See Inside The Met's New $70M Wing Ahead Of Grand Opening

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After a lengthy $70 million renovation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Michael C. Rockefeller Wing — which houses the museum's Africa, Ancient Americas, and Oceania collections — will reopen to the public on Saturday with an opening day celebration, the Met said.

From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 31, the museum's plaza will have live music and art-making activities inspired by the cultures showcased in the new galleries.

This includes a concert from Grammy Award–winning Mariachi Real de México, the dynamic Senegalese drumming ensemble MAX Percussion, and a captivating Māori chant and haka.

Also on the plaza, visitors can contribute to a communal mural inspired by the intricate designs of a Ceremonial House Ceiling from Papua New Guinea, which is on view in the new wing, and learn how to weave from masterful Polynesian and Peruvian artists.

"The complete renovation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing reflects The Met's profound commitment to—and deep expertise—in caring for and expanding understandings of the works in the Museum's collection," Max Hollein, The Met's director and CEO, said, when the reopening was first announced.

The wing was first closed in 2021 for a complete overhaul and has undergone more than $70 million in physical changes and technological upgrades, with the help of international researchers and art experts, according to the Met.

The new wing, designed by WHY Architecture in collaboration with the Met's design department and Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects LLP, now features a new, state-of-the-art sloped glass wall that safely filters sunlight into the space and faces Central Park.

In the new wing, there is also a specially engineered gallery for light-sensitive Andean textiles, which will be the first of its kind in the United States, museum administrators said.

The new galleries also include digital features and new wall text to add context to the collection, and extra space allowing artworks to be displayed in new configurations.

Now, the space will feature more than 1,800 works spanning five continents and hundreds of cultures.

The new wing will feature three distinct collection areas for Africa, Oceania, and Ancient Americas, with design elements that specifically reference the architectural influences of each region.

"When the wing first opened in 1982, it brought a much broader perspective on global art history to The Met, and this thoughtful and innovative reimagining reflects our ambition to continually expand," Hollein previously said.

After the activities and concerts on the plaza wrap up, the Met is hosting a conversation between Hollein and Rockefeller Wing architect Kulapat Yantrasast.

The event is free with museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish for New York state residents, and free for children under 12 with an adult, and a caregiver accompanying a visitor with a disability. But, for the architecture conversation after the plaza celebration, registration is required.

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