Studio Museum in Harlem Announces Opening Date
158Aug. 7, 2025
The Studio Museum in Harlem is set to welcome the public to its new home on November 15. The museum has been closed since 2018, when its former home at 144 West 125th Street in Manhattan was torn down to make way for the seven-story structure that will greet visitors this fall. Designed by Adjaye Associates, the building encompasses 82,000 square feet, including 14,000 square feet of gallery space; 2,100 square feet devoted to its renowned artist-in residence program; and 1,800 square feet of dedicated education space. Other highlights include a store selling products by Black-owned businesses, as well as books and catalogues, and a rooftop garden offering spectacular southern views.
The museum will reopen with a survey of Tom Lloyd; an exhibition of works on paper by previous artists-in-residence; the first installment of a rotating presentation of works from its 9,000-piece collection; and a show examining the institution’s history through archival photographs and ephemera. New commissions from Camille Norment and Christopher Myers will grace the museum’s terraced staircase and its Education Workshop, respectively. David Hammons’s iconic US flag in Pan-African colors, which since 2004 had flown from the previous building’s façade, will be restored to its former position. Glenn Ligon’s 2007 neon workGive Us a Poemwill appear in the lobby; Houston Conwill’sThe Joyful Mysteries, 1984, will occupy the second floor.
Suggested admission to the Studio Museum will be $16 for adults and $9 for seniors, students, and those with disabilities, while children sixteen and under are admitted free of charge. Admission on Sundays will be free to all as part of the institution’s Studio Sundays program. Director and chief curator Thelma Golden told the New York Times that the museum is planning on increasing its full-time staff by roughly 33 percent, to 120, and that it intended to expand its $11 million annual budget accordingly.
“Our breathtaking new building is more than just a space; it is a monumental testament to the museum’s mission and the vitality of artists of African descent,” Golden told the publication. “I am thrilled to welcome everyone back to a reimagined Studio Museum.”