WASHINGTON (AP) β Smithsonian Institution officials say the new National Museum of African American History and Culture is on track to open on the National Mall in late 2016.
Museum Director Lonnie Bunch says he’s determined the museum will open before President Barack Obama leaves office so that the nation’s first black president can cut the ribbon.
Bronze-color panels are being installed on the museum building. They will form the museum’s defining “corona” shape, inspired by an African headdress. Architects say that it will appear as a glowing bronze crown in different lights.
The museum has raised $476 million in public and private funds. The Smithsonian still must raise as much as $70 million more. Nearly 82,000 people have joined as museum members to contribute to the building fund, representing every state.
