Photo: Shinya Suzuki / Flickr - CC BY-ND 2.0

On 5th Avenue, home to many of New York’s most important museums, the countdown for the Museum Mile Festival has begun. Eight museums, located between 82nd Street and 110th Street, invite art lovers to join them on the evening of June 18 to celebrate the festival's 46th anniversary. Starting at 6:00 PM, the unique collections and current exhibitions of the participating museums will be open to visitors free of charge. Special exhibition tours, live music performances, and open-air activities for all ages will extend the festival onto streets closed to traffic.

Photo: Shinya Suzuki / Flickr - CC BY-ND 2.0

Held every year since 1978, rain or shine, the festival is organized in collaboration with eight institutions: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), Neue Galerie New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, The Jewish Museum, Museum of the City of New York, El Museo del Barrio, and The Africa Center.

“The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism”, Exhibition poster; © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

As part of the program, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will open its galleries to visitors with two exhibitions: “Hidden Faces: Covered Portraits of the Renaissance,” exploring the multifaceted portraits of Renaissance painting, and “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism,” examining artworks depicting the modern daily life of Black artists from the 1920s to the 1940s. In the museum’s rooftop garden, visitors can also see the site-specific sculpture installation “Abetare” by Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj.

Neue Galerie New York welcomes festival participants with the first comprehensive retrospective of Paula Modersohn-Becker, one of the pioneering figures of German Expressionism in the United States, titled “Ich bin Ich / I Am Me.” Additionally, the exhibition “Austrian Masterworks from the Neue Galerie” features outstanding works from the museum’s collection of Austrian art from the period 1890 to 1940.

Setup view from the installation art; © Jenny Holzer. Photo: Midge Wattles; © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum welcomes visitors with “Light Line,” a reconstruction of neo-conceptual artist Jenny Holzer’s specially commissioned installation from 1989. Ascending the six ramps beneath the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Rotunda, the installation transforms the structure with a screen displaying selections from the artist’s iconic series, including “Truisms” and “Inflammatory Essays,” culminating at the apex of the gallery. As part of the program, the museum’s other current exhibition, “By Way Of: Material and Motion,” will also be on display. The museum will host activities for audiences of all ages during the festival as well, including painting and poster design using recycled fabric.

“Iris” installation in the exhibition “An Atlas of Es Devlin,” Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Photo: Elliot Goldstein; © Smithsonian Institution

“An Atlas of Es Devlin,” which can be seen at Cooper Hewitt during the festival’s extended evening hours, marks the first monographic museum exhibition of British artist and stage designer Devlin. Meanwhile, the exhibition titled “Acquired! Shaping the National Design Collection” explores the museum’s ever-expanding collection since its foundation in 1897.

The Jewish Museum is hosting two exhibitions for visitors as part of the festival: The first exhibition, titled “Overflow, Afterglow: New Work in Chromatic Figuration,” features the latest works of seven artists who are pushing the boundaries of traditional figuration with supernatural colors. The second exhibition, titled “Frederick Kiesler: Vision Machines,” offers a comprehensive exploration of the activities of architect, designer, and sculptor Kiesler from the late 1930s to the 1940s, focusing on his work at Columbia University. Also, the festival evening will feature an ethno-jazz performance by musician Matt Darriau’s new band, “World Klezmer Kapelye.”

The Museum of the City of New York is presenting “Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100,” offering a close-up look at the life and legacy of Chisholm, a US politician, educator, and writer. As the festival nears its end, visitors will have the chance to explore the exhibition “This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture,” celebrating the museum’s centennial anniversary.

Amalia Mesa-Bains, “The Virgin’s Garden”, 1994/2022, Venus Envy Chapter II: The Harem and Other Enclosures. Courtesy of the Artist and Rena Bransten Gallery (San Francisco). Photo: Matthew Sherman / Courtesy of El Museo del Barrio.

During the festival evening, visitors can also explore El Museo del Barrio’s retrospective exhibition “Archaeology of Memory,” which pays tribute to Mexican-American artist Amalia Mesa-Bains, as well as a research exhibition titled “Cuerpo,” showcasing the 20-year performance-based practice of Cuban artist Carlos Martiel. As part of the museum’s special festival program, there will also be gallery tours, outdoor activities inspired by the exhibitions, and live music performances by Osmay Calvo and his group.

Photo: © El Museo del Barrio, New York

The Africa Center invites festival visitors to experience two new exhibitions: The North American premiere of the short film and exhibition “Except this time nothing returns from the ashes,” created by artists Asmaa Jama (UK/Somalia) and Gouled Ahmed (Ethiopia), and the multimedia exhibition “I Hope This Helps,” showcasing poetic installations by Samiya Bashir from Harlem.

Visitors from around the world can participate in this special celebration alongside New Yorkers by following the hashtags #MuseumMile and #MMF24 on X, Instagram, and Facebook. For detailed content, you can visit the museums' official websites and social media platforms.