Ohio Museum Sends Art Books to Libraries in Africa
The Toledo Museum of Art, in Ohio in the United States, has launched a book donation project for libraries across Africa. The project, called Africa Art Library, has already sent about 100 books to a library in Rwanda, and a second batch was heading to Ghana.
The first donation went to the Koyo Kouoh Library at the Gihanga Institute of Contemporary Art in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier in 2026. Contemporary art means work made by living artists, as opposed to older periods. The second set was headed to the Nubuke Foundation in Accra, Ghana, in October 2026.
The receiving libraries chose the books themselves, picking from the Toledo museum's own library shelves. The titles cover art from Africa and African diasporic art, meaning work by artists of African descent who live outside Africa. They also include art history, art criticism and museum education.
The project is led by Alexandra Nickolaou, a fellow in African and African Diasporic Art at the museum. The pilot phase was supported by Gallery 1957, which has bases in Accra and London, and its founder, Marwan Zakhem. The Art Newspaper reported the launch on 27 October 2026.
The museum is also in the middle of a major change of its own. Its galleries are undergoing their first reinstallation in 40 years, which means the displays are being rearranged and rebuilt. The galleries are set to reopen in autumn 2027. Adam M. Levine serves as the museum's president, director and chief executive officer.
For the libraries, the gift adds a new set of reference books to their shelves. For the museum, it is a way of sharing its library beyond Ohio, one bookshelf at a time.
