After four years, the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing is reopening, and The Met is celebrating the occasion with a day-long party. Good news, New Yorkers — you’re on the guest list.
If you’re interested in exhibit hopping and taking in new cultural experiences, look no further. The final day of May should most definitely be spent uptown.
The Met reopens the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing houses the Museum’s collections of the arts of Africa, the ancient Americas, and Oceania. Its renovation — courtesy of WHY Architecture in collaboration with Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects LLP, and The Met’s Design Department — encompasses 40,000 square feet of gallery space and includes 1,800 works spanning five continents and hundreds of cultures.
“Together with our collaborative and community-based approach to curating these collections, the transformation of these galleries allows us to further advance the appreciation and contextualization of many of the world’s most significant cultures,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer.
To ring in this milestone, festivities will take place on Saturday, May 31st from noon to 6pm, starting with a performance on the plaza with Grammy Award–winning Mariachi Real de México, the Senegalese drumming ensemble MAX Percussion, and a Māori chant and haka. Other activities are as follows:
- Work on a communal mural, taking inspiration from Ceremonial House Ceiling from Papua New Guinea
- Watch weaving demonstrations with experts from Polynesia and Peru
- Listen to discussions with artists and curators
- Listen to architect Kulapat Yantrasast in conversation with Met director Max Hollein (registration required)
And, of course, when all is said and done, you’ll want to stick around to see the renovation’s final results.
“When the wing first opened in 1982, it brought a much broader perspective on global art history to The Met, and this thoughtful and innovative reimagining reflects our ambition to continually expand and even complexifying narratives,” Hollein added.
For more information on the day’s happenings — and the wing itself — visit the Met’s website. And while you’re bookmarking things to do this summer, add our favorite museums and art galleries to your list.