Overview
- Designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson, the seven-story, 82,000-square-foot building rises on 144 West 125th Street with a facade referencing Harlem’s stoops and masonry rhythms.
- Exhibition and Artist-in-Residence spaces have more than doubled, complemented by dedicated education facilities, flexible public areas, and a rooftop terrace landscaped by Harlem-based Studio Zewde.
- The inaugural program features a major Tom Lloyd presentation, the collection show From Now, the survey From the Studio: Fifty-Eight Years of Artists in Residence, and an archival installation tracing the museum’s history.
- The museum’s defining residency—launched in 1969 and credited with launching numerous careers—returns in the new studios with alumni works on view before the next cohort begins in 2026.
- The fully fundraised $300 million project includes the museum’s first $50 million endowment and significant public funding, with the institution noting that David Adjaye stepped away from the project in July 2023 following reported allegations he denies; pre-opening events included a gala raising more than $3.7 million and an Artist Party.