Studio Museum in Harlem facts for kids
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| Established | 1968 |
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| Location | 144 West 125th Street Manhattan, New York City |
| Public transit access | Subway:   to 125th StreetBus: M7, M60 SBS, M100, M102, Bx15 |
The Studio Museum in Harlem is a special art museum located in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was started in 1968. The museum's main goal is to collect, keep safe, and share art made by African Americans. It also features art from people of African descent around the world and artists from the African continent.
The museum offers many things to see and do. It has art exhibitions, programs for artists to live and work there, and educational activities for everyone. It also has a large collection of art that stays there permanently. The museum building was rebuilt in the 2020s. A brand new building on the same spot will open on November 15, 2025.
Since it first opened in a rented space, the Studio Museum has become well-known. It is famous for helping to show the amazing art of people of African descent. The museum's Artist-in-Residence program has supported over one hundred artists. Many of these artists have become very successful. The museum also has many educational programs. These include talks, discussions, and performances. They also offer programs for students and teachers. The museum's exhibitions have also helped to create important books and materials about art history.
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History of the Museum
The idea for the Studio Museum came from a group of people who believed in it. They thought that the African-American community should have its own museum. This museum would be a part of their daily lives and show their interests. Mahler B. Ryder was one of the first people to help set it up.
The museum first opened in September 1968. Its very first art show was called Electronic Reflections II. It showed art by Tom Lloyd, who made art using technology and light.
From 1970 to 1978, Gylbert Coker was the museum's first chief curator. She helped organize the museum's art collection. She also made sure that important murals in Harlem Hospital were saved and cleaned. These murals were made by Charles Alston as part of the Works Progress Administration. Coker also put together several big art shows. These included shows for artists like Bob Thompson and Hale Woodruff.
The museum first focused on workshops and exhibitions. These were designed to give artists a place to create and show their work. This idea led to the Artist-in-Residence program. The plan for this program was written by the painter William T. Williams. He felt it was important for Black artists to work and show their art in the Harlem community. Williams and sculptor Melvin Edwards even helped clean up the first museum space. The first artist to work in the studio space was Valerie Maynard.
The museum also has an education department. In the 1970s, artists like Janet Henry and Carrie Mae Weems worked there.
In 2001, architects Rogers Marvel Architects designed parts of the museum. This included the entrance, exhibition areas, and an auditorium.
The museum's Artist-in-Residence program celebrated its 40th year in 2010. This program has helped more than one hundred artists grow their skills and careers. The museum has also helped many people who work in museums.
Naima Keith, a former associate curator, organized several exhibitions. These included shows like "Rodney McMillian: Views of Main Street" (2016) and "Charles Gaines: Gridwork 1974–1989" (2014).
When the new museum building opens, its first exhibition will feature art by Tom Lloyd. He was the artist whose work was shown in the museum's very first exhibition in 1968. This new show will come with a special book about Lloyd's art. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts gave the Studio Museum a $100,000 grant for this show in June 2024. The new museum will also show new art on paper by over one hundred artists who were part of the Artist-in-Residence program. Plus, it will display pieces from its permanent collection.
New Building for the Museum
In 2015, the famous architect David Adjaye was chosen to design the new Studio Museum building. His firm also designed the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The new design will allow the museum to have more art shows. In 2021, the Studio Museum announced it had raised $210 million. This money was for building the new museum, for its future, and for running it. By 2023, the museum continued work on the new building on 125th Street in Manhattan. The new building is scheduled to open on November 15, 2025.
Museum Leaders
The first director of the museum was Charles E. Inniss. Since then, other directors have included Edward Spriggs, Courtney Callender, Mary Schmidt Campbell, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, and Lowery Stokes Sims. The current director is Thelma Golden. In October 2024, the Ford Foundation gave the museum a $10 million grant. This money will help support the director and chief curator positions for a long time.
Artist-in-Residence Program
Each year, the Studio Museum offers a special program for artists. It's an 11-month program for three new artists. These artists can be from the local area, other parts of the country, or even other countries. They can work with any type of art. Each artist gets a free studio space to work in and some money to help them. They can use the museum's studios and are expected to work there at least 20 hours a week. They also get to be part of open studio events and public programs. At the end of the program, the artists' work is shown in the museum's galleries.
Art Collection
The Studio Museum has a permanent collection of about 2000 art pieces. This includes drawings, pastels, prints, photographs, and mixed-media art. It has works made by artists during their residencies. It also has art given to the museum to show the history of artists of African descent.
Some of the artists whose work is in the collection include Terry Adkins, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, and Kehinde Wiley. The museum also takes care of a large collection of photos by James VanDerZee. He was a famous photographer who took pictures of the Harlem community in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. In 1985, the museum received an award for its amazing collection of Black art.
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