As the Studio Museum reopens this weekend in its gleaming new building, New York's premier institution for Black art finds itself looking back and looking forward at the same time.
Colorful signs featuring permanent works have sprouted near the museum's home in Harlem, a center point in Black life and imagination in America for more than a century.
kAm%96 >FD6F>[ 4=@D65 7@C E96 >@C6 E92? D6G6?\J62C AC@;64E[ 92D 4@>>:DD:@?65 ?6H H@C<D E@ 4@>>6>@C2E6 E96 C63@@E[ H9:49 762EFC6D 6IA2?565 DEF5:@D 7@C E96 :?DE:EFE:@?VD 2CE:DED\:?\C6D:56?46 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 df\J62C\@=5 >FD6F> :D 2=D@ 962C<6?:?8 324< E@ :ED C@@ED H:E9 2 C6EC@DA64E:G6 @7 E96 =2E6 %@> {=@J5[ H9@D6 6=64EC@?:42==J AC@8C2>>65 H2== D4F=AEFC6D 2?E:4:A2E65 E@52JVD 5:8:E2= 286]k^Am
kAm$@>6 @7 E96 D2>6 A:646D H6C6 9F?8 :? E96 >FD6F>VD :?2F8FC2= `heg D9@H 324< H96? H@C<D 3J 2CE:DED @7 p7C:42? 56D46?E H6C6 >@DE=J 23D6?E 7C@> }6H *@C<VD =625:?8 >FD6F>D]k^Am
kAm%@52JVD 2CE D46?6 :D G6CJ 5:776C6?E]Â k^Am
kAm#2D9:5 y@9?D@?[ p>J $96C2=5 2?5 @E96CD 2C6 C68F=2C=J D9@H42D65 :? D9@HD 2E E96 vF886?96:>[ (9:E?6J 2?5 @E96C ?2>6A=2E6 }6H *@C< >FD6F>D[ H9:49 92G6 2=D@ 9@DE65 C6EC@DA64E:G6D 36=2E65=J C64@8?:K:?8 q=24< >@G6>6?ED]k^Am
kAmQx? E96 E:>6 @7 E96 >FD6F>VD =:76[ H6 92G6 D66? E9:D :?4C65:3=6 EC2;64E@CJ 2?5 D@>6 @7 E92E :D 2 C6DF=E @7 E96 H@C< E92E E96 >FD6F> 5:5 :? :ED 6DE23=:D9>6?E 2?5 :ED 62C=J J62CD[Q D2:5 $EF5:@ |FD6F> 5:C64E@C %96=>2 v@=56?[ H9@ @G6CD2H 2 >@C6 E92? Sb__ >:==:@? 5C:G6 E@ 7:?2?46 2 E62C5@H? 2?5 ?6H3F:=5 AC@;64E E92E 46>6?ED E96 >FD6F>VD E:6D E@ w2C=6>]k^Am
kAmQ%96 2A6CEFC6 @A6?D[ 3FE 6G6? H:E9 E92E[ H6 DE:== 36=:6G6 566A=J :? E96 H@C< E92E 4@?E:?F6D E@ ?665 E@ 36 5@?6]Qk^Am
k9am\ V%CF=J 4FCC6?E H@C<V \k^9am
kAm%96 >FD6F>VD 9:DE@CJ :D =2:5 @FE :? A9@E@D @7 E96 `heg 8C@F?53C62<:?8[ 2?5 E96C6 2C6 A@DE6CD @7 ;2KK ?:89ED[ Q&AE@H? uC:52JQ 82E96C:?8D[ 9:89 D49@@= AC@8C2>D 2?5 @7 D9@HD DF49 2D 2 C6EC@DA64E:G6 @7 y2>6D '2? s6C +66[ 2 72>65 A9@E@8C2A96C 5FC:?8 E96 w2C=6> #6?2:DD2?46]k^Am
kAm%96 7@F?56CDV 2>3:E:@?D :?4=F565 4C62E:?8 2 A=246 5:DE:?4E 7C@> }6H *@C< 6DE23=:D9>6?ED =:<6 E96 |FD6F> @7 |@56C? pCE]k^Am
