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“The Studio Museum is not only central to what took place at the height of the civil rights movement, not only central to that sanctuary called Harlem, but it is at the core of what we think of as culture. The Studio Museum remains at the epicenter of a cultural ethos.” —Raymond J. McGuire, Chairman of the Board, The Studio Museum in Harlem
The Studio Museum in Harlem was founded over 50 years ago by a diverse group of artists, community organizers, and philanthropists to champion artists of the African diaspora through an innovative program that combined an artists residency program with exhibitions and educational programming. The museum is currently temporarily closed as it undergoes the largest expansion in its history, into a new purpose-built building designed by acclaimed architect, Sir David Adjaye, so we are sharing with you a few great videos about the museum.
In support of the expansion, last year Sotheby’s hosted a benefit auction that included notable works by some of the many now-acclaimed artists that have passed through the Studio Museum’s doors. The roster included such notable artist connections as Sam Gilliam, who exhibited in the Harlem Artists ’69 exhibit shortly after the museum’s founding, to Julie Mehretu who was a resident in the program, to Glenn Ligon who was an intern at the museum, not to mention many others who featured prominently in exhibitions throughout the museum’s history. In this video from Sotheby’s, we hear Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator, and Raymond J. McGuire talk about the important centrality of artists and the residency program to the museum.
