Birthday Bash

The Brooklyn Museum is thrilled to announce the lineup for its 200th anniversary Birthday Bash, a weekend-long celebration that honors two centuries of championing the borough’s vibrant artistic communities. This milestone event, taking place October 5–6, 2024, will showcase the best of Brooklyn with a diverse array of free programming, including music, karaoke, dance, poetry, gallery tours, art-making, and more. The anniversary year programming is proudly sponsored by Bank of America, a longtime supporter of the Brooklyn Museum.

Birthday Bash kicks off the Museum’s year-long bicentennial celebration, inviting families, friends, and neighbors to join in a spirited weekend that highlights Brooklyn’s rich cultural landscape. The programming is designed to engage audiences of all ages, with something for everyone to enjoy. Visitors can also see three newly opened exhibitions: Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art, the complete reinstallation of the Museum’s American Art galleries; The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, featuring works by more than 200 artists who have lived or maintained a studio in Brooklyn during the last five years; and Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies, a major retrospective spotlighting a defining Black woman artist of the 20th century.

“The Brooklyn Museum has long been a beacon for artistic expression and community connection, and what better way to mark this occasion than with a weekend-long celebration?” says Anne Pasternak, Shelby White and Leon Levy Director, Brooklyn Museum. “We are thrilled to commemorate this milestone with the communities that have supported us for generations, and we look forward to continuing to uplift them for many more.”

“Building upon years of partnership to conserve art and present dynamic programming and inspiring exhibitions, it’s an honor to now stand beside the Brooklyn Museum for this milestone commemoration,” said José Tavarez, President, Bank of America New York City. “Together, Bank of America and the Brooklyn Museum share a belief in the power of the arts to help build communities and have a positive impact on us all, and we are thrilled to continue our support of the Museum—an NYC treasure and Brooklyn’s crown jewel in the arts.”

A highlight of Birthday Bash will be the debut of Museum on Wheels, a mobile museum housed in an Airstream trailer, designed to bring arts and cultural programming to audiences of all ages across Brooklyn. Wrapped with a bright and bold design by local artist Christopher Meyers, Museum on Wheels is launching as a pilot program this fall and will be stationed on the Brooklyn Museum’s plaza during Birthday Bash. Visitors can enjoy hands-on art activities with local artists, take part in giveaways and art-themed games, and experience a curated menu from Brooklyn-based vegan eatery Aunts et Uncles, plus much more.

Birthday Bash is free; registration is required and includes Museum general admission. Tickets will be released on a rolling basis starting September 20 for Museum Members and September 23 for the general public. See below for the full schedule.

Saturday, October 5

11 am–5 pm Curator Pop-Up Talks

Throughout the Museum

Learn about selected artworks in the galleries during 10-minute talks by our expert curators and conservators.

11 am–8 pm Shop: Brooklyn Charm Bar

Shop, 1st Floor

Create your own charm necklace or bracelet to purchase, adding as many Brooklyn-inspired charms as you choose!

11:30 am–5 pm Drop-In Printmaking: Shoestring Press

Education Studios, 1st Floor

Join Crown Heights–based printmaking studio Shoestring Press to make your own tote.

11:30 am–7 pm Art-Making: Mini-Pull Piñatas

Education Studios, 1st Floor

Keep the birthday celebration going by making piñatas in the Education Studios.

12–5 pm Art-Making: Museum on Wheels

Plaza, 1st Floor

Check out our mobile museum within an Airstream trailer and start the day with art-making activities.

12–5 pm Oral Histories Archive: WNYC

Pavilion, 1st Floor

Document your story and become part of WNYC’s ever-growing Oral Histories Archive.

12–5 pm Voter Registration Drive

Pavilion, 1st Floor

Sign up to vote! HeadCount, a nonpartisan voting advocacy nonprofit, hosts a voter registration drive ahead of the general election.

1–4 pm Art-Making: Life Drawing

Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor

Drop in to sketch from live models.

2–4 pm Music: Ahmed Abdullah’s Diaspora

Lobby, 1st Floor

Stop by the lobby for a performance by trumpeter, composer, and educator Ahmed Abdullah and his ensemble Diaspora. Known for his work in the 1970s Loft Jazz movement, Abdullah was a member of Sun Ra Arkestra and a cofounder of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium. Presented in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America.

5–6 pm Music: Brooklyn United Marching Band

Plaza, 1st Floor

Get in step with Brooklyn United as the youth marching band performs on our plaza steps.

5–9:30 pm Brooklyn Pop-Up Market

Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor

Shop one-of-a-kind, handmade items highlighting artists and vendors from across Brooklyn, featuring artwork, jewelry, fashion, and home and apothecary goods.

5–10 pm Poetry Marathon: Can I Get a Witness?

