After a Seven-Year Wait, the Studio Museum in Harlem Celebrated Its New Building
Good things come to those who wait. After closing its doors in 2018 for a major renovation, the Studio Museum in Harlem is preparing to welcome visitors again when it officially reopens to the public on Saturday, November 15. Warming things up ahead of the big day, a recent gala raised more than $3.7 million for the museum. And on Friday evening, the Artist Party served as a real homecoming too.
“In so many ways, this new building is a manifestation of all that our founders had dreamed this institution would be,” Thelma Golden, the museum’s director and chief curator, told Vogue amidst the bash. “I am deeply honored to have had the opportunity to shepherd the Studio Museum in Harlem into this exciting new era through the opening of our magnificent new building; the first created explicitly for the enactment of our mission and work.”
The refreshed institution on West 125th Street now encompasses 82,000 feet of wonder and discovery—and discovery was certainly at the top of the agenda for those at the pre-opening party. The guestlist included friends, supporters, and artists of the Studio Museum family. As well as alumni of the acclaimed Arist-in-Residence program—an initiative started in 1969 by artist William T. Williams to advance the work of African and Afro-Latinx artists—there were also those with work on view in the new building. Together, they walked through the doors with eager eyes and big smiles, ready to celebrate the momentous occasion and mingle with familiar faces of the Black arts community.
“While our new home has brought me so much joy, the most meaningful moments for me are, perhaps, welcoming all the artists in our community into a space that was created for them,” Golden added. “It’s a true blessing to see generations of visionary artists come together, some who have long been friends and co-conspirators, and others who are emerging within the field.”
The new space, designed by Adjaye Associates in collaboration with Cooper Robertson as executive architect, was crafted as an ode to all that the museum does for its people. On seeing the building from the street, onlookers will instantly notice a set of stairs—a sort of inverted stoop, if you will—where visitors are welcome to relax, do work, or hang out with friends. As for exhibits, they can be experienced across five floors, while a rooftop terrace on the sixth floor offers panoramic views of the city.
On Friday, guests including Carrie Mae Weems, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Nina Chanel Abney, and Charles Gaines perused the “From Now: A Collection in Context” exhibition on the second and fourth floors. Others spent a few minutes interacting with Tom Lloyd’s light installation, which pays homage to the activist’s contributions to art and technology. Meanwhile, a crew including Tyler Mitchell, Hannah Traore, Turiya Adkins, and Ferg lounged in the fifth-floor reception space enjoying a DJ and hors d’oeuvres. Laughs were had, selfies were taken, and memories shared—it was a reunion like no other and a testament to all that the Studio Museum means not only for Harlem, but for Black culture.
Golden added that this was top of mind: “It’s deeply significant to witness an incredibly diverse range of artists engaging with their own works in our gallery and project spaces so that they might observe the ways they have each reimagined and transformed an art history which was previously dismissive of the contributions by artists of African descent. Ultimately this building is their legacy; one that ensures the full breadth of Black experience and creative expression is not just documented, but celebrated.”
As the evening came to a close, Sanford Biggers, Julie Mehretu, Candida Alvarez, Jordan Casteel, and Brett Cook took to the stage for a toast. In unison, the crowd raised their glasses to the artists whose work lined the walls, but also to Golden for leading the charge. “We are here to thank you for your encouragement and tireless support of making this an institution,” Alvarez praised. “Thank you for taking us to this level and for the immensity of work and commitment you have given to the future of what we do collectively.”
Bre Johnson/BFA.com1/16Thelma Golden, Ferg
Bre Johnson/BFA.com2/16Ashley Élysées, Ingrid Best, Mickalene Thomas
