The Studio Museum in Harlem | Community Day
The Studio Museum in Harlem is internationally recognised for promoting work by artists of African descent. On Juneteenth, it is hosting a packed community day rooted in “reflection, celebration and a call to action.” The programme kicks off with a workshop inspired by David Hammons’s iconic African-American Flag (1997), where participants can use colour, pattern and shapes to create their own design. There will also be healing movement and sound-based workshops, followed by in-gallery curator discussions. In the afternoon, further talks speak to the impact of incarceration across generations. The day closes with music from Harlem-based pianist Warner Meadows, joined by trumpeter Chris Williams and percussionist Ezemdi Akalonu. “As many in our communities remain unfree, we take this day to fellowship, process and explore creative ways to build a freer world for ourselves and our neighbours,” the museum notes.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York | Public Tours
The Museum of Modern Art’s current exhibition Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination examines how photographers – and their sitters – contributed to the proliferation of Pan-African solidarity during the mid-20th century. It focuses on the era of decolonisation and the burgeoning US Civil Rights movement, bringing together iconic studio works by Malick Sidibé, Sanlé Sory and Seydou Keïta, who worked across key urban centres in West and Central Africa during the “golden age of African portraiture,” as well as those living in Europe and North America, such as James Barnor and Kwame Brathwaite. To bring the narrative up-to-date, there are contributions from contemporary artists of African descent, including Samuel Fosso, Silvia Rosi and Njideka Akunyili Crosby. In honour of Juneteenth, MoMA is hosting two public tours of the show as part of its UNIQLO Friday Nights programme.
National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C. | Community Day
Dr. Opal Lee, affectionately known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”, celebrates her 100th birthday this year. Lee, an activist and retired educator, was instrumental in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally recognised holiday in 2021. Now, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture honours her life, legacy and enduring impact with a joyful community day. Its programme encompasses storytelling, food, music and hands-on learning, all focusing on the meaning of freedom. In addition, as an extension of its Juneteenth observance, the museum has opened two new fine art exhibitions: Revelation: A Journey into Abstraction and Reset: Abstraction Embodied in Design, which explore how abstraction has shaped African American artistic expression across painting, sculpture, printmaking, furniture, textiles and lighting from the mid‑20th century to the present-day.
The High Museum of Art, Atlanta | Juneteenth Celebration
Art. Comedy. Music. Poetry. In Atlanta, The High Museum of Art invites its audiences to engage in all forms of creativity; to “celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth: self-determination, community and joy.” From filling the pages of your own zines and meditating on the word of the words of Atlanta poet Adán Bean, to feeling the beat of Tambor Party’s vibrant Carnival of Freedom – a musical celebration inspired by liberation traditions across the United States, the Caribbean and the African Diaspora – there is something for everyone. The event runs alongside the sell-out show Amy Sherald: American Sublime, which opened in May and runs until 27 September. Sherald is a painter best-known for her depictions of Black Americans and everyday life, and this show is her largest exhibition to date. It features images spanning 2007 to 2024, including her iconic portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama against pale blue background.
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach | Community Day
The Norton Museum of Art’s Juneteenth Community Day takes place on 20 June. It is an intergenerational celebration of freedom and African American culture, incorporating live performance, gallery talks, storytelling and art-making activities. Music runs through the programme, with Mister Trombone providing house, jazz and soul-inspired instrumentals, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra creating a soundscape of electric bass, drums and steel pans, and Jobi blending gospel influences with hip-hop, jazz, rap and R&B. Another highlight is Soul Stage Dance Ensemble – founded by Samantha Cyprian to provide instruction in ballet, modern, jazz and tap to dancers in Palm Beach County, specifically from underserved and underrepresented communities. Beyond performance, impactful conversations will be had throughout the day on ideas such as “Freedom is a Process,” and how to leverage art to build mental health awareness.
Words: Eleanor Sutherland
Image Credits:
1. Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
2. The Studio Museum in Harlem’s new terrace, with views to the south. Courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. Photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto.
3. Exterior view of The Museum of Modern Art, 53rd Street Entrance Canopy The Museum of Modern Art Renovation and Expansion Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler Photography by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of MoMA.
4. Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
5. High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Photo: Aleksandr Zykov.
6. Front of redesigned Norton Museum of Art in February 2019, designed by Foster & Partners. Photo taken by Nigel Young.
