Mission

The Northwest African American Museum will be a vibrant community gathering place, a place where youth, adults and families can honor the past and articulate the future. The Museum will document and exhibit the unique historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. The Museum will be a generative institution whose momentum will capture history and culture as it occurs, synthesizing what it means for today and tomorrow.

Vision

Connecting Seattle with the world by discovering, honoring, and celebrating our African American community’s traditions and innovations in art, education, history, and culture.

Floor Plan

The Colman School project will be comprised of two components: museum and housing. The top two floors will consist of 36 mixed income housing rental units. The main floor of the building will be dedicated to the Northwest African American Museum. NAAM will be comprised of over 19,000 sq ft, including:

• 2,340 net square feet (nsf) Multi-Purpose Gallery for travelling exhibitions, audio/visual presentations, and community events

• 4,520 nsf of additional exhibition spaces, including a double-height museum main entry/exhibition space

• 990 nsf bookstore, including exhibition space for local artists

• 750 nsf café that opens out onto the NAAM Sculpture Garden exhibitions, audio/visual presentations, and community events

• 1,960 nsf artist studios; artist workspace and educational outreach spaces for NAAM hands-on art making and student programs

• 960 nsf Multimedia Learning Center

• 5,450 nsf storage, support, and circulation spaces