Arts of the Ancient Americas collection. Photo by Brigit Beyer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will celebrate the long-awaited reopening of its Michael C. Rockefeller Wing this month with a free festival. Taking place on May 31, the all-day event will celebrate the unveiling of newly reimagined galleries for the Arts of Africa, ancient Americas, and Oceania following a four-year, $70 million renovation. Visitors can enjoy live music, interactive art-making, gallery chats, and more at the Met, all inspired by the stunning art and cultures showcased in the updated wing.
The celebration begins with a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and festivities across the museum from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
From 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., vendors and independent chefs from the Queens Night Market will serve pre-colonial menus inspired by the galleries’ collections. Featuring chefs with Indigenous ancestry and deep local ties, the offerings will include carefully researched dishes from Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Hawaii, New Zealand, Peru, and more.
Visual artist Manny Vega will lead a mosaic workshop on David H. Koch Plaza, presented in partnership with The Clemente. Participants will respond to works from the Met’s collection by creating personal emblems in mosaic, contributing to a large-scale communal artwork designed by Vega that reflects the diverse and personal “diasporic pathways” converging in New York City.
Additionally, artists Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez and Teokotā’i Paitai will demonstrate weaving techniques from Peru and Oceania, guiding visitors as they craft their own. Other festival activities include drum-making workshops and a collaborative community mural.
On the plaza, visitors can connect with the city’s diverse communities through the work of community-based organizations that celebrate cultural heritage and creativity. Participants include Artistic Noise, Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), Cetiliztli Nauhcampa, Hālāwai NYC, FORGOTTEN LANDS, Pachamama Peruvian Arts, and Pacific Island Film Festival of NYC.
The festival will also feature music and dance from across Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, including traditional Hawaiian and Tahitian performances by Te Ao Mana, Senegalese drumming by MAX Percussion, West African dances by the Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation’s Youth Ensemble, and the soulful melodies of Mariachi Real de México.
Curators, artists, and scholars from the Met will be on hand throughout the afternoon to offer insights into the newly renovated galleries and share their expertise on the museum’s collections from Africa, the ancient Americas, and Oceania. Ethiopian-American filmmaker Sosena Solomon will also present a film series she directed in partnership with the World Monuments Fund, highlighting Africa’s cultural landmarks.
The celebration will conclude with a talk by architect Kulapat Yantrasast, founder of WHY Architecture, joined by Met Director and CEO Max Hollein. Together, they’ll discuss the vision behind the wing’s reimagining, share behind-the-scenes insights, and reflect on the evolving role of architecture in today’s museums.
“This celebration for the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing reflects the extraordinary spirit of creativity and community that is so essential to The Met and New York City itself,” Hollein said.
“After four years of transformation, we are delighted to welcome everyone to celebrate this reopening with a festival that will offer opportunities for art lovers of all ages to experience the historic reimagining of these collections through the objects, ideas, music, and dance of the cultures represented in the galleries.”
The multi-year renovation, led by WHY Architecture in collaboration with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and the Met’s Design Department, modernized the galleries and transformed the visitor experience by incorporating innovative technologies that present the collections in new ways.
Comprising more than 11,000 artworks made from a wide range of materials, the Arts of Africa, Ancient Americas, and Oceania galleries highlight the distinct cultural traditions of these regions, spanning from as early as 3000 BCE to the present day.
Highlights include decorative and ceremonial objects from the Court of Benin in Nigeria, sculpture from West and Central Africa, religious and spiritual imagery from New Guinea, Island Melanesia, and Polynesia, and gold artifacts from the pre-Columbian cultures of Mexico and Central and South America.
Learn more about the festival here.
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