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Call it the new Harlem rebirth. On New York City's 125th Street, where a sculpture of civil rights leader Adam Clayton Powell Jr stride forward, the atmosphere is filled with energy and excitement.

A Community in Transformation

The renowned Apollo Theater is undergoing significant upgrades. Another cultural institution is preparing to move into an $80M cultural center spanning a city block. Meanwhile, another organization recently unveiled a $250M facility containing its headquarters, low-income residences and retail space.

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

Historical Roots

This institution was founded by artists, activists, philanthropists and community members to confront the systemic exclusion of African American artists from mainstream institutions. It opened in a leased space over an liquor store in the late 1960s, a traumatic year of political murders, protests and societal transformation.

“This occasion resembles what it must have been like when it all began,” noted a museum leader. “The institution emerged in a time of change. Nation was split. Citizens were protesting. Artists were demanding to be recognized.”

Building Design

The new $160M structure covers 82,000 square feet across seven floors. Designed by design teams, the museum represents the first custom-designed home for the institution and nearly doubles its exhibition and programme space.

The building features galleries, an large entrance hall, flexible programme spaces, a specialized learning studio, a coffee shop and retail store, plus a rooftop terrace with sweeping urban vistas. An impressive staircase, clad in terrazzo, fills the central vertical gallery.

Collection Highlights

The opening exhibition schedule showcases the museum's past, present and future with several key shows. One exhibition features the first institutional career survey of innovative creator Tom Lloyd, whose illuminated works appeared in the museum's inaugural 1968 exhibition.

• An artist's late 1960s musical tribute pays respect to John Coltrane
• Another prominent artist's Silence Is Golden addresses invisibility and African American portrayal
• Jean-Michel Basquiat's Bayou features vigorous marks and fragments of collage
• Faith Ringgold's first story quilt captures her neighborhood in both joyful and elegiac tones

Cultural Significance

The institution's opening feels particularly significant during a period when inclusion programs, museums and the way Black history is told face increased scrutiny. New York has just chosen a mayor who embodies the city's cultural diversity, and this neighborhood has a particular talent for making renaissance resemble resistance.

“This community has constantly transformed,” commented a senior leader. “It's a district that has been changing since it was founded. But this area has also been a community where Black culture has thrived.”

The museum honors its influential artist-in-residence programme with an former residents exhibition including prominent figures such as contemporary portraitist, Mickalene Thomas and Titus Kaphar. The exhibition mixes new commissions with historical pieces spanning various periods.

Continuing Mission

Among new commissions are sonic installations and three-dimensional artworks. Metal containers created by artist Houston Conwill contain private statements by prominent African American figures, originally interred in the museum's sculpture garden in 1984 and now exhibited with plans to be opened in September 2034.

Guests can explore an historical display of photographs and ephemera documenting the institution's journey through its shows, programs and activities over almost sixty years. This rich history includes memorable moments ranging from dignitary appearances to community performances that collectively demonstrate the institution's enduring impact.