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Thứ Bảy, 21 tháng 9, 2013

Museums in New York City: Studio Museum in Harlem

By Tia Dryer


For a considerable time, the Studio Museum in Harlem was the only important cultural establishment for art by African Americans. It still is one of the most significant museums in NY, and on the planet , for art that chronicles the African-American experience, poignantly although not exclusively in urban environments. The work showcased here includes African-American works and Twentieth century Afro-Caribbean pieces, as well as conventional African art. The social side of art is obviously on view in the permanent collection of the Studio Museum, as well as a consistent theme of looking for the African identity in an American context.

The Studio Museum has earned a extreme amount of recognition from the community of museums in New York City, very much due to its Artists in Residence program, which encourages one or two up and coming studio and gallery artists of African descent to reside on location while they create. This allows the artists to do their artwork, network with members of the community and begin successful careers as artists. Also, the museum is a center for the Harlem arts community by hosting lectures, dialogues, panels, classes and performances on a large range of current affairs related to the African-American experience.



Situated on 125th St, fifteen blocks north of Central Park in Harlem, the Studio Museum is very much an organic product of its location. This Harlem museum is close to numerous other famous locales, including the legendary Apollo Theater. Down the street, the New York Public Libraryis one or two blocks east, and there are also a considerable number of parks, including the Morningstar Park and Central Park. The neighborhood itself is an unprecedented landmark, full of plaques and notes of significance. Once a ghetto for freed slaves and persons fleeing the oppressive Jim Crow laws in the later 1800s and early 1900s, Harlem turned into a cultural treasure throughout the 1920s and continues to play a vital role in African-American culture.

The permanent collection of the Studio Museum in Harlem consists of over 1,600 works by famous African-American artists, both in the Harlem community and around the country. These artists, including Robert Colescott, Terry Adkins, Melvin Edwards, Lois Mailou Jones, Hector Hyppolite, Norman Lewis, Betye Saar, Nari Ward and others have had an impact on the art world as well as in the greater African-American community. The basic theme of all the art work within this museum is the Black identity; the museum is an important and interesting location for everybody with an interest in American history to go visit and take in. Express themes include black liberation politics, dance, expressionism, roots and music, as well as the subjects of racism, sexism and the urban experience. These subjects may be controversial to some visitors, but they represent a punctual, crucial debate within the larger American culture about the roles and perceptions of African-Americans in it, and it is one of many significant museums in New York to study a variety of ideas, new and old.




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