Harlem’s Studio Museum Reemerges, Supercharged for the Next Generation of Black Artists
The Studio Museum in Harlem recently reopened after seven years of construction.
Celebrated with a free community event, the Studio Museum was without a home for almost eight years. The museum closed its doors in 2018 to create a space that could provide for expanding programming. The plans, however, were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other construction-related issues.
Approximately $307 million was raised for the renovation. The museum’s director, Thelma Golden, also created a $52 million endowment.
Although the location of the museum has not changed, the newest space is reportedly able to house more exhibits, allowing for the Studio Museum to explore new opportunities.
Current exhibits on display include “From the Studio: Fifty-Eight Years of Artists in Residence,” “Echoes of Harlem 1980,” “At An Arm’s Length: Expanding the Walls 2026” and “Harlem Is A Myth.”
“In our galleries, our ceilings range from 16 to almost 30 feet, so we can really incorporate the scale of some of the works in our collection,” said chief program officer at the museum, Natasha Logan, per ABC News. “We can show heavy things, we can show enormous, new commissions. We can really experiment with artists and say yes to their ideas.”
Founded in 1968, the Studio Museum was created to celebrate the work of Black artists from across the diaspora. Led by Charles E. Inniss, the first director of the museum, the space featured works by artists in Harlem. All of the works were coordinated by Harlem residents, activists, philanthropists and other artists.
One of the Studio Museum’s first exhibits was “Electronic Refractions II.” Featuring the works of artist Tom Lloyd, the exhibit served as a pivotal foundation for the artist’s usage of electric light as a sourceable medium for art.
Developed alongside an engineer from the Radio Corporation of America, the month-long 1968 exhibit incorporated flashing traffic lights, automobile signs and theater marquees to display technology as an art.
Since then, the museum has also cultivated a private collection. Over 800 artists are reported to be represented in this collection, amounting to almost 9,000 works of art from across 200 years.
In a press release, Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the museum and congratulated it on the latest opening.
“The Studio Museum has been one of the centerpieces of Harlem arts and culture since 1968,” Governor Hochul said. “New York’s support of this incredible achievement has helped create a lasting and living community cornerstone that will continue to celebrate and champion artists of African descent for generations to come.”