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Call it the new Harlem rebirth. On Manhattan's 125th St, where a sculpture of Adam Clayton Powell Jr stride forward, the area is filled with energy and excitement.

A Community in Renewal

The celebrated Apollo Theatre is in the middle of significant upgrades. Another cultural institution is set to relocate into an $80M cultural center spanning a city block. Meanwhile, the National Urban League recently opened a $250 million facility containing its headquarters, low-income residences and retail space.

“This building says to the world: Harlem matters; Black art is significant; Black institutions are crucial,” stated the chairman of the governing board. “It will serve as a lighthouse on 125th Street, a place where art and people meet.”

Historical Foundation

This institution was established by artists, activists, donors and community members to address the systemic exclusion of Black artists from established museums. Its debut in a rented loft over an liquor store in the late 1960s, a traumatic year of assassinations, protests and social change.

“This moment feels what it must have felt like when it all started,” noted a institutional representative. “The museum was born in a time of change. The country was divided. Citizens were protesting. Creators were insisting to be recognized.”

Building Design

The new $160M facility spans 82,000 square feet across seven levels. Designed by architectural firms, the museum constitutes the first purpose-built space for the institution and almost doubles its exhibition and programme space.

The building includes galleries, an expansive lobby, flexible programme spaces, a dedicated education workshop, a coffee shop and retail store, plus a open-air deck with sweeping urban vistas. A monumental stair, finished with terrazzo, fills the central vertical gallery.

Notable Artworks

The opening programming showcases the museum's past, present and future with four major exhibitions. One exhibition features the first institutional career survey of innovative creator Tom Lloyd, whose electronic light sculptures appeared in the museum's inaugural 1968 exhibition.

• William T Williams's 1969 abstract Trane pays respect to jazz legend
• Kerry James Marshall's Silence Is Golden confronts lack of representation and African American portrayal
• Jean-Michel Basquiat's significant painting features bold strokes and fragments of collage
• Faith Ringgold's initial narrative textile captures her community in both joyful and mournful tones

Cultural Significance

The institution's opening feels particularly significant during a time when diversity initiatives, cultural institutions and the way Black history is told face increased scrutiny. The city has just chosen a leader who personifies the metropolis's multicultural character, and Harlem has a special ability for making renaissance resemble defiance.

“This community has constantly transformed,” commented a longtime director. “This is a neighbourhood that has been evolving since it was founded. But this area has also been a community where African American culture has flourished.”

The museum celebrates its significant residency program with an alumni show including prominent figures such as contemporary portraitist, mixed-media artist and conceptual painter. The display mixes new commissions with older artworks spanning multiple decades.

Continuing Mission

Including new commissions are sonic installations and three-dimensional artworks. Metal containers created by sculptor Houston Conwill contain private statements by prominent African American figures, originally buried in the museum's sculpture garden in the mid-1980s and now exhibited with plans to be opened in the year 2034.

Guests can explore an archival presentation of photographs and ephemera documenting the museum's history through its exhibitions, events and activities over nearly six decades. This rich history includes notable occasions ranging from dignitary appearances to community performances that collectively illustrate the institution's enduring impact.