This department serves as a national and international authority on the conservation of African art. Both the conservation and curatorial departments invite the public to bring their objects to the museum, by appointment, for identification and advice on taking care of them. The museum has also created a variety of educational programs. Through materials such as videotapes about African art and images of the museum's growing collections, the museum reaches out to teachers and students. Workshops and demonstrations by African and African-American artists engage audiences eager to meet and talk with practicing artists.
Films offer contemporary perspectives on African life and art.
Tours, storytelling, festivals and workshops engage both young and old through lively presentations that bring Africa's oral traditions, literature and art to life. As the National Museum of African Art enters the new century, it seeks to improve existing programs and create new ones that will benefit the public. Supplementary funding would allow the museum to create a much needed orientation gallery, the primary objective of the museum in the forthcoming Smithsonian fundraising campaign. This gallery will provide visitors with an introduction to some of the unique aspects of African art, and increase their awareness of its presence in our everyday lives. Programs created for this facility can be redesigned in the form of videos and CD-ROMs for use as educational products and curriculum materials.