Not Your GRAAMA’s Museum

George A. Bayard III, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA), shares the museum’s origin story, a selection of unique local stories he’s encountered, and his vision for the futures of both GRAAMA and West Michigan itself.

Bayard holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education from the University of Delaware and is a professional picture framer, conservator, appraiser, historian, Black culture expert, and arts advocate. He became regional manager of Philadelphia’s largest picture frame chain before moving to Grand Rapids, where he owned the Bayard Gallery of Fine African American Art for thirty years before founding GRAAMA in 2016. Bayard received the 2019 Albert Baxter Award for Local History, the 2020 Carol and David Van Andel Leadership Award, the 2019-2023 Grand Rapid Business Journal 200 Most Powerful People Award, and the 2024 Ethel Coe Humanities Award. Bayard serves on the boards of the Grand Rapids Historical Commission, GVSU’s Kutsche Office of Local History, the Michigan Museum Association, and the Grand Rapids Arts Advisory Commission.