The Metropolitan Museum of Art had a grand celebration for the reopening of its Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. On May 28, press, local politicians, and Met Museum supporters were invited to view the new layout of the redesigned galleries, which feature art and artifacts from Africa, the ancient Americas, and Oceania. The museum held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and an all-day festival to celebrate the reopening on May 31.
The Rockefeller Wing cost $70 million and took four years to redesign. Its new galleries are a showcase for 1,800+ works of art.
The press preview for the gallery openings brought art scholars and promoters out to celebrate. Dr. Arapata Hakiwai of the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa arrived with Māori dancers. NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs Director Laurie Cumbo spoke of how the city helped support the museum’s years of renovation. The journalist, editor, and poet Mardonio Carballo recited a poem in the traditional Aztec language of Nahuatl, and Senegalese musician and activist Baaba Maal sang and performed with members of the MAXPercussion drumming ensemble.
“You know, sometimes it’s difficult for great artists from far away,” Maal told the audience. “Great actors, great talents with great personalities: human beings that should be celebrated all over this planet. It’s difficult for them sometimes even to survive and to live with their art.” Maal said. He was honored to see the work of Senegalese painter Iba N’Diaye and other talented African artists showcased abroad in places like The Met.
The Met’s new galleries are still grappling with how to address Europe’s colonial legacy of stolen art. The Rockefeller Wing’s Arts of Africa galleries showcase works that represent artistic movements across the African subcontinent, spanning from the 12th century to the present day. In the Arts of the Ancient Americas galleries, the selected works highlight Indigenous artistic heritage from North to South America, dating back to before 1600 CE. The Arts of Oceania galleries feature pieces from Indigenous communities in New Guinea, the central and eastern Pacific, and regions of Australia and Southeast Asia. These exhibits bring a wealth of art to New York for those who may never have the chance to travel and see them in their native lands. “This is what the Met aspires to be,” Met director Max Hollein said, “a place of meaningful engagement, celebration, and of respect for the art, its time, and culture.”
For more info, visit metmuseum.org.