kAm%96 $EF5:@ |FD6F> H:== AC6D6?E QECF=J 4FCC6?E H@C<[Q 7@F?56CD HC@E6 :? `hee] %96 H@C< Q4@F=5 EFC? @FE E@ 36 2 7=2D9 :? E96 A2? @C 4@F=5 4@?46:G23=J 368:? 2? 6?E:C6 ?6H D49@@= @C ?6H 5:C64E:@? :? 2CE]Qk^Am
kAmq24<6CD 2=D@ D@F89E E@ C6567:?6 w2C=6>[ QH9:49 :D 2== E@@ @7E6? 6BF2E65 H:E9 D=F>D[ G:@=6?46 2?5 @E96C 6G:=D[Q 2?5 E@ 566A6? E96 4@>>:E>6?E @7 DFAA@CE6CD \\ D@>6 H9:E6 \\ E@ Q>2<6 }6H *@C< r:EJ 2 F?:E65 4:EJ C2E96C E92? @?6 H9:49 :D 4FCC6?E=J 5:G:565 3J 2? :?G:D:3=6 q6C=:? H2==]Qk^Am
kAmz6J EFC?:?8 A@:?ED :?4=F565 `hg`[ H96? E96 $EF5:@ |FD6F> 3C@<6 8C@F?5 2E :ED 4FCC6?E 255C6DD 2E `cc (6DE `adE9 $EC66E]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C D9:7E 42>6 27E6C v@=56? ;@:?65 :? a___[ H96? E96 >:DD:@? DE2E6>6?E H2D 6IA2?565 36J@?5 &$\3@C? 4C62E@CD E@ 2CE:DED @7 p7C:42? 56D46?E Q=@42==J[ ?2E:@?2==J 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2==J]Qk^Am
k9am\ $:8?2EFC6 H@C<D \k^9am
kAm%92E 3C@256?65 D4@A6 :D 3@=5=J 6IAC6DD65 @? E96 3F:=5:?8VD 6IE6C:@C H:E9 2 C65[ 3=24< 2?5 8C66? 7=28 3J s2G:5 w2>>@?D :?DA:C65 3J E96 !2?\p7C:42? 7=28 @7 E96 `ha_D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 24E:G:DE |2C4FD v2CG6J]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C D:8?2EFC6 H@C< :D w@FDE@? r@?H:==VD Q%96 y@J7F= |JDE6C:6D[Q 4@?E2:?:?8 DE2E6>6?ED 3J D6G6? AC@>:?6?E q=24< p>6C:42?D HC:EE6? 7@C 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D]Â %96 E:>6 42ADF=6D H:== 36 @A6?65 :? $6AE6>36C a_bc[ d_ J62CD 27E6C E96:C 4C62E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H 65:7:46 :ED6=7 ?@5D E@ w2C=6>VD 2C49:E64EFC2= G6C?24F=2C[ H:E9 2 >2DD @7 86@>6EC:6D :? 8C2J 4@?4C6E6 2?5 8=2DD] %96 3F:=5:?8 92D C646:G65 C2AEFC@FD C6G:6HD[ 2?5 E9:D H66<6?5 @776CD E96 AF3=:4 2 7:CDE =@@<]k^Am
kAmv@=56? 56D4C:365 E96 D:E6 2D 2:>:?8 E@ QC6567:?6 H92E 2 >FD6F> 42? 36 :? :ED DA246 2?5 4@?E6?E]Qk^Am
kAm$96 4C65:E65 96C AC65646DD@CD[ ?@E 2== @7 H9@> =:G65 E@ D66 q=24< 2CE 249:6G6 >2:?DEC62> 2446AE2?46]k^Am
kAmQx 2> H6== 2H2C6 E92E E96J 5:5 ?@E 86E E@ D66 E96 7CF:ED @7 E96 =23@C[Q v@=56? E@=5 pu!] Q%96 :?96C:E2?46 x 92G6 7C@> E96> :D E92E E96J 36=:6G65 D@ 566A=J E92E E92E 36=:67 42CC:6D 7C@> Veg E@ E9:D >@>6?E]Qk^Am
kAm;>3^38Dk^Am



