When Schomburg Center Closed Its Doors to the Public & Was All Virtual. A Look Back 5 Years Later Through Its Outdoor Digital Display

The Center's Tower Wall, a digital billboard located on the corner of 135th Street and Malcolm X Blvd, displayed information about upcoming online public programs, public service messages, and words of hope. For many people, the Tower Wall was the first view of the Schomburg before entering the building.

“We and NYPL still wanted to actively engage with the community–even if our doors were temporarily closed,” said KC Matthews, the Schomburg Center's deputy director of Operations and External Engagement. “We were still at least able to provide helpful information about masking, vaccines, and where to find NYC resources.”

Visual artist Carrie Mae Weems created one of the images on the screen. The Center's Photographs and Prints Division holds a portfolio of her work in their collections. 

Weems and Pierre Loving conceived the work as part of a global campaign, Resist COVID, Take 6! It highlighted how people of color were disproportionately impacted by COVID, according to Weem’s website. “Take 6” referred to the recommended six feet of social distance between people to avoid exposure to the virus.