PROSPECT HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM’S HISTORIC AFRICAN ART COLLECTION will be getting permanent galleries in a major new renovation project, according to a press release.
“The revamped 6,400-square-foot galleries, located on the museum’s third floor, adjacent to the iconic Beaux-Arts Court, will feature an inaugural installation of over three hundred works, dating from antiquity to the present” from its historic African art collection, one of the largest and most renowned in the United States, the Museum says.
“For the first time, the installation will connect seamlessly with the museum’s Egyptian art galleries, uniting North Africa with the rest of the continent, offering visitors an expanded and cohesive vision of Africa’s rich artistic legacy,” according to the museum.
The museum has partnered with the Brooklyn-based architectural firm Peterson Rich Office, known for adapting established institutions for 21st-century audiences, in consultation with Beyer Blinder Belle on historic preservation.
The approximately $13 million project has funding from city and federal grants, the Ford Foundation, the Sills Family Foundation and individual supporters. Renovations will begin in summer 2026, and the galleries are expected to open in fall 2027.
The project marks a new milestone for the 200-year-old institution as it transforms previously underutilized spaces, which served as onsite storage, into vibrant galleries that will put more art on view.
