The New York Public Library offers free major exhibitions and special displays at three of its research library locations—the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Library for the Performing Arts, and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture—and community showcases at many of its branch locations throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.
Current Exhibitions
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Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures
OngoingStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThe Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures showcases some of the most extraordinary items from the 56…
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Reanimating Theater: The Photography of Friedman-Abeles
Through September 25, 2024The New York Public Library for the Performing ArtsThe Library for the Performing Arts animates the theater photography of the Freidman-Abeles Studio using lenticular printing.
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Photo Call: The Theater Photos of Joan Marcus and Carol Rosegg
Through September 28, 2024The New York Public Library for the Performing ArtsPhoto Call: The Theater Photos of Joan Marcus and Carol Rosegg features an extensive selection of the many theater…
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Visibility & Resistance: New Acquisitions, Contemporary Afro-Mexican Photography
Through December 2, 2024Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureVisibility & Resistance celebrates the recent acquisition of a collection of contemporary Afro-Mexican photography. By…
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Byron: A Life in Motion
Through January 12, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman Building -
Line & Thread: Prints and Textiles from the 1600s to the Present
Through January 12, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis exhibition, which starts with a section of historical examples that illustrate overlaps between prints and textiles, examines how…
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JIMMY! God's Black Revolutionary Mouth
Through February 28, 2025Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureNovelist, essayist, intellectual, and activist James Baldwin (1924–1987) is renowned as one of the world’s most influential and…
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Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined
Through May 22, 2025Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureStep into Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined, an extraordinary exhibition by the Schomburg Junior Scholars Program.
Coming Soon
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The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S.
September 19, 2024–March 1, 2025The New York Public Library for the Performing ArtsThe Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S. tells the story of what made the Joffrey a unique force in the world of dance, demonstrating…
Community Showcases
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Bridge: From the Bronx to Boriken
Through October 25, 2024Bronx Library CenterBridge: From the Bronx to Boriken by Nelson Host Santiago
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An Oral History of New Migrants in Lower Manhattan
OngoingNew Amsterdam LibraryThis project interviewed recent immigrants to the community, exploring their perceptions of New York prior to arrival, the media images…
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Ana Traversa: Sculptures, Paintings, and Drawings
Through October 31, 2024Bloomingdale Library
Online Exhibitions
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The Skeleton Caricatures of Posada | Las meras meras calaveras de Posada
OngoingOnline OnlyStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis online exhibition presents a selection of Posada’s calaveras and announces the digitization of the entirety of the Library’s Posada… -
Pride & Privacy: LGBTQ+ Visibility in Library Collections
OngoingOnline OnlyStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThe lives of people who identify as LGBTQ+, more than those of others, have often historically been shaped by questions of visibility…
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FLY BALL: Vintage Snapshots of Black Athletes by Morgan & Marvin Smith
OngoingOnline OnlySchomburg Center for Research in Black CultureThis year’s Photoville outdoor banner exhibition—hosted at St. Nicholas Park and Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem—takes a look at the…
Past Exhibitions
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The Awe of the Arctic: A Visual History
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Discover how the Arctic has been a source of intrigue and fascination for centuries through historic and contemporary images.
The Ways of Langston Hughes: Griff Davis and Black Artists in the Making
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes (1901–1967) held friendships with artists across generations and disciplines. He forged…
