African civilizations museum

In Dakar, Senegal, the Museum of Black Civilization, or Musée des Civilisations noires (Autoroute prolongée x Place de la gare, Dakar; phone +221 33 959 19 21, www.mcn.sn [in French only]), opened in December. It displays art from across Africa as well as from the African diaspora in the New World, with works in its opening exhibits from Mali, Burkina Faso, Cuba and Haiti.

Designed to resemble a traditional West African circular home, the 4-story building can hold more than 18,000 pieces, though, at press time, some spaces were still empty. Open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Entry, XOF2,000 (near $3.50).

Senegal and many other African nations have requested the repatriation of artifacts currently held in European museums. Many pieces of Senegalese art are currently in France, its former colonizer.