American Art Galleries, 5th Floor

Hear poets and writers activate our new American Art galleries throughout the evening. Readers include the cohosts of Supa Dupa Fresh, Simon Wu, and poets invited by Kundiman, Urban Word, and Cheryl Boyce-Taylor.

6–6:30 pm Dance: Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet

Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor

Enjoy intergenerational performances by Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, a nonprofit that uses dance-related education, performance, and programming to uplift communities.

6–7 pm Roundtable: Brooklyn Arts Leadership Collaborative

Auditorium, 3rd Floor

Join leaders of arts organizations across Brooklyn as they reflect on the Museum’s history and discuss the future of cultural institutions in our borough.

6–10 pm Karaoke: Bubble_T

The Norm, 1st Floor

Grab the mic as beloved Brooklyn-based collective Bubble_T transforms our restaurant into a karaoke lounge.

6:30–10 pm Music: Burnt Sugar SmokeHouse

Lobby, 1st Floor

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber returns with an evening of “avant groidd” soul, jazz, rock, and hip-hop. The performance showcases local and international talent and reflects the vibrant cultural mix that the Brooklyn Museum has cultivated for 200 years. Emceed by Black Rock Coalition president LaRonda Davis.

7–8 pm Teen Talks

Throughout the Museum

Join teen Museum Apprentices as they host 10-minute pop-up talks in the galleries.

7–10 pm Music: The Lay Out

Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor

The Lay Out, a Brooklyn-based community platform that centers Black joy and creative expression, returns to close out the evening with sets by Quiana Parks and DJ 9AM.

Sunday, October 6

11 am–4:30 pm Shop: Brooklyn Charm Bar

Shop, 1st Floor

Create your own charm necklace or bracelet to purchase, adding as many Brooklyn-inspired charms as you choose!

11 am–6 pm Curator Pop-Up Talks

Throughout the Museum

Learn about selected artworks in the galleries during 10-minute talks by our expert curators and conservators.

11:30 am–12:30 pm and 2–3 pm Storytime Pop-Up: Brooklyn Public Library

Shop, 1st Floor

Read stories, sing songs, and make crafts with our friends from Brooklyn Public Library.

11:30 am–5 pm Drop-In Printmaking: Shoestring Press

Education Studios, 1st Floor

Join Crown Heights–based printmaking studio Shoestring Press to make your own tote.

11:30 am–5 pm Drop-In Art-Making: Cardboard City

Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor

Drop in and add your creations to a collectively built cardboard city.

12–5 pm Art-Making: Museum on Wheels

Plaza, 1st Floor

Check out our mobile museum within an Airstream trailer and start the day with art-making activities.

12–5 pm Brooklyn Pop-Up Market

Plaza, 1st Floor

Shop one-of-a-kind, handmade items highlighting artists and vendors from across Brooklyn, featuring artwork, jewelry, fashion, and home and apothecary goods.

12–5 pm Oral Histories Archive: WNYC

Pavilion, 1st Floor

Document your story and become part of WNYC’s ever-growing Oral Histories Archive.

12–5 pm Film: Brooklyn Artists Movie Marathon

Auditorium, 3rd Floor

Settle in for a collection of short films by Brooklyn filmmakers who submitted their work to The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition open call.

12–5 pm Voter Registration Drive

Pavilion, 1st Floor

Sign up to vote! HeadCount, a nonpartisan voting advocacy nonprofit, hosts a voter registration drive ahead of the general election.

1–2 pm Music: The Band Books

Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor

Bring the family as the Band Books plays musical interpretations of beloved children’s books.

2:30–4:30 pm Music: Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra with Niles Luther

Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor

Hear members of the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra present a selection of music celebrating Brooklyn. Presented in conjunction with cellist Niles Luther, the Museum’s composer in residence.

 

The full anniversary year program can be found on the Museum’s website at brooklynmuseum.org/200. Join the conversation by following #BkM200 on social media.

About the Brooklyn Museum

For 200 years, the Brooklyn Museum has been recognized as a trailblazer. Through a vast array of exhibitions, public programs, and community-centered initiatives, it continues to broaden the narratives of art, uplift a multitude of voices, and center creative expression within important dialogues of the day. Housed in a landmark building in the heart of Brooklyn, the Museum is home to an astounding encyclopedic collection. More than 140,000 objects represent cultures worldwide and over 5,500 years of history—from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to significant American works, to groundbreaking installations presented in the only feminist art center of its kind. One of the oldest and largest art museums in the country, the Brooklyn Museum remains committed to innovation, creating compelling experiences for its communities and celebrating the power of art to inspire awe, conversation, and joy.

Proud Sponsor of the 200th Anniversary Celebration

About Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).

Left to right: First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum, July 2023. (Photo: Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet); Museum on Wheels at the Brooklyn Museum, September 2024. (Photo: Paula Abreu Pita)

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