By Studio Museum in Harlem
Photos: Studio Museum in Harlem
HARLEM, NEW YORK, NY, June 17, 2025 – The Studio Museum in Harlem today announced further details about the landmark exhibitions, celebratory installations, and major artist commissions that will inaugurate its new building when it opens in the fall of this year, with more to be announced in the coming months.
The Museum will open with a major presentation of the work of Tom Lloyd, the innovative artist whose practice was the subject of the Studio Museum’s inaugural exhibition in 1968; and the first installment of a rotating installation of works from the Museum’s distinguished permanent collection.
Inaugural exhibitions will also include a presentation of archival photographs and ephemera from the institution’s fifty-six-year history; a first-of-its-kind presentation of new works on paper by more than one hundred alumni of the Artist-in-Residence program, which places intergenerational artists in conversation with each other and pays tribute to this foundational program that has nurtured artists of African descent for more than half a century; and, over the course of the Museum’s inaugural year, new site-specific commissions from Camille Norment, Christopher Myers, and Kapwani Kiwanga will join the institution’s long-term, hallmark commissions by David Hammons, Glenn Ligon, and Houston E. Conwill.
Thelma Golden, Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, said, “I am thrilled that our reopening offers us a singular opportunity to celebrate those artists whose work has long shaped the Studio Museum’s legacy, while also championing the new voices redefining art in our time. This moment is deeply rooted in the collective vision of our founders, whose aspirations continue to guide us. As we take this historic step, I look forward to welcoming our communities into a transformed Museum—where we will continue the work that defines us on a scale that reflects the magnitude of our mission.”
The Studio Museum also shared that its capital campaign, which supports the creation of its new home and ensures the institution’s long-term sustainability, has raised more than $300 million. The campaign’s broad-based and ongoing support from the Museum’s Board of Trustees; the City of New York; and individuals, foundations, and corporate partners testifies to the widespread appreciation for the vitality and necessity of the Studio Museum’s mission.
Raymond J. McGuire, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Studio Museum in Harlem, said, “We are profoundly grateful to the City of New York, the visionary philanthropists who have been with us since the beginning, and the new generation of patrons who have come forward to support us in this critical moment in our history. Their investment extends far beyond the amazing bricks-and-mortar of our new building. Theirs is an investment in the artists who have and will continue to influence the way people see the world.”
The new 82,000-square-foot building, designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson serving as executive architect, provides state-of-the-art galleries, an expansive lobby, flexible program spaces, and a dedicated education center, which altogether foster deeper engagement with visitors of all ages and elevate the Museum’s service to artists, museumgoers, and the Harlem community. The new facility also includes a rooftop terrace with striking views of the surrounding area, with landscape design to be carried out by the Harlem-based firm Studio Zewde. On the Museum’s lower level, local family-owned restaurant Settepani will operate the Museum’s café, further enhancing the Museum’s commitment to organizations and businesses in its neighborhood.
About the Studio Museum in Harlem
Founded in 1968 by a diverse group of artists, community activists, and philanthropists, the Studio Museum in Harlem is internationally known for its catalytic role in promoting the work of artists of African descent. The Studio Museum’s new home, situated at its longtime location on Manhattan’s West 125th Street, will open in the fall. Designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson serving as executive architect, the building—the first created expressly for the institution’s program—will enable the Studio Museum to better serve a growing and diverse audience, provide additional educational opportunities for people of all ages, expand its program of world-renowned exhibitions, effectively display its singular collection, and strengthen its trailblazing Artist-in-Residence program.
While the Museum remains closed, its groundbreaking exhibitions, thought-provoking conversations, and engaging art-making workshops continue at a variety of partner and satellite locations in Harlem and beyond.
For more information, visit studiomuseum.org.
