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On Loan at the Tate
Clara Ugbodaga-Ngu’s Yoruba Palm Wine Seller is one of four paintings now on display at Tate Modern in London, courtesy of HU Museum. As part of Tate’s Nigerian Modernism exhibition, HU Museum has also placed on loan two paintings by Akinola Lasekan and a painting by Simon Okeke. The works are from HU Museum’s Modern African collection donated in 1967 from the Harmon Foundation.
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Freedom Fighters
William H. Johnson’s Three Great Freedom Fighters, ca 1945, features John Brown, Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglas. This painting is one in Johnson's “Fighters for Freedom” series. The series places an emphasis on determination in the face of adversity. Depicted in the series are individuals who fought for justice and equality. Some of the key figures included are Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Marian Anderson and Mahatma Gandhi.

Three Great Freedom Fighters will be on display at Hampton University Museum in April 2026 as part of the “Picturing Freedom: Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid,” exhibition from the Gibbs Museum of Art in Charleston, SC.
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John Biggers: Dance of Creation Exhibition
On display now. Explore Dr. John T. Biggers’ early work as a student at Hampton University. Various works in this retrospective exhibition have never been showcased before. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Dr. Biggers’ foundational works that galvanized his legacy as a nationally recognized artist and educator.
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We have reopened our doors
We are once again open to the general public. Our hours can be found at the bottom of the page. Admission is free. To find out more, check out this recently published article, “The Hampton University Museum reopens after renovation, a focus on the old and new” by WHRO Public Media.
Learn More
On Loan at the Tate
Clara Ugbodaga-Ngu’s Yoruba Palm Wine Seller is one of four paintings now on display at Tate Modern in London, courtesy of HU Museum. As part of Tate’s Nigerian Modernism exhibition, HU Museum has also placed on loan two paintings by Akinola Lasekan and a painting by Simon Okeke. The works are from HU Museum’s Modern African collection donated in 1967 from the Harmon Foundation.
View More
Freedom Fighters
William H. Johnson’s Three Great Freedom Fighters, ca 1945, features John Brown, Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglas. This painting is currently on display at the Gibbs Museum of Art in Charleston, SC. Johnson’s “Fighters for Freedom” series places an emphasis on determination in the face of adversity. Depicted in this series are individuals who fought for justice and equality. Some of the key figures included are Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Marian Anderson and Mahatma Gandhi.
Learn More
John Biggers: Dance of Creation Exhibition
Opening April 13th 2025. Explore Dr. John T. Biggers’ early work as a student at Hampton University. Various works in this retrospective exhibition have never been showcased before. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Dr. Biggers’ foundational works that galvanized his legacy as a nationally recognized artist and educator.
Learn More
We have reopened our doors
We are once again open to the general public. Our hours can be found at the bottom of the page. Admission is free. To find out more, check out this recently published article, “The Hampton University Museum reopens after renovation, a focus on the old and new” by WHRO Public Media.
Read More
I Am Copying Nobody: The Art and Political Cartoons of Akinola Lasekan and the Sankofa Exhibitions
These two exhibitions are the result of a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation partnering Chrysler Museum of Art and Hampton University Museum.
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Hampton University Museum

Admission is free and open to the public. View our hours at the bottom of the page.

ANNOUNCEMENT

We are closed for the holidays from December 19, 2025 – January 4, 2026

WELCOME

Step into a world where art and history meet and explore the oldest African American Museum in the country. Learn about the lives of Native Americans who attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute or dive into rich African culture and tradition in our first floor galleries. Immerse yourself in 200 years of African American fine art in our second floor galleries and see which new and exciting exhibits are featured in our changing galleries. So much discovery awaits your visit!

OUR MISSION

The purpose of the Hampton University Museum is to collect, preserve, study, exhibit, and interpret artifacts and works of traditional art. Art which illustrates the cultures, heritages and histories of African, Native American, Oceanic and Asian peoples, as well as the works of contemporary African American, African and American Indian artists and three-dimensional objects which relate to the history and significance of Hampton University are the Museum’s focus.

WHAT'S NEW
Education

On Loan at the Tate

Clara Ugbodaga-Ngu’s Yoruba Palm Wine Seller is one of four paintings now on display at Tate Modern in London, courtesy of HU Museum. As part of Tate’s Nigerian Modernist Exhibition, HU Museum has also placed on loan two paintings by Akinola Lasekan and a painting by Simon Okeke. The works are from our Modern African collection donated in 1967 from the Harmon Foundation.

Read More »
October 27, 2025
Education

William Henry Johnson: Evolution of an Artist

William Henry Johnson was a painter associated with the Harlem Renaissance. As a young man, he was trained in the European classical style of painting. While in Europe he moved beyond the classical style as modernism became the trending movement. Upon returning to America, Johnson once again transitioned his painting style — this time into the folk-art tradition.

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May 23, 2025

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OUR SPONSORS

Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Art Bridges
Art Bridges
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund — Saving Places
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund — Saving Places
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation — Humanities in Place
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation — Humanities in Place
Virginia American Revolution 250 Commemoration
Virginia American Revolution 250 Commemoration
National Park Service — Save America's Treasures
National Park Service — Save America's Treasures
Bank of America — Conservation
Bank of America — Conservation
Virginia Tourism Corporation
Virginia Tourism Corporation
Terra Foundation for American Art
Terra Foundation for American Art
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Address

Hampton University Museum

200 William R. Harvey Way

Hampton University

Hampton, VA 23668

Phone

757.727.5308

Fax 757.727.5170

Archives 757.727.5374

Hours of Operation

Monday–Friday: 8am–5pm

Saturday, Sunday, and all Major Holidays: Closed

ARCHIVES are closed on Saturday and Sunday

GIFT SHOP hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm

Enter campus via the main gate at the light off William R. Harvey Way