GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After more than a decade of scattered storage and borrowed space, the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA) finally has a place to call home — and it’s 15 times bigger than the last.

“It was always, this is not your time. Be patient. I’ve got something better for you, and better is this building right here. It is absolutely perfect for us,” said Executive Director George Byard.

For years, the museum’s growing collection was stashed away in storage units, cramped back rooms and borrowed spaces across Grand Rapids — never under one roof.

“It’s been a 10-year journey, actually, and so for us, we are elated about it, excited about it, and really chomping at the bit to get to the future,” Byard said.

That future is here. GRAAMA is moving from a 2,000 square foot location into a massive 30,000 square foot building at 41 Sheldon Blvd SE, the former home of Compass College of Cinematic Arts.

“Our collection grew so fast that we were unprepared to to house everything. Now we have exhibits from the Smithsonian that are being housed by the public museum,” Byard said.

Now, all of it — from Smithsonian artifacts to local heirlooms — finally has a permanent home. But this space isn’t just for storage. It’s designed for classrooms, events, rotating exhibits, and hands-on learning for all ages.

“Just so many aspects of this building that maybe other buyers were turned off by — the lower level, for instance, not having natural light. George said, ‘Well, that’s perfect for museum. You can display art.’ And I went, ‘Oh, my word, this has to happen,’” said Laura Coulier, who played a key role in helping GRAAMA secure the building.

The building once focused on film and faith. Now, it will carry a new mission rooted in creativity, culture, and community storytelling.

“The Compass film school that was here had to do with creativity and expression, and that’s what a lot of what our museum will be doing. But for us, the main thing is collecting African American History and telling it back to the public,” said Byard.

GRAAMA’s vision goes beyond exhibits — it’s about preserving and sharing the legacy of West Michigan’s Black community in a space that’s open and accessible to all.

“I think also culturally, we’re in for such a wave of people going, ‘I didn’t have a passion for history, but now I see how important it is.’ So I think GRAAMA is kind of ahead of the curve on that, and that’s just going to really set them up for long-term value add for the community — not just for GRAAMA, but I think Grand Rapids is just going to be so blessed by them being here and in a location where people have more access,” Coulier said