October
Raise a glass and put on your dancing shoes: This month, the Brooklyn Museum turns 200. On October 5 and 6, join us for Birthday Bash—a full weekend of fantastic programming to kick off our bicentennial celebration.
After all, there’s so much to celebrate. Over 200 artists are coming together for the inaugural The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, an incredible collection of work that champions the creativity of the borough we love and call home. The American Art Galleries are reopening with a kaleidoscopic display that honors often-marginalized voices. Museum on Wheels is going out for its very first spin—and coming soon to a Brooklyn neighborhood near you.
Cheers to two centuries of groundbreaking art, to community, to that creative spirit that binds us. Cheers to artistic legacy and to trying something new. Cheers to you!
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Birthday Bash
Sunday, October 6, 11 am–5 pm
Check out the full two-day lineup, and don’t forget to register for free today.
Brooklyn Talks:
Paola Mendoza and Paola Ramos
Thursday, October 17, 7–9 pm
Join journalist Paola Ramos and filmmaker Paola Mendoza for a thought-provoking conversation on two of the nation’s most important and misunderstood communities: Latinos and immigrants. From the rise of authoritarian forces and anti-immigrant rhetoric to the spread of misinformation, Ramos and Mendoza will touch on pressing issues facing American political and cultural life. In tandem with the release of their books SOLIS and Defectors, the two authors reflect on how Latino and immigrant communities shape the nation.
Brooklyn Reads: Chronicles of Doom
Thursday, October 31, 7–9 pm
Honor the legacy of revered hip-hop artist MF Doom during the release of his definitive biography, The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast. Journalist S.H. Fernando Jr. (also known as SKIZ) follows the life of Daniel Dumile Jr. from his upbringing in Long Beach, New York, to his first masked show.
The program features a set by DJ Rob Swift, a book signing, and a conversation between SKIZ, illustrator LAmour Supreme, and MF Doom’s former assistant Courtney Franco, moderated by cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib.
More happening
We Speak Art
Saturday, October 19, 12–1 pm
Are you learning English and looking for ways to practice having conversations? Join fellow English language learners to discuss artwork in Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies.
This program is free.
Paid teen internships
In the Museum Apprentice Program, New York City teens immerse themselves in art and art history, and learn about museum education while creating their own lessons for audiences of all ages. Applications are due October 6.
In InterseXtions, New York City LGBTQ+ teens ages 14–19 explore gender and sexuality in art through an activist lens, and work collaboratively to organize programs for other queer and trans youth. Applications are due October 13.
(Want to stay updated on opportunities like these? Subscribe to The Emerging Creative newsletter.)
New merch is calling . . .
Forty-four years ago this month, Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party first went on view at the Brooklyn Museum. It had previously been hosted in San Francisco, Houston, and Boston—and then it was in storage after two institutions canceled their exhibitions. Hilton Kramer called the work “crass and solemn and single minded.”
However, 80,000 people came to view the work during the Brooklyn Museum show (October 18, 1980–January 18, 1981), comprising 54% of our daily visitors during this period.
Want to dig a little deeper? Listen to The Dinner Party Today, an audio guide exploring this landmark work of feminist art.
Sharing the love
WNYC
Which beloved places, standout artworks, and unforgettable people of Brooklyn inspire you the most—and why? We’re partnering with WNYC, which is celebrating its own centennial, to record your stories. We’ll share select stories on our websites, on social media, and maybe even on WNYC.
Studio Museum
New Additions is the first podcast from the Studio Museum in Harlem. This series features intimate conversations with artists whose work has recently been added to the Studio Museum’s permanent collection. New episodes each month reveal how these artists’ practices shapes their world and, in turn, ours.
From the top: Robert Sefcik (American, born 1948). New York City (Party after fashion show at 79th Street Rotunda, Riverside Park), 1976. Gelatin silver print. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Cynthia K. Yanowitz, 85.94.4. © Robert Sefcik. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum); Brooklyn Museum, 2024. (Photo: Adrianna Glaviano); View of the Brooklyn Museum Lit Up during the Hudson Fulton Centennial, 1909. Black-and-white copy negative. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum); First Saturday: Legacy at the Brooklyn Museum, February 2023. (Photo: Kolin Mendez); SET IT OFF: Celebrating Hip-Hop 50 at the Brooklyn Museum, August 2023. (Photo: Kolin Mendez); Museum on Wheels, September 2024. (Photo: Paula Abreu Pita); Left to right: Paola Ramos and Paola Mendoza. (Photos: Samantha Bloom and Shayan Asgharnia); Cover of The Chronicles of DOOM featuring art by LAmour Supreme. (Photo: courtesy of Astra House); Brooklyn Museum, 2023. (Photo: Lana Apisukh); Museum Apprentice Summer Teaching, 08/09/2024. Brooklyn Museum. (Photo: Darius Richards); Brooklyn Museum Shop merch. (Photo: Adrianna Glaviano); Installation view: Judy Chicago: The Dinner Party. Brooklyn Museum, October 18, 1980–February 1, 1981; Image courtesy of WNYC; Image courtesy of the Studio Museum in Harlem
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