Faith Ringgold and Broadway Housing’s Executive Director, Ellen Baxter
Broadway Housing’s commitment to create a new cultural institution as part of our Sugar Hill Project was sparked by Faith Ringgold, a renowned African American artist and author, who grew up in Sugar Hill. Ringgold has a glorious vision that the Faith Ringgold Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling will share with children the pleasure of personal expression and nurture their love of reading, writing and storytelling through art making. We are honored to be entrusted by Ringgold to fulfill this vision and create a cultural institution in tribute to her creative leadership.
The inclusion of a cultural institution designed to serve children and families is a natural extension of our model to engage families and individuals in creating vibrant, enriched and supportive communities. Children’s museums serve as town squares, building social capital and strengthening community resources that educate and care for children.
Faith Ringgold was born in 1930 in Sugar Hill when African American cultural, intellectual and social prominence and wealth flourished. Her work is exhibited in museums throughout the USA, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Ringgold has written and illustrated more than fourteen children’s books, including the award winning Tar Beach, published in 1991. Her artistry touched thousands of children during her more than 18 years teaching in the New York public school system.
The Ringgold Children’s Museum will occupy approximately 18,000 square feet of The Sugar Hill Project. Current plans call for flexible exhibition space to house a permanent collection of art by Ringgold, changing exhibits of work by her contemporaries, and children’s artwork. Exhibitions will be planned to include activities that encourage visitors to engage with the works both visually and narratively. Art making spaces will provide access to materials and inspiration for creative work during museum visits and offer classes to school groups and the surrounding community. A performance space will host storytelling events and workshops relevant to exhibitions and community needs. Recording and listening stations will enhance the storytelling focus. Other elements will include a museum shop, a café, and media center/library with resources for adults and children.
The Ringgold Children’s Museum will employ state of the art climate control and security and meet standards necessary for accreditation and charter. The museum is intended to serve a broad audience of community members, school groups and visitors from the region and beyond.
