National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce renovated

‘How I Got Over’ is an exhibit focusing on how African-Americans used art to mobilize their communities. Another new exhibit is planned for the spring.

WILBERFORCE, Ohio — The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center recently reopened with an exhibit dedicated to art that highlights the African-American experience.

Colorful quilts, stark portraits, and sculpture are among the works displayed in the newly renovated museum at 1350 Brush Row Rd. in Wilberforce.

The museum, which opened in 1988, closed for about a year and a half for building upgrades and to remove mold that had crept into exhibit space. Curator Aleia Brown said the museum plans to open another exhibit in the spring.

PHOTO GALLERY: The National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center

It reopened Jan. 26 with its first exhibit, which takes up a small portion of the vast building near the campus of Central State University.

The estimated $600,000 renovation was paid for by funds from the state, insurance proceeds, museum reserves, and the Ohio Historical Society, with which the museum is associated, said society spokesman Shannon Thomas. In the five most recent years of operation, the museum averaged about 7,700 visitors a year, she said.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for college students and children ages 6 to 18, and free for children 5 and younger.