July 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
September 25, 2024 - December 4, 2024
September 28, 2024 - November 10, 2024
Kick off the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary celebration with Birthday Bash. This full weekend of programming highlights the best of the borough and marks two centuries of championing Brooklyn’s artistic communities. Bring the family for music and karaoke, dance and poetry, gallery tours and art-making, piñatas, and so much more.
This program is free; registration is required and includes Museum general admission. Tickets will be released on a rolling basis starting September 20th for Members and September 23rd for the public. Materials are provided for all art-making activities; first come, first served.
Schedule
Saturday, October 5th (11am-10pm)
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–12 pm Sakimatwemtwe: A Century of Reflection on the Arts of Africa, 3rd Floor
12–1 pm Arts of Asia, 2nd Floor
1–2 pm Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies, 4th Floor
3–4 pm Decorative Arts and Design, 4th Floor
4–5 pm The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, 1st Floor
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 6th (11am-5pm)
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 am–12 pm Ancient Egyptian Art, 3rd Floor
12–1 pm Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art, 5th Floor
1–2 pm Building tour with Kevin Stayton
3–4 pm Arts of the Americas and Indigenous Art, 5th Floor
5–6 pm Liza Lou: Trailer, 1st Floor
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.
RSVP Below!
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