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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Byron: A Life in Motion
Through January 12, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman Building -
Line & Thread: Prints and Textiles from the 1600s to the Present
Through January 12, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis exhibition, which starts with a section of historical examples that illustrate overlaps between prints and textiles, examines how…
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Becoming Bohemia: Greenwich Village, 1912–1923
Through February 1, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThe exhibition traces the flowering of America’s first large-scale countercultural enclave.
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JIMMY! God's Black Revolutionary Mouth
Through 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…
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The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S.
Through March 1, 2025The New York Public Library for the Performing ArtsThe Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S. tells the story of what made the Joffrey a unique force in the world of dance, demonstrating…
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From Panama to New York: The Musical Journey of Rubén Blades
Through April 15, 2025The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts -
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.
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Rhythm Is My Business: Women Who Shaped Jazz
Through June 13, 2025The New York Public Library for the Performing ArtsThroughout the history of jazz, women have made significant if overlooked contributions to the genre. While some renowned figures like…
Coming Soon
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A Century of The New Yorker
February 22, 2025–February 21, 2026Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis exhibition will survey 100 years of life at The New Yorker, bringing to life the people, stories, and ideas…
Community Showcases
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Mai La Thai: The Light Thereafter
Ongoing53rd Street LibraryMai La Thai is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist and photographer. Her accolades include FIrst Place in the 2019 PDN…
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WE: A Portrait Show
Through January 31, 2025George Bruce LibraryJoin us for an inspiring exhibition showcasing the artistic talents of our very own NYPL librarians!
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An Oral History of New Migrants in Lower Manhattan
OngoingNew Amsterdam LibraryThis project interviewed recent immigrants to the community, exploring their perceptions of New York prior to arrival, the media images…
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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Banned: Censorship and the Freedom to Read
OngoingOnline OnlyStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis online exhibition, accompanied by a curriculum guide and temporary displays of material, explores censorship in the United States,…
Past Exhibitions
See AllHoliday Displays at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
This holiday season, explore our special themed displays at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
The first of its kind internationally, Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art presented by The…
Visibility & Resistance: New Acquisitions, Contemporary Afro-Mexican Photography
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Visibility & Resistance celebrates the recent acquisition of a collection of contemporary Afro-Mexican photography. By…
