Mama Foundation for the Arts | 113 followers on LinkedIn. Music, Concerts, and Education in Harlem | Mama Foundation for the Arts Preserving, protecting, and promoting African American music through collective music-making. Founded in 1998 in Harlem, Mama Foundation for the Arts is a nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to ensuring the legacy of African American music—especially gospel, jazz, and rhythm & blues—continues to thrive as a cornerstone of American culture. Our mission is to preserve, protect, and promote African American music through collective music-making.