A Cultural Gem in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
Located on the premises of the Yoruba Cultural Center at 7111 Marvin D. Love Freeway (US-67), Ste. 101A, Dallas, TX 75237, the Yoruba Art and Heritage Museum occupies 5,000 square feet of floor space with an authentic and wide-ranging collection of original artworks, cultural artifacts, and books that tell the 1,000-year story of Yoruba cultural existence. Upon entering the lobby, the eyes of the visitor are greeted by a stunning display of exquisitely executed artworks. Many of these are acrylic and oil paintings on canvas by the Curator, Dr. Oladele Olusanya. The historical progression of the exhibits and information plaques strategically placed on the walls take the visitor on an unforgettable and highly educative tour from the mythical origins of the Yoruba people at the time of Oduduwa to modern Yoruba legends, such as Obafemi Awolowo, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Alaafin of Oyo, Ooni of Ife, and Wole Soyinka. The visitor is also introduced to an integration of Yoruba cultural heritage with the contemporary culture of African Americans – with stories and portraits of American icons, such as Muhammad Ali, Louis Armstrong, and the famed basketball star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose grandmother, we are told, was a slave brought over from Yorubaland who spoke Yoruba till the end of her life.
A Message from the Curator
“Promoting the art and culture of the Yoruba people: The aim of the ground-breaking Yoruba Art and Heritage Museum is to showcase, in colorful panorama, the history and culture of the Yoruba people through the collection and exhibition of original artworks and cultural artifacts in a permanent display with periodic exhibitions to highlight various facets of Yoruba culture for the education and benefit of the public. The Museum cannot exist without public support. We, therefore, appeal to everyone who has enjoyed the beauty and intellectual stimulation of this collection to support the Museum and other programs of the Yoruba Cultural Center with an online donation on this website.”
Dr Oladele Olusanya, President & Curator
A Functional Events Center
The main gallery, lobby, and rooms of the Yoruba Cultural Center and the Yoruba Art and Heritage Museum are available for lease to outside groups and individuals for such events as:
- Photo shoots
- Book launching
- Meetings, Conferences, and Reunions
- Small parties and gatherings
- Cultural shows
- Bridal showers, baby showers, and family celebrations
Please use the Contact Us form on this webpage to send your request to the Secretary, Yoruba Cultural Center, Dallas.
Museum Shop
The Museum shop is being developed in partnership with a third-party vendor to offer for sale posters, copies of works in the museum, miscellaneous Yoruba cultural memorabilia, arts and crafts, and fashionable and casual wear with a Yoruba theme, such as adire, dashikis, and aso-oke. Interested parties will also be able to order Yoruba food, music, photo, and video-graphic coverage of events, as well as information on cultural sites and events in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
Reading Room
The Museum’s Reading Room is a quiet place where members of the public, especially young people, will have the opportunity to browse Yoruba literary gems, such as the works of D.O. Fagunwa and J.F. Odunjo, as well as art books, scholarly tomes, magazines, and journals from Yorubaland. The Museum also serves as a venue for the Yoruba language school, talking drum, dance and theater lessons, and meetings of Yoruba and African-American youth groups.
Museum Tidbits
Opening hours:
Saturday & Sundays 10 am – 6 pm
Monday – Friday 1 pm – 4 pm
Admission: Children aged 18 and below – FREE
Adults – $20 per visitor
Group tours (more than 5 individuals) will receive a 25% discount
General Rules:
No food or drinks
No loud speech or noise
No pets
No touching or handling of art works and exhibits
To take photos and videos, permission must be obtained.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Donations and other payments to our organization can be made by credit card or PayPal on this website; by mailing us a check payable to Yoruba Cultural Center; or by Zelle on your phone to 646-637-3858
For the Yoruba Cultural Center, a non-profit organization and public charity, to continue to share the original artworks and cultural exhibits in its groundbreaking Museum, it needs the financial support of people like you. Please make your donation on this page.
To enroll yourself or your children in the YORUBA MUSIC (DRUM & DANCE) AND THEATER classes, click on the Download Form link below.
To donate, kindly fill out the form below.