chance to stand in a room and see his work on museum walls.“That, to me, made me really proud,” White says.
Stories like Sam’s are exactly why MoAD’s Emerging Artist Program matters. Now celebrating its 10th year, the program functions as a launchpad for Bay Area artists at pivotal moments in their careers. Emerging, White is careful to clarify, has nothing to do with age or credentials.
“It’s really about timing and impact,” she explains.
The current cohort comprises Jasmine Ross, Demetri Broxton, Dorian Reed, and Tahirah Rasheed, who will each present solo exhibitions through early 2027, accompanied by artist talks, honoraria, and the kind of visibility that moves careers forward.
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.
Now in its third year, Nexus: San Francisco Bay Area Black Art Week is a city-wide celebration of Black art and culture running Sept. 30 through Oct. 3. What began as a bold idea has grown into a national draw, pulling artists, collectors, and culture enthusiasts from across the country to the Bay Area for a week of exhibitions, artist talks, openings, and events rooted entirely in the richness of Black creative expression. MoAD leads the charge.
“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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