Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts Center

The Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts Center is a museum and performing arts venue at 1224 South Louisiana Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is located on the former campus of the First Baptist Church of Little Rock, an historic property listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The former church, built in 1941, is a prominent local example of Collegiate Gothic architecture, designed by local architect A.N. McAninch.[2] Little Rock's First Baptist congregation now meets at 62 Pleasant Valley Drive.

First Baptist Church
Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts Center is located in Arkansas
Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts Center
Location in Arkansas
Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts Center is located in the United States
Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts Center
Location in United States
LocationJct. of 12th and Louisiana Sts., SW corner, Little Rock, Arkansas
Coordinates34°44′14″N 92°16′26″W / 34.73722°N 92.27389°W / 34.73722; -92.27389
Arealess than one acre
Built1941
ArchitectA. N. McAninch
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.94000823[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 9, 1994

Mission

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The museum was established in 1993 by Ernie Dodson, and was first known as "Ernie's Museum of Black Arkansans", and is still often referred to by the acronym EMOBA. Its stated mission is to "promote awareness of Arkansas’s black history and to create unity and personal pride within the community, schools, colleges, and universities by recognizing those black Arkansans who were the first or best in their fields, showcasing how black struggles and achievements have influenced the development of Arkansas. It is working to develop a performing arts theater to highlight and train African-American artists."[3] It is open by appointment.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "NRHP nomination for First Baptist Church". Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  3. ^ "Museum of Black Arkansas and Performing Arts Center". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  4. ^ "EMOBA: Ernie's Museum of Black Arkansans". Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 22 January 2017.