Museum of the City of New York

We think you should plan a visit this fall, and Hyperallergic agrees! The online publication has included three of our exhibitions in its 2024 fall must-see roundup. Explore the vibrant rhythms of "Byzantine Bembé," delve into the legacy of "Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100," and get ready for "Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection," opening this November. Don't miss out on these extraordinary experiences!  https://bit.ly/3Xn2BIp

Before she entered public life as an elected official, Shirley Chisholm launched a career in early education, working as a teacher’s aide at Mt. Calvary Child Care Center in Harlem and later as a day care administrator with the Governor Alfred E. Smith Houses in Lower Manhattan. Chisholm earned her master’s degree in elementary education from Columbia University Teacher’s College while working. Busing as a form of school integration was an issue that Chisholm championed. While she supported community control of New York City schools in the late 1960s as one path to quality education for Black students, Chisholm was also open to busing to facilitate interactions across racial lines. As noted in this clip from WNYC, Chisholm called attention to impact that school integration would have on children. This video is one of several film clips on view in "Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100." Visit soon to hear Chisholm in her own words and learn more about her trailblazing legacy as a legislator, member of Congress, and the first Black woman to run for the Democratic nomination for President: https://lnkd.in/eU-KdnDa Cover image: Chisholm Addresses the Democratic Convention While Her Supporters Cheer, Jo Freeman, 1972. Courtesy of Jo Freeman" | Film Clip: Chisholm on Equal Access to Education." WNYC, February 18, 1972. Courtesy of the Municipal Archives, City of New York.

📣 NEW EXHIBITION 📣 This fall, the Museum of the City of New York is proud to present "Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection". Opening on November 22, 2024, and running through August 10, 2025, this groundbreaking exhibition celebrates the evolution of graffiti art, from its vibrant street origins in the early 1970s to its prominent place in galleries and museums today. "Above Ground" will feature an impressive selection of works from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection, which was donated to the Museum in 1994. The exhibition will showcase influential pieces by artists such as Keith Haring (@keithharingfoundation), Futura 2000 (@futuradosmil), Fab 5 Freddy (@fab5freddy), and Lady Pink (@ladypinknyc). Highlights include Martha Cooper’s (@marthacoopergram) iconic photographs of Haring, Lee Quiñones’ (@leequinones) monumental A Life Takes a Life, and dynamic canvases by Daze and A-One. A documentary by Charlie Ahearn will further enrich the exhibition, offering an in-depth look at the stories behind the art, as well as loans from KAWS' (@KAWS) collection. A documentary by Charlie Ahearn will further enrich the exhibition, offering an in-depth look at the stories behind the art. This exhibition is a unique opportunity to explore the rich history and cultural impact of graffiti through never-before-seen works and significant pieces from the collection. Generous support for this exhibition comes from Martin Wong’s enduring legacy and contributions and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. 📸 Breakfast at Baychester, George LEE Quiñones, 1980, Courtesy of Museum of the City of New York, 94.114.334, #AboveGround #GraffitiArt #MartinWongCollection #MCNY

In a town renowned for its in-your-face persona, New Yorkers have banded together on issues as diverse as civil rights, wages, sexual orientation, and religious freedom. Visit MCNY to explore "Activist New York," which presents the passions and conflicts that underlie the city's history of agitation. Organized into sections focused on Gender Equality, Political and Civil Rights, and more, the exhibition offers perspective and context for some of the key issues that have inspired New Yorkers to seek change for decades. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eQnmuYPV

Curators Dr. Zinga Fraser and Sarah Seidman recently joined NY1 News' Errol Louis on Inside City Hall to discuss "Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100." Click the link below to watch the segment and to learn more about this critically acclaimed exhibition, which explores the enduring impact of Chisholm's life and legacy. https://lnkd.in/ec7KQB6Z Image: Chisholm Addresses the Democratic Convention While Her Supporters Cheer, Jo Freeman, 1972. Courtesy of Jo Freeman

We’re Hiring! MCNY is looking for exciting candidates to join the Museum. You can learn more about the details of each of the open positions at mcny.org/employment.

🎭 Break a leg, @suttonlenore! 🎭 As Once Upon A Mattress makes its grand return to Broadway, we’re fondly recalling the time two time Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster visited the Museum of the City of New York. She shared her love for the "colorful, wonderful" New York City and why she chose to raise her kids here. 🌟 This hilarious and heartwarming revival of "Once Upon A Mattress", a reimagining of the classic fairytale "The Princess and the Pea", officially opens today, August 12th! For more videos based on our exhibitions and the vibrant history of New York, be sure to check out our YouTube channel! #OnceUponAMattress #SuttonFoster #Broadway #NYCTheatre

Thank you to Time Out New York for including "Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100" on its list of the best exhibitions in New York! As Time Out notes, "The legendary Shirley Chisholm is deservedly getting a major museum presentation courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York and the Shirley Chisholm Project at Brooklyn College. Her first major exhibition takes over the Museum's second-floor North Gallery and tells the multi-dimensional story of the American icon in three sections—Brooklyn Life, Political Career, and Legacy—using historical artifacts, photographs, archival footage, and art pieces." The Museum is now open seven days a week. Visit our website for more information: https://lnkd.in/eU-KdnDa Images: (L to R) Poster, "Bring U.S. Together: Vote Chisholm '72 Unbought and Unbossed," N.G. Slater Corporation, 1972. Ink on Paper, Courtesy of the Schlesinger Library, Harvard University. | Photo by Filip Wolak.

Thank you to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for awarding funding to the Museum of the City of New York from its Museums for America initiative! With this funding, the Museum will create programs and classroom resources aligned with New York City’s “Civics for All” public school initiative. In addition, we will work with a teacher advisory group to develop educational resources for students in grades six through eight and to create two new “Civics for All”- themed field trips. Amongst other funded activities, the Museum will also host several professional development programs for New York City teachers focused on civic engagement themes and translate curriculum materials into Spanish to reach a broader student population.

How did a hurricane factor into Alexander Hamilton's beginnings in New York City? Born on the Caribbean Island of Nevis in either 1755 or 1757, Hamilton dreamed of an education on the mainland. When a local newspaper published Hamilton's harrowing and vivid account of a hurricane, his writing impressed several donors, who sent him to school in New York. He arrived in the city at the age of 17 and after being rejected from Princeton, Hamilton attended King's College (now Columbia University) from 1774 - 1776. Learn more about New Yorkers such as Hamilton, Emma Goldman, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, and Jay-Z in "NY at Its Core: 400 Years of NYC History." The Museum is open seven days a week. Visit MCNY.org for more.