About The Reggae Museum™ |
Preserving Reggae’s History. Honoring Its People. Advancing Its Global Legacy.
The Reggae Museum™ is a digital-first cultural institution dedicated to preserving, documenting, interpreting and sharing the history and worldwide influence of reggae.
Rooted in Jamaica and accessible globally, the museum explores reggae as more than a musical genre. Reggae is a living cultural movement shaped by African heritage, Jamaican history, spirituality, resistance, community, language, fashion, dance, sound-system culture and social change.
Through digital collections, exhibitions, artist profiles, oral histories, educational resources and public programs, The Reggae Museum™ works to ensure that reggae’s history is preserved accurately and passed to future generations.
The museum is curated by YardRock TV, operated by Reggae Arts & Culture Foundation Inc., and supported in its research and educational work by the Reggae Institute.
Institutional Overview
The Reggae Museum™ presents reggae as a global cultural system that extends beyond music into fashion, language, spirituality, and social history.
Through curated exhibitions, archival collections, and research initiatives, the museum documents reggae’s origins in Jamaica while tracing its evolution into a worldwide cultural movement.
Our Mission
Our mission is to preserve, document, interpret and advance reggae culture as an essential part of Jamaica’s heritage and a transformative global cultural force.
We connect artists, audiences, educators, researchers and communities with the people, places, sounds, objects and stories that shaped reggae—from its Jamaican foundations to its continuing influence around the world.
Our Vision
Our vision is to establish The Reggae Museum™ as a trusted international center for reggae history, collections, research, exhibitions and cultural education.
The museum is expanding its digital archive while working toward permanent physical museum spaces in New York City and Jamaica. These future institutions will provide welcoming environments for exhibitions, performances, research, education and intergenerational cultural exchange.
Why Reggae Must Be Preserved
Reggae emerged from Jamaica’s distinctive historical and cultural experience and developed into one of the world’s most influential musical and social movements.
Its artists, musicians, producers, engineers, sound-system pioneers, dancers, designers, photographers, journalists and community builders created a culture that has influenced music, fashion, language and political expression across continents.
In 2018, UNESCO inscribed Reggae Music of Jamaica on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That international recognition reinforces the importance of safeguarding the culture, knowledge and communities that sustain reggae. This UNESCO designation applies to Reggae Music of Jamaica and should not be interpreted as an endorsement or accreditation of The Reggae Museum™. UNESCO
The Reggae Museum NYC: A Global Home for Reggae, Dancehall, Fashion and Culture Presented by Reggae Arts & Culture Foundation, Inc.
Our Curatorial Approach
The Reggae Museum™ approaches reggae as a living heritage—not as a story frozen in the past.
Our curatorial work centers Jamaican voices while recognizing the international communities that have helped reggae develop and travel. We seek to present history with accuracy, context and respect for the artists, cultural practitioners and communities represented.
Our work includes:
- Documenting reggae’s Jamaican origins and historical development
- Preserving the contributions of artists, musicians and cultural pioneers
- Recording the history of sound systems, selectors, producers and engineers
- Exploring reggae and dancehall fashion, dance and visual culture
- Presenting oral histories and community-held knowledge
- Recognizing women’s contributions to reggae and dancehall
- Connecting established legends with emerging generations
- Supporting research, education and public cultural engagement
Historical interpretation is developed through research, published sources, archival materials and, where possible, firsthand testimony. As the archive grows, information may be updated when stronger documentation or new evidence becomes available.
Collections and Archives
The Reggae Museum™ is building a growing digital and material archive encompassing:
- Artist biographies and historical profiles
- Photographs, recordings and audiovisual documentation
- Interviews and oral histories
- Vinyl records, CDs, posters and promotional materials
- Performance and sound-system history
- Reggae and dancehall fashion
- Cultural artifacts and memorabilia
- Timelines, essays and research publications
- Documentation of exhibitions, awards and community programs
Collection records should distinguish clearly among objects owned by the museum, materials on loan, digital reproductions and interpretive recreations. This transparency is essential to responsible museum stewardship.
The museum welcomes potential donations, loans, documentation and historical corrections from artists, families, collectors, researchers and members of the reggae community.
Exhibitions and Public Programs
The Reggae Museum™ brings reggae history to the public through digital exhibitions, community presentations, educational initiatives and pop-up museum experiences.
Programming includes:
- Online exhibitions and archival features
- Artist and pioneer profiles
- Reggae history and sound-system studies
- Women in Reggae & Dancehall—Then, Now & Next
- Reggae fashion and visual-culture exhibitions
- Talks, interviews and panel discussions
- Youth and community education
- Reggae Honors™ and the Jamrock Awards®
- Collaborative cultural events and live presentations
These programs allow the museum to serve audiences while work continues toward securing a permanent physical home.
A Digital Museum Without Borders
The Reggae Museum™ is open online 24 hours a day and accessible to audiences around the world.
Its digital-first model allows reggae history to reach students, educators, families, researchers and fans beyond the boundaries of a traditional building. Digital access does not replace the museum’s physical ambitions; it extends the museum’s public service and ensures that its resources can reach a global community.
Institutional Structure
Operating organization: Reggae Arts & Culture Foundation Inc.
Curatorial platform: YardRock TV
Research and educational support: The Reggae Institute
Current format: Digital museum, traveling exhibitions and public programs
Future development: Permanent physical museum spaces planned for New York City and Jamaica
Online access: Available worldwide, 24 hours a day
Our Commitment
The Reggae Museum™ is committed to:
- Historical accuracy and responsible interpretation
- Respect for artists, families and cultural communities
- Ethical acquisition and documentation
- Clear identification of originals, loans, reproductions and recreations
- Accessibility and inclusive public participation
- Proper attribution of creators and sources
- Correction of documented errors
- Preservation of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage
- Community participation in telling reggae’s history
Our institutional development is informed by internationally recognized museum principles concerning research, preservation, interpretation, accessibility, ethical practice and community participation. These include professional guidance from the International Council of Museums and the American Alliance of Museums.
This statement describes professional principles toward which the museum is working; it does not claim accreditation, membership or formal endorsement by either organization.
Building the Future of Reggae Preservation
The Reggae Museum™ is building a lasting cultural institution with reggae’s creators and communities at its center.
We invite artists, musicians, families, collectors, scholars, educators, cultural organizations and supporters to help document the stories, objects and experiences that form reggae’s living history.
Together, we can preserve the past, educate the present and inspire the future.
Reggae began in Jamaica. Its message belongs to the world. Its history deserves to be preserved with truth, dignity and care.
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Institutional Statement
The Reggae Museum™ is curated by YardRock TV, operated by Reggae Arts & Culture Foundation Inc., and supported by the Reggae Institute (research and scholarship).
