Newark (New Jersey) USA - The Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District announced plans to erect the Museum of African American Music (MoAAM) in the city of Newark, New Jersey. The museum is the centerpiece of the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District development project.

The Museum of African American Music (MoAAM) has been envisioned as a first-of-its-kind facility for showcasing the many musical contributions African Americans have made to the world of music through genres such as Gospel, Blues, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Punk and Rock & Roll.

The museum will provide arts and culture programs that will enrich the city and will become a travel destination for all. The museum will include a modern "green" design and feature historical artifacts and multimedia displays depicting the numerous contributions African Americans have made to numerous musical genres and styles.

The museum will continue to host events and commission research that will take place in the community, in the schools and will develop projects that are inside and outside the physical museum facility. The Museum of African American Music has designation as an Affiliate of the revered Smithsonian Institution, the only one in New Jersey.

The Museum is part of the Lincoln Park Cultural Coast District project, which includes a mixed-use community housing project, which will provide over 300 affordable, green housing units, commercial spaces and recreational facilities for singles and families built using modern design and renewable high performance materials.

The museum is envisioned as a collective experience of all Americans and as a place where people from around the world can gather to share the experience of the music that continues to inspire generations of listeners without limitations of culture.

The project has been planned as a next-generation building development that will take advantage of high-performance design and renewable materials to provide an ecologically friendly environment for the families of Newark; the museum will incorporate these requirements as well.

"The museum is first and foremost for the people of Newark. Unlike the typical museum experience MoAAM will use the richness of history to connect with people in contemporary terms. The museum is a place for the people of Newark to interact, collaborate and enrich each other," said Baye Adofo-Wilson, Executive Director, Lincoln Park Cultural District and Chief Project Executive of the Museum of African American Music. "The people of Newark will make this museum great and it will become a landmark that people throughout the US and the world will come to see."

The groundbreaking for the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District began in April while construction for the Museum is planned for mid-2007.