Studio Museum in Harlem Reopens in November After 2018 Closure

A New Era for the Studio Museum in Harlem

After a seven-year hiatus, the Studio Museum in Harlem is set to welcome visitors back with a grand reopening on November 15. This marks the opening of its newly constructed 82,000 square-foot building, which will serve as a vibrant hub for celebrating African American and African diasporic art. The museum, which has been closed since January 2018, was founded in 1968 and moved to its current location at 144 W. 125th Street in 1982. Over the years, the institution grew significantly, hosting numerous workshops, community events, and showcasing thousands of artworks through rotating exhibitions. As its collections and ambitions expanded, the space—once a bank—became too small to accommodate its growing needs.

Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, highlighted the importance of such growth when he spoke to The New York Times’ Robin Pogrebin in 2017. He questioned why the Studio Museum should be limited to an outdated facility while other major institutions like MoMA and the Whitney continue to evolve with new buildings. “Why shouldn’t they have the same institutional ambition?” he asked.

In September 2017, the museum’s director and steward, Thelma Golden, announced an ambitious $175 million fundraising goal. She also released architectural renders for the reimagined space, designed by Adjaye Associates in collaboration with Cooper Robertson. The design draws inspiration from the brownstones, churches, and bustling sidewalks of Harlem. However, delays caused by the pandemic pushed back the planned 2021 reopening by several years. In 2020, the museum’s facade at 144 W. 125th Street was demolished as part of the renovations. Despite these challenges, the museum managed to exceed its original fundraising goals, raising over $300 million.

Golden expressed her gratitude in a statement, reflecting on the contributions of artists, supporters, and the community. “Our breathtaking new building is an invaluable space and a tribute to the museum’s mission and the vitality of artists of African descent,” she said.

The new space spans seven floors and includes 14,000 square feet of exhibition space. The inaugural exhibitions feature a rotating permanent collection of roughly 9,000 artworks from 800 artists, along with installations created by alumni of the museum’s Artist-In-Residence program. This program now has its own dedicated 2,100 square-foot lounge and studio space. ARTNews’ Maximilíano Durón reported that the museum will also showcase the work of artist Tom Lloyd, whose creations using light as a medium were first displayed nearly 60 years ago in an exhibition called “Electronic Refractions II.”

Several iconic pieces that have become synonymous with the museum will also be reinstalled, including David Hammons’ red, black, and green pan-African-inspired Untitled flag, Glenn Ligon’s Give Us a Poem wall sculpture, and Houston E. Conwill’s The Joyful Mysteries time capsules.

In addition to the reopening, the museum will launch a new handbook titled Meaning Matter Memory: Selections from the Studio Museum in Harlem Collection. This publication highlights more than 260 artists’ contributions to the permanent collection.

With its new design, the museum has increased its indoor and outdoor public space by roughly 70 percent, including a rooftop terrace and cafe. The leadership hopes this expanded space will serve as a community refuge amid political unrest and a place where civic participation and new art can thrive.

As the museum reopens, Golden reflects on how it will navigate this new world. “How will we exist in this new world that is different from seven years ago—but maybe not so different from 1968?” she told The New York Times’ Zachary Small. This sentiment underscores the museum’s commitment to evolving while staying true to its roots and mission.