New York’s second-largest museum is a must-visit

When it comes to American museums, few are as storied as this one in the city of New York. The great American poet Walt Whitman was there at the age of six to see the laying of its cornerstone. It was one of the first museums in the US to dedicate an exhibition to black artists. In 1999, New York City’s then-mayor Rudy Giuliani, enraged by the showing of a work by controversial artist Chris Ofili, threatened to get its lease terminated.

He didn’t succeed and in October, the much-loved Brooklyn Museum kicks off its 200th anniversary celebrations with a series of programs and events that “highlight the best of the borough and mark two centuries of doing things ‘the Brooklyn way.’”

Brooklyn Museum’s Beaux-arts court. The museum is marking its 200th birthday with several new exhibitions.

Though gentrification has swept the high-density borough on the western side of Long Island, Brooklyn is famously artistic, multicultural and forward-thinking. The 52,000-square-metre museum, New York’s second largest behind the Met, is recognised as a pioneer in community art education and participation.

The 200th anniversary celebrations start on October 4 with the launch of The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, a group show that spotlights local artists working in various mediums.

Concurrently, Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art debuts. It’s a reinstallation of the museum’s American art galleries and represents a new take on its important American art collection.

Starting in November and running till mid-2025, Solid Gold explores how gold has been used throughout civilisation, and will combine showpieces from the Brooklyn Museum collection with international loans.

Commencing in February 2025 and running for 12 months, Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200, will explore the museum’s history and future.

A bejewelled gold bracelet from ancient Rome is part of Solid Gold, a new exhibition at Brooklyn Museum.

Further afield, the Museum on Wheels will bring touchable selections from the museum’s collection of teaching objects and a program of activities to various locations.

Meanwhile, New York has two new museums that have opened recently.

In February, Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology opened a few blocks from the 9/11 memorial, featuring 15 interactive installations that explore the relationship between art and technology.

And in June, the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Centre opened next to the historic Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. It’s dedicated to LGBTQ+ history and explores the history of the 1969 Stonewall uprising.

See brooklynmuseum.org; mercerlabs.com; stonewallvisitorcenter.org