The museum that dared to call African artifacts 'art'
In short: In 1923, the Brooklyn Museum made a radical curatorial move that shifted the global perspective on cultural heritage. By refusing to categorize African cast-metal objects as mere ethnological artifacts, it pioneered a new way of viewing global history through the lens of high art.
The Brooklyn Museum's journey began in 1823 as the Brooklyn Apprentices' Library. By 1843, a union with the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences occurred, creating a space for a diverse audience. The current Beaux-Arts building, designed by the renowned firm McKim, Mead & White, was completed in 1897. It was one of the last major structures built in Brooklyn before the 1898 formation of the City of Greater New York.
The museum's history is marked by architectural ambition and financial struggle. While the 1897 opening featured nearly 600 paintings, the building's completion was plagued by delays. For example, the eastern wing opened in 1907 but only represented one-eighth of the total planned size. Construction on wings F and G stalled for years due to labor disputes and funding blocks from city officials, with some sections remaining incomplete for decades.
Beyond its architecture, the museum has been a pioneer in inclusivity and representation. The American museum first displayed African cast-metal pieces as art instead of ethnological artifacts during 1923. Later, in 1968, it opened a Community Gallery to exhibit black New Yorkers' art, an initiative that director Henri Ghent estimated attracted roughly 100,000 additional patrons, many of whom had never visited a museum before.
Today, the museum houses around 500,000 objects across 560,000 square feet. Its collection is noted for its diversity, featuring Egyptian antiquities spanning over 3,000 years, as well as significant representations of American art, Haitian art, and women's art. It remains a cornerstone of New York City's cultural landscape, balancing its massive historical collection with a commitment to community participation.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Brooklyn Museum
- Also: Brooklyn Museum | History, Collection, & Facts | Britannica
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