🔗 Share this article

Consider it the second Harlem renaissance. On Manhattan's 125th Street, where a sculpture of Adam Clayton Powell Jr stride onwards and upwards, the area is buzzing with energy and excitement.

A Neighborhood in Renewal

The celebrated Apollo Theater is undergoing major renovations. Another cultural institution is set to relocate into an $80M cultural center spanning a city block. Meanwhile, another organization recently opened a $250 million building containing its headquarters, affordable housing and retail space.

“This structure declares to the world: Harlem matters; Black art matters; Black institutions matter,” stated the leader of the governing board. “It will stand as a lighthouse on 125th Street, a place where art and people meet.”

Historical Roots

The Studio Museum was founded by creators, activists, donors and local residents to address the widespread omission of Black artists from mainstream institutions. It opened in a rented loft over an liquor store in 1968, a turbulent year of political murders, protests and social change.

“This occasion resembles what it must have felt like when it all began,” noted a institutional representative. “The museum was born in a world of flux. Nation was split. People were marching. Creators were insisting to be recognized.”

Building Design

The new $160 million facility covers 82,000 sq ft across seven levels. Created by design teams, the building constitutes the first custom-designed home for the institution and almost doubles its exhibition and programme space.

The building includes galleries, an large entrance hall, flexible programme spaces, a dedicated education workshop, a cafe and shop, plus a rooftop terrace with panoramic city views. An impressive staircase, finished with terrazzo, fills the main atrium space.

Collection Highlights

The opening exhibition schedule showcases the institution's history and aspirations with four major exhibitions. One exhibition features the first institutional career survey of pioneering artist Tom Lloyd, whose illuminated works appeared in the museum's inaugural 1968 exhibition.

• William T Williams's late 1960s Trane pays respect to John Coltrane
• Kerry James Marshall's Silence Is Golden addresses lack of representation and African American portrayal
• Jean-Michel Basquiat's significant painting features vigorous marks and fragments of collage
• Faith Ringgold's first story quilt captures her neighborhood in both celebratory and elegiac tones

Broader Impact

The museum's arrival feels especially meaningful during a period when inclusion programs, museums and the way African American history is presented face growing challenges. The city has just chosen a leader who personifies the city's cultural diversity, and Harlem has a special ability for making renaissance resemble resistance.

“This community has constantly transformed,” observed a senior leader. “This is a neighbourhood that has been evolving since it was established. But Harlem has also been a community where African American culture has thrived.”

The museum celebrates its significant residency program with an former residents exhibition including prominent figures such as Kehinde Wiley, mixed-media artist and Titus Kaphar. The exhibition combines new commissions with older artworks spanning multiple decades.

Continuing Mission

Including new commissions are sound-based works and sculptural pieces. Seven bronze time capsules created by artist Houston Conwill contain confidential testaments by prominent African American figures, originally interred in the institution's outdoor space in the mid-1980s and now exhibited with plans to be opened in the year 2034.

Guests can explore an historical display of images and ephemera documenting the institution's journey through its exhibitions, programs and programmes over almost sixty years. This rich history includes notable occasions ranging from royal visits to local presentations that collectively demonstrate the institution's enduring impact.