Maryland African-American Museum Celebrates June 25th Grand Opening

Lew Myers
919.941.9790

06/21/2005

Baltimore, MD - The new Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, the largest African-American Museum on the east coast, and one of the largest in the United States, opens June 25th as the next major tourist attraction on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Designed by The Freelon Group of Durham, NC and RTKL Associates of Baltimore, the $33M museum is expected to host more than 300,000 visitors in its first year.

These visitors will see permanent and special exhibitions, interactive galleries telling the story of some of the nation's most courageous heroes, a two-story theater, and an oral history recording studio allowing visitors to listen to stories or record their own experiences. The museum's bold design has produced a modern, five-story structure clad in black granite, aluminum, glass and red brick. The $33 million building celebrates African-Americans in Maryland who have overcome obstacles, a spirit demonstrated by an oversized sign on the museum's north wall proclaiming: "What obstacles will you overcome today?"

"Like no other museum in the nation, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum is an institution demonstrating the diversity of the African-American experience through stories, oral histories, exhibits and public programming. It will also celebrate those African-American Marylanders who through their legacies, encourage future generations to keep reaching for their dreams no matter what," states Board Chairman George L. Russell, Jr.

The Freelon Group is an African-American owned firm with 55 staff and offices in Charlotte and Research Triangle Park, NC. Founded by Philip G. Freelon, FAIA in 1990, the firm has grown by seeking out projects that add value to the community, and by delivering award-winning solutions. Although museum work is a small part of its overall practice, The Freelon Group is designing several African-American museums cultural projects, more than any other architectural firm in the US. Significant projects include the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University in New Orleans, and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, NC. The firm is also completing a feasibility study for relocating the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Building Facts

Location: Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the city's premier tourist attraction
Size: 82,000 square feet
Opening: Saturday, June 25th at 10 AM; corner of Pratt and Presidents Streets
Funding: The State of Maryland and the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation provided the capital construction resources for the project; a variety of additional public and private resources will fund the museum's operating budget.
Images: Photography and project images available from The Freelon Group