Studio Museum In Harlem To Reopen This Weekend After $300M Renovation

HARLEM, NY — After seven years and $300 million in capital funds, the Studio Museum in Harlem will reopen to the public this weekend.

The museum, which focuses on work made by artists of African descent, will open the doors to its brand-new, 82,000-square-foot home Saturday with a community celebration activating the new seven-floor space.

The museum's space has been reimagined with state-of-the-art galleries, multi-use education spaces, a rooftop terrace, and a cafe by local family-owned restaurant Settepani.

"This magnificent building says to the world: Harlem matters. Black art matters. Black institutions matter," Raymond J. McGuire, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Studio Museum in Harlem, said.

The reopening day will include free admission, art-making workshops, performances, and activities for all ages. The following day, the museum will relaunch its weekly Studio Sundays, offering free, family-friendly programming, museum officials said.

The inaugural exhibitions include an exhibition on artist Tom Lloyd, whose work launched the museum’s first exhibition in 1968, as well as a rotating installation from the museum’s permanent collection.

Site-specific commissions by artists Camille Norment and Christopher Myers will also debut, alongside iconic works like David Hammons’ "Untitled" flag combining the Pan-African colors with the flag of the United States, and Glenn Ligon’s "Give Us a Poem," which translates a poem by Muhammad Ali into flashing neon.

Admission will be a suggested $16 for adults and $9 for seniors, students, and visitors with disabilities, with free admission every Sunday and for children under 16.

The museum, located at 144 West 125th Street in Harlem, will be open Wednesday through Sunday, with extended evening hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

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