For years, this building stood as part of the evolving landscape of MBAD — transformed by Olayami Dabls through paint, wood, mirrors, and found materials. Though demolished in 2024, it remains part of the visual history and living memory of the museum.
“If you want to move forward, you’ve got to look back.”
— Olayami Dabls”
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Stay connected to what’s happening across MBAD and the evolving work of Olayami Dabls.
Discover upcoming exhibitions, museum events, special projects, collaborations, community gatherings, and the latest announcements from MBAD African Bead Museum.
THE AFRICAN BEAD GALLERY
At the heart of MBAD is an extraordinary collection of African beads — gathered by Olayami Dabls over decades and sourced from across the African continent.
Explore trade beads, handmade strands, jewelry-making materials, and cultural objects that reflect generations of artistry, exchange, identity, and tradition.
More than a shop, the African Bead Gallery is where MBAD began — and where the stories carried through beads continue to be shared.
EXPERIENCE MBAD
There is no single way to experience MBAD.
Walk among monumental outdoor installations, explore the African Language Wall, discover African beads and material culture, and encounter the stories and symbols woven throughout the museum campus.
Go deeper with a guided storytelling tour and learn about the ideas, materials, histories, and traditions that have shaped Olayami Dabls’ work and MBAD for more than 30 years.
STORIES
Follow the journey of MBAD and Olayami Dabls through the moments that happen beyond the museum walls.
From exhibitions, travels, and community gatherings to behind-the-scenes footage, works in progress, and moments from the road, Stories documents the people, places, and experiences that continue to shape MBAD’s evolving legacy.
OLAYAMI DABLS
Artist. Storyteller. Collector. Founder.
For more than five decades, Olayami Dabls has explored the relationship between African material culture, memory, identity, and the human experience.
Through beads, iron, rock, wood, mirrors, painting, sculpture, and storytelling, Dabls has created a visual language rooted in African traditions and shaped by his life in Detroit.
In 1994, that vision gave rise to the MBAD African Bead Museum — an evolving cultural environment where his art, collection, philosophy, and commitment to preserving African material culture continue to meet.
African Future Pop-Up
A fusion of art, design, and culture — African Future is MBAD’s traveling pop-up series bringing the spirit of the museum to new audiences.
Through curated exhibitions, fashion collaborations, and cultural events, we celebrate the innovation and imagination rooted in African traditions.
THE AFRICANFUTURIST GREENHOUSE
Where African cultural knowledge meets art, technology, and the future.
The AfricanFuturist Greenhouse is an MBAD initiative bringing young people, artists, educators, and researchers together to explore the connections between African cultural traditions, design, technology, and creative expression.
Through hands-on learning and experimentation, participants explore everything from African fractals and sustainable growing practices to textiles, wearable art, jewelry, and emerging technologies — transforming cultural knowledge into new forms of making and imagining.
At its heart, the Greenhouse is about more than what we create. It is about giving the next generation the tools to understand where they come from — and the freedom to imagine what comes next.
→ Explore the AfricanFuturist Greenhouse
THE NEXT CHAPTER
N’kisi House
MBAD is building toward its next chapter.
Located within the museum campus, N’kisi House is being reimagined as an expanded cultural space for art, creativity, gathering, and the preservation of African material culture.
The project represents more than the restoration of a historic building — it is an investment in the future of MBAD and the continuation of Olayami Dabls’ vision for generations to come.
Support MBAD
Help preserve a living Detroit legacy.
Your support helps MBAD preserve African material culture, care for our museum campus and outdoor installations, expand educational and community programming, and carry this work forward for future generations.
Every contribution helps sustain a place built through more than 30 years of art, storytelling, collecting, and community.