The African American Museum, Dallas is taking spring cleaning to a new level with its facility improvements. The museum announced a temporary closure in March and now plans to reopen May 1 with two new exhibitions opening in May and June, People Who Make the World Go ‘Round: The Legacy of Sepia Ma gazine and Mandela: The Official Exhibition. The Fair Park museum’s updates include a range of routine facility improvements and restorations from floor repairs, auditorium renovations and painting to electrical work, HVAC and technology upgrades. The renovations aim to enhance the visitor experience, just in time for a busy summer schedule. The reopening coincides with the opening of a new special exhibition, People Who Make the World Go ‘Round: The Legacy of Sepia Magazine, on view from May 1 to Aug. 11. The exhibition draws from the museum’s Sepia photographic archive of more than 40,000 images, highlighting many of the 29th century’s most influential Black icons such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Maya Angelou, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. Published for nearly four decades, Sepia served as a powerful voice in Black journalism, chronicling political change, cultural innovation and everyday life in African American communities nationwide. During its peak, Sepia emerged as a national competitor to Ebony and Jet magazines, distinguished by its Southern perspective and editorial voice rooted in the American South. Photographer Once Known, Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, n.d.; modern print on aluminum, 27 x 34 7/16 inches; Courtesy of the Sepia Photographic Archive at the African American Museum of Dallas. The magazine was founded in Fort Worth in 1946 as Negro Achievements by clothing merchant Horace J. Blackwell. After Blackwell’s death in 1949, publisher George Levitan purchased the publication and renamed it Sepia in 1950, continuing its publication until 1983. “Sepia was more than a magazine – it was a powerful platform that documented Black life with depth, nuance and pride,” said Lisa Brown Ross, president and CEO of the African American Museum, Dallas. “Reopening with this exhibition allows us to share that legacy in a renewed space that enhances how these stories are experienced and preserved.” Presented by Exhibits USA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance, the exhibition is organized thematically and explores portraiture, fashion, global politics and the many individuals who helped shape American culture and Fsociety. Admission is free. Beginning June 13, the museum will present Mandela: The Official Exhibition, marking the exhibition’s Texas debut. The exhibition explores the life of one of the world’s most recognizable champions of freedom and justice – whose vision of justice, service and reconciliation continues to inspire people around the globe. Presented in partnership with the City of Dallas, the exhibition will serve as both a cultural anchor and welcoming destination for international visitors during World Cup “Fan Fest” activities at Fair Park and the Cotton Bowl Stadium. “Nelson Mandela devoted his life to justice and to the fight against apartheid, enduring 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa’s first democratically elected president,” Brown Ross said. “This exhibition tells the full arc of his life and affirms the Museum’s role as a vital cultural destination for North Texas and for visitors from around the world.” The exhibition also highlights Mandela’s ties to soccer as Dallas prepares to host nine World Cup matches. Mandela embraced the sport as a tool for unity and hope in post-apartheid South Africa. From organizing matches while imprisoned to championing the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mandela demonstrated how soccer could bridge deep divisions. His appearance at the tournament’s closing match, when he donned South Africa’s national team jersey, became an enduring symbol of sport’s power to unite a nation and inspire the world. Part of the Freedom?, a gallery dedicated to the years of chaos leading up to the landmark ’94 election. “That this exhibition coincides with the FIFA World Cup is especially meaningful,” Brown Ross said. “Mandela believed deeply in the power of sport – particularly soccer – to bring people together knowing that shared humanity can transcend race, class and ideology.” The exhibition, produced by Round Room Live in partnership with The Royal House of Mandela (RHoM) and RHoM Investments, will be on view through November 1 with free admission. The museum has also announced plans to extend Mandela’s message beyond the galleries with a slate of education initiatives launching in January, giving students and educators an early introduction to Mandela as an “icon of liberation and peace.” “Mandela received a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending apartheid peacefully. Through our programs, the Museum will encourage young people to explore Mandela’s principles of service, integrity, compassion, family and leadership while connecting those ideals to their own lives. Youth will learn that greatness is tangible and complex,” said Margie J. Reese, the museum’s chief programs officer. Upon reopening, the museum will resume regular hours of Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Special summer hours will be announced at a later date. Free parking is available in nearby lots. Learn more at: aamdallas.org ...read more read less