Showcasing African Artistry: The Afromusée Embraces African Art from its Roots

Showcasing African Artistry: The Afromusée Embraces African Art from its Roots

Montreal's Afro Museum Seeks Financial Stability and New Rental Space

The Afro Museum, a private institution located on Ontario Street at the border of the Latin Quarter in Montreal, presents traditional and contemporary African and Afro-descendant art. With over 2000 distinct pieces, including a tall Malian wooden statue representing the goddess of fertility, the museum has been a cultural gem in the city since its inception in 2014 as an art gallery.

However, the museum has been grappling with financial stability. Mushagalusa Chigoho, the general director of the Afro Museum, a former art collector and ambassador of African culture in Montreal, has expressed concern about the length of time they have been struggling financially. The museum's team consists of four full-time employees and relies on many volunteers and private donors.

To ensure its financial stability, the Afro Museum is actively seeking solutions. One approach is to find a cheaper rental space, ideally with assistance from the City of Montreal. The museum's current expenses include rent, employees' salaries, insurance, utilities (Hydro-Québec), and other operational costs.

Private museums like the Afro Museum sustain their operations and achieve financial stability through a combination of strategic board support, diversified revenue streams, and mission-aligned business models. The Afro Museum has a central space for modern art paintings, which are acquired through various means, including the Regards croisés project. The museum also hosts shows and events to generate additional revenue.

The museum's board is open-minded and values cultural and community wealth over solely financial contributions. This board supports leadership, enables strategic planning, and provides wise counsel, fostering long-term stability and growth. The Afro Museum also develops sustainable income streams related to its mission, such as admissions, gift shops, special events, and year-round programs.

Innovative fundraising and programming are also key to the Afro Museum's strategy. Engaging fundraisers evolving into permanent programs, like a Christmas market becoming an urban manufacturing incubator, can both raise funds and embed the museum within the local economy and culture, creating multiple benefits simultaneously.

The Afro Museum's strategic business models and financial forecasting also contribute to its financial sustainability. Museums use tools and frameworks like the American Alliance of Museums’ TrendsWatch to analyze financial sustainability, balance expenses with income sources (earned revenue, charitable giving, investments), and adapt to changing contexts.

Despite these efforts, the Afro Museum has been unable to secure operating subsidies from the Ministry of Culture and Communications. The general director expresses feelings of not being listened to by decision-makers in the cultural milieu. The museum has also plans to reapply for the ministerial museum agreement.

Several private Canadian collectors and institutions like the Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke have donated works to the Afro Museum, which is open from Thursday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. The museum also has a thematic collection called the Citizen Collection, which features works inspired by historical figures such as Alexander Grant, Marie-Josèphe Angélique, and the Coloured Women's Club of Montreal.

Despite the challenges, the Afro Museum continues to be a vital part of Montreal's cultural landscape, showcasing the richness and diversity of African and Afro-descendant art.

1. The Afro Museum, struggling financially, is seeking a cheaper rental space in Montreal, hoping for assistance from the City.
2. To complement their financial strategy, the Afro Museum engages in innovative fundraising and programming, such as transforming a Christmas market into an urban manufacturing incubator.
3. The museum's board encourages cultural and community wealth, providing strategic planning, leadership, and wise counsel for long-term stability and growth.
4. In addition to admissions and gift shops, the Afro Museum generates additional revenue through hosting shows and events.
5. Despite difficulties securing operating subsidies, the Afro Museum continues to receive support from private Canadian collectors, institutions like the Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke, and visitors from Thursday to Sunday.
6. The museum showcases its thematic collection, the Citizen Collection, which includes works inspired by historical figures like Alexander Grant, Marie-Josèphe Angélique, and the Coloured Women's Club of Montreal.
7. In their pursuit of financial stability, the Afro Museum follows business models that emphasize a combination of strategic board support, diversified revenue streams, and mission-aligned approaches in areas such as lifestyle (fashion-and-beauty, relationships, personal-growth, shopping), food-and-drink, home-and-garden, cars, education-and-self-development, sports, travel, and pets.

Read also: