The Museum You Cannot Miss.
Celebrate Diasporican, Explore the Dark Side of Chocolate, and more at MOFAD
I love the Museum of Food & Drink, which is devoted to the relationship between food and culture and enjoyed so much of their virtual programming during the height of the pandemic, where Sari Kamin, their amazing director of public programming, tackled important conversations about racial injustice, labor inequities, and questions about our food system.
In their series The Takeout, they discussed How Xenophobia Shapes Food Taboos, Myths, and Misconceptions; Food Media During COVID: How Can We Mitigate Xenophobia Without Tokenizing AAPI's; and also created joy during the difficult days of quarantine.
When they finally opened their much-delayed exhibition, African/American: Making the Nation's Table, in March 2021 at The Africa Center, they produced eight in-person and streaming programs that drew from the themes of the exhibition.
Now that our lives have sort of returned to normal, MOFAD is offering both in-person and virtual programs with five partnership venues to host in-person programs: The Ace Hotel Brooklyn, Essex Market, and The Greene Space. They are also doing a new four-part series that interrogates indigenous ingredients beginning next month at Chelsea Market, and are curating a series for their friends at the Museum of the City of New York in conjunction with their food exhibition. The full calendar of events lives here.
There are so many fantastic ways to explore the intersection between food and culture coming up: a new series on mushrooms curated by journalist Simran Sethi; a book party and discussion in celebration of the publication of “Diasporican” with Illyanna Maisonet and Eric Kim on November 3rd, at 7pm at The Greene Space; and a program entitled “Bittersweet: The Dark Side of the Chocolate Industry,” which includes a chocolate tasting from Askinosie (@askinosie), a Missouri-based company committed to direct-trade and ethical business practices. Tickets are available here.
If you love MOFAD, go to an event, tell a friend, or think about making a donation. Finally, you might become a member! Paid subscribers to the Strong Buzz will get 10% any level of membership! Your discount code will come in your welcome email! And make sure you’re signed up for their newsletter to stay up to date on our programming and future announcements.