The New York Public Library offers free major exhibitions and special displays at three of its research library locations—the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Library for the Performing Arts, and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture—and community showcases at many of its branch locations throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.
Current Exhibitions
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Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures
OngoingStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThe Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures showcases some of the most extraordinary items from the 56 million in…
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125 Years of NYPL’s Slavic and East European Collections
Through July 12, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis display demonstrates the breadth and depth of the Library’s Slavic and East European Collections in honor of the 125th anniversary…
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Dynamic Duos: The Art of Working in Pairs
Through August 2, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis exhibition demonstrates how artists have long explored the possibilities of what it means to work together.
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Robert Motherwell: At Home and in the Studio
Through August 2, 2025Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingNYPL celebrates the recent gift of prints by Robert Motherwell and books from the artist’s personal library.
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Room to Move: Dance Theater Workshop and Alternative Histories of Downtown Dance
Through September 13, 2025The New York Public Library for the Performing ArtsExploring the history of Dance Theater Workshop through the archives of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
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A Century of The New Yorker
Through February 21, 2026Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis yearlong exhibition will bring to life the people, stories, and ideas that made The New Yorker.
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GUARIONEX: Celebrating 100 Years of Black Archival Resistance
Through May 1, 2026Countee Cullen LibraryThe Schomburg Center's Junior Scholars Program presents Guarionex (The Brave Noble Lord), inspired by Arturo Schomburg’s…
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100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity
Through June 30, 2026Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity explores the Schomburg Center’s history through the prism of place,…
Coming Soon
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¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics | ¡Wepa! Puertorriqueños en el mundo de cómics
October 4, 2025–March 8, 2026Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingHighlights from the Manuel Martínez Nazario Collection of Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics explore aspects…
Community Showcases
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Menergy: Gay Men's Magazines from the 1940s-1980s
Through July 31, 2025Jefferson Market LibraryMenergy: Gay Men's Magazines from the 1940s-1980s focuses on gay male media and culture at a time when Grindr, LGBTQ…
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Mai La Thai: The Light Thereafter
Ongoing53rd Street LibraryMai La Thai is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist and photographer. Her accolades include FIrst Place in the 2019 PDN…
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An Oral History of New Migrants in Lower Manhattan
OngoingNew Amsterdam LibraryThis project interviewed recent immigrants to the community, exploring their perceptions of New York prior to arrival, the media images…
Online Exhibitions
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The Skeleton Caricatures of Posada | Las meras meras calaveras de Posada
OngoingOnline OnlyStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis online exhibition presents a selection of Posada’s calaveras and announces the digitization of the entirety of the Library’s Posada… -
Pride & Privacy: LGBTQ+ Visibility in Library Collections
OngoingOnline OnlyStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThe lives of people who identify as LGBTQ+, more than those of others, have often historically been shaped by questions of visibility…
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Banned: Censorship and the Freedom to Read
OngoingOnline OnlyStephen A. Schwarzman BuildingThis online exhibition, accompanied by a curriculum guide and temporary displays of material, explores censorship in the United States,…
Past Exhibitions
See AllRhythm Is My Business: Women Who Shaped Jazz
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Throughout the history of jazz, women have made significant if overlooked contributions to the genre. While some renowned figures like…
Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Step into Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined, an extraordinary exhibition by the Schomburg Junior Scholars Program.
The Rose Family Seder Books
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
View selections from the Rose Family Seder Books, unique collections of Passover-themed artwork spanning over 60 years.
