The Association of African American Museums (AAAM) is in final negotiations with the Riverside Convention and Visitors Bureau to host the 38th annual AAAM conference in downtown Riverside in August 2016.
“We are pleased to select Riverside, California as the finalist for our 2016 conference,” said Samuel W. Black, AAAM President, and Director of African American Programs at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“We are excited that the City of Riverside was chosen as the location for the 2016 conference,” said Charles Bibbs, art committee chair. “We are planning the largest exhibit of African-American art and culture on the West Coast.”
Riverside is the host city and the Dora Nelson African American Art and History Museum in Perris, is the host museum in collaboration with Riverside African American Historical Society, The Black Voice Foundation and the Riverside Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“This is an exciting opportunity for more than 1,000 African-American museum leaders to visit Riverside and showcase African-American Culture and to experience the region’s culture,” said Debbie Megna, executive director of the Riverside Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This event will generate income for the convention center and our region’s businesses, hotels, restaurants and encourage shopping with local malls, shops, stores and vendors.”
To take advantage of hosting world’s foremost authorities in the preservation and promotion of African-American Culture to downtown Riverside, the Riverside African-American Festival Committee is planning to host a week long African-American Cultural Celebration to coincide with the conference.
“The addition of a week long African-American Cultural Celebration will increase the number of visitors to more than 10,000 people, generating more revenue to our city and increasing Riverside’s international cultural significance,” said Carl M. Dameron, Committee Chair.
“We are excited about to the opportunity to showcase the Cities of Riverside and Perris and the region as a cultural hub. We plan to celebrate African American culture by partnering with the area’s leading artists, museums, theaters, schools, colleges and universities to showcase world class exhibits of African American art, photography, film, theater, history and music,” said Dameron.
Previous AAAM conferences were held in major eastern cities including Charlotte, North Carolina; Washington D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Tallahassee, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Birmingham, Alabama; St. Louis, Missouri and the farthest west, Denver, Colorado.
The Riverside AAAM Conference 2016 is charged with raising the funds to host the conference. The initial fundraising goal is $15,000, with a third of the funds already committed. The committee is looking for business and community organizations, along with local leaders for sponsorships and advertising at the conference.
Contact Carl M. Dameron at (909) 534-9500 for more information on sponsorships, advertising and promotions.
The Riverside African-American Festival Committee members include Chair, Carl Dameron, Creative Director of Dameron Communications; AAAM Conference Co-Chairs, Lovella Singer, CEO of the Dora Nelson African American Art & History Museum (DNAAAHM) in Perris and Dr. Ruth Jackson, Director Tuskegee Airman Archive, University of California, Riverside and Charles Bibbs, Arts Coordinator Chair.
Additional committee chairs include: Site, Transportation and Logistics, Debbie Megna; Treasurer/Finance, Rose Mayes; President Riverside African American Historical Society and Sue Strickland, Lynne Taylor, DNAAAHM Treasurer; Hardy Brown II, Black Voice Foundation, museum consultant; Dave Stuart, City of Perris Museum Consultant; Sarah Wolk, Western Region Outreach Coordinator; Shirley Johnson, Chair of DNAAAHM Board of Directors; Katie Keyes, Perris Valley Museum Historical Association; and Patricia Korzac, March Air Museum.
For more information on the Riverside AAAM 2016 Conference contact Debbie Megna at (951) 222-4700.