An art exhibit coming to the New-York Historical Society this fall will showcase the “creativity, innovation, and resilience” of Black LGBTQ+ members during the Harlem Renaissance.
The Gay Harlem Renaissance will be a 200-piece exhibit, running from October 10, 2025, through March 8, 2026. Per a press release shared by the Upper West Side-based American history museum, the forthcoming exhibit will explore and celebrate Black LGBTQ+ creatives during the transformative period, as well as “everyday Black gay life in the early 20th century.” A vibrant multitude of preserved artistic works and vintage relics will be on display, including books, paintings, photos, historical documents, and musical recordings by Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and more.
Among the highlights are Jacob Lawrence’s “Harlem Diner” painting, authentic rent party tickets from the era, and Richmond Barthé sculptures, to name a few. Another jewel of the collection is a recreation of the winning gown from the 1932 Hamilton Lodge Ball, a drag event, worn by Bonnie Clark. There will also be a vintage, 1939 issue of The Crisis, which was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1910 and is the NAACP’s (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) official publication.
“The Gay Harlem Renaissance provides a sweeping portrait of Harlem after the First World War, when a remarkable generation of Black artists, thinkers, and performers — many of them members of the LGBTQ+ community — shaped a new cultural vanguard,” said the New-York Historical Society’s President and CEO, Dr. Louise Mirrer. “We hope that this show will invite visitors to consider how intimate friendships, chosen families, and radical ideas about identity helped define the Harlem Renaissance and continue to resonate today.”
What Else Is There To Know About The Gay Harlem Renaissance Exhibit?
Curators Allison Robinson, Anne Lessy, and Rebecca Klassen are bringing The Gay Harlem Renaissance to life. Historian George Chauncey — Columbia University professor and author of Gay New York — also contributes to the exhibit.
“The Gay Harlem Renaissance shows that Black LGBTQ+ life was far more visible, accepted, and integrated into the daily life of 1920s Harlem than most people imagine,” reflected Chauncey. “The exhibition takes visitors to the basement speakeasies, rent parties, and drag balls where ordinary queer and straight people built lives together, as well as to the salons of the cultural elite.”
The New-York Historical Society was founded in 1804, and it is the oldest museum in New York City. Tickets to visit the site are $24 per adult, $13 for those with student identification, and $6 for children ages 5 to 13. Seniors, teachers, and active military members pay $19. Admission is free for members and children under 5. On Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m., admission is pay-as-you-wish.
