Bill Cosby may be losing support from former friends and colleagues in response to a steady stream of rape allegations against him that have been made public over the last few months, but the Smithsonian exhibit that displays artwork he owns is attracting record visitors.

Edward Burke, head of Communications and Public Affairs at the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., said Wednesday that the museum has attracted more visitors than ever since the "Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue" exhibit, which includes a collection of African-American art owned by Cosby, opened in November 2014.

On Wednesday, the museum posted a sign in front of the exhibit that reads, in part, "The National Museum of African Art is aware of the recent revelations about Bill Cosby's behavior. The museum in no way condones this behavior." The full statement is available at the museum's website and in front of the exhibit.

The museum has no plans to remove Cosby's collection from its "Conversations" exhibit. Burke referred to an official statement that reads, "The exhibit is about the art and the artists. The exhibition allows us to tell their stories."

Although visitors have mixed opinions about the sign, the exhibit itself has received overwhelming support. "I just read [the sign], and I said, 'I don't care. I love art,'" Nancy Devitt, a visitor to the exhibit, told the Washington Examiner. At the same time, Devitt said she's concerned that the exhibit's theme of family conflicts with the rape allegations against Cosby.

Another visitor, Richard Chase said, "I'm glad he shared [the art] with us before we realized what a bad person he is."

Henri Wynne, who took her daughter to see the exhibit for the first time, did not have a problem with the sign but had strong opinions about keeping the exhibit. "From the exhibit, you can't just take away things that deal with family," she told the Examiner. "We may never forget but we must forgive to move forward."

Two other visitors — Richard and Mitchell Decker — did not spot the sign, but discussed Cosby's scandal on their ride into D.C. They agreed that allegations without proof should not affect perceptions of Cosby or his collections in the museum.

"What they said he did in the 1970s is what happened in the 1970s," Richard said, referring to the Quaaludes drugs Cosby allegedly used to sedate and rape women. "The past is the past."

"Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue" will remain open through the end of the year.

Emily Leayman is an intern at the Washington Examiner