The Studio Museum in Harlem has officially announced that its highly anticipated new building will open to the public on Saturday, November 15, with a special Community Day celebration. This marks the end of a seven-year closure that began in 2018 when the museum demolished its former building to make way for a completely new structure.
The museum's new home, designed by renowned architectural firm Adjaye Associates, spans an impressive 82,000 square feet across seven floors. The building features 14,000 square feet specifically dedicated to exhibition spaces, providing significantly more room for displaying art than the previous location. The museum's celebrated Artist-in-Residence program will benefit from 2,100 square feet of dedicated studio and lounge space, while educational programming will have access to 1,800 square feet of specialized education areas.
The new facility will also house a Studio Store that will sell museum publications alongside products from Black-owned businesses, further supporting the museum's mission to promote African American and African diaspora culture and commerce.
"As our historic homecoming approaches, I am reflecting on the transformative vision of the artists, supporters, and community members who have helped us shape this pivotal moment in our legacy," said Thelma Golden, the museum's director and chief curator. "Our breathtaking new building is an invaluable space and a tribute to the Museum's mission and the vitality of artists of African descent. I am thrilled to welcome everyone back to a reimagined Studio Museum, rooted in Harlem and resonating far beyond."
The opening was originally scheduled for 2022, making this announcement particularly significant for the art community and Harlem residents who have eagerly awaited the museum's return. Despite the physical closure, the Studio Museum has maintained its programming through off-site exhibitions and continued its residency program through a partnership with the Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1.
To mark its grand reopening, the Studio Museum will launch four major exhibitions, install two site-specific commissioned works, and reinstall iconic pieces from its permanent collection. The most significant exhibition will be a comprehensive survey dedicated to Tom Lloyd, an pioneering artist known for his groundbreaking work in art and technology. Notably, Lloyd was the subject of the Studio Museum's very first exhibition when it opened in 1968, making this survey particularly meaningful for the institution's history.
The Tom Lloyd exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive catalog, one of two major publications the museum is releasing for its reopening. The second publication, titled "Meaning Matter Memory: Selections from the Studio Museum in Harlem Collection," will showcase highlights from the museum's permanent collection.
Additional exhibitions planned for the opening include a showcase of works on paper created by former artists in residence, the first installment of a rotating permanent collection display that will draw from the museum's extensive holdings of nearly 9,000 objects, and a historical presentation featuring archival photographs and ephemera that document the museum's nearly 60-year journey.
The new building will also feature specially commissioned artworks integrated into its architecture. Artists Camille Norment and Christopher Myers have been selected to create new site-specific works for the museum's terraced staircase and Education Workshop, respectively. Several iconic works will find new homes within the building, including David Hammons's distinctive red, black, and green flag, which will once again be prominently displayed on the museum's facade. Glenn Ligon's "Give Us a Poem" (2007) will be installed in the lobby, while Houston E. Conwill's "The Joyful Mysteries" (1984) will be featured on the second floor.
The museum has also updated its operating schedule and admission structure. The new hours will be 11 am to 6 pm, Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. In an effort to increase accessibility, the museum will offer free admission on Sundays as part of its "Studio Sunday" program. For other days, the suggested admission will be $16 for adults and $9 for seniors, students, and visitors with disabilities, with free admission for their care partners. Children 16 and under will always receive free admission.
Since its founding nearly 60 years ago, the Studio Museum has established itself as one of the most influential cultural institutions dedicated to showcasing the artistic contributions of African American, Black, African, Afro-Latinx, and African diaspora artists. At its inception, these artists were largely overlooked by mainstream museums, making the Studio Museum's mission particularly crucial for representation in the art world.
Under the leadership of Thelma Golden, who has served as director since 2005, the museum's reputation and influence have reached new heights. This phenomenon has been recognized by art critics and referred to as "The Studio Museum in Harlem Effect," acknowledging the institution's significant impact on the broader art world and its role in elevating artists of African descent.
Raymond J. McGuire, chair of the Studio Museum's board, emphasized the collaborative effort that made the new building possible. "Over the past half-century, the Studio Museum has catalyzed a cultural transformation that is as sweeping as it is profound," McGuire stated. "We thank all of the members of the outstanding public-private partnership who have made possible our impending opening: the City of New York, the Trustees and philanthropists who have been with us since we initiated this project, and the new generation of patrons who have stepped forward so generously to join us on this journey."
The reopening represents not just the return of a beloved institution to Harlem, but also a significant moment for the broader art world, as the Studio Museum continues to play a vital role in promoting diversity, inclusion, and excellence in contemporary art. The new building's expanded capacity and improved facilities position the museum to continue its groundbreaking work for decades to come, serving both the local Harlem community and visitors from around the world who come to experience its unique and important collection and programming.
