Dabls Mbad African Bead Museum looks to rebuild, expand

As the dust settles from a contested demolition, Olayami Dabls is back in the fight.

Dabls’ famed Mbad African Bead Museum, the bedazzled monolith which sat for years — albeit in disrepair — on Grand River Avenue is looking for donors to refurbish its space after part of the museum founder’s structure was demolished by the City of Detroit earlier this summer.

“Our vision is to build an intergenerational art program designed to increase connectivity across cultures and generations through storytelling and cultural memory sharing,” Dabls writes on the museum’s Instagram account. “By creating a viable museum space, we will be able to better serve our community and preserve our cultural heritage.”

On Dabls’ wish list: Rebuilding the museum to create a functional and inspiring venue for exhibitions and educational programs; developing an enclosed area for gatherings, exhibitions, school tours, and educational workshops; establishing a dedicated space for visiting artists, fostering creativity and cultural exchange; and creating additional space for a larger museum administration team.

It’s not the first time the museum has staged efforts for renovation and expansion. As Model D reported in 2017, the museum sought funding for a large-scale makeover to be included in a statewide placemaking initiative. At the time, Dabls sought to rebuild one of the rowhouses to feature free rotating exhibitions of African beads and artifacts, and looked to create a public gathering place and events space.

Dabls and the museum are looking to raise nearly $400,000 for renovations. A crowdfunding link created and shared by Dabls is live here.