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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The Awe of the Arctic: A Visual History
Through July 13, 2024Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingDiscover how the Arctic has been a source of intrigue and fascination for centuries through historic and contemporary images.
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The Life & Legacy of John Jacob Astor
Through August 3, 2024Stephen A. Schwarzman Building -
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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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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JIMMY! God's Black Revolutionary Mouth
August 2, 2024–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…
Community Showcases
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Diaspora
Through July 26, 2024Bronx Library CenterDiaspora by Danelle Rivas
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The Contribution of Artists in Spreading Health Culture: Stamps in Tunisia
Through August 31, 2024Bloomingdale LibraryCollection of postage stamps from Tunisia
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Punjabi Deli by Jagdeep Raina
Through September 30, 2024Hudson Park LibraryMixed media art exhibition
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
See AllThe 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…
The Pleasure of Rebellion
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
The Pleasure of Rebellion gathers the archives of Black lesbian and feminist writers Alexis De Veaux…
The Rose Family Seder Books
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Check out selections from the Rose Family Seder Books, unique collections of Passover-themed artwork spanning over 60 years.
