News and Press Releases

For Immediate Release: January 29, 2024 

Contact: publicaffairs@culture.nyc.gov  

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER LAURIE CUMBO JOINS BROOKLYN MUSEUM TO CUT THE RIBBON ON THE TOBY DEVAN LEWIS EDUCATION CENTER 

The city invested $6 million in the revamped, 9,500-square-foot space, which will allow the Museum to better serve the more than 50,000 visitors who participate in its education programs each year 

Images from the January 27 ribbon cutting ceremony are available for download here

Photo by Matthew Carasella

Brooklyn, NY – On Saturday, January 27, NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo joined Brooklyn Museum leadership, local officials, and museum visitors to officially open the new Toby Devan Lewis Education Center. The revamped, 9,500-square-foot space will allow the Museum to better serve the more than 50,000 visitors who participate in its education programs each year, including early childhood learners, school groups, teen audiences, college graduates, older visitors, and visitors with disabilities. The reopening also celebrated the Museum’s expanded and reimagined educational programming, with new offerings on weekends for families and a permanent gallery for installations by renowned artists, students, and the community. The $9 million project was supported by a $6 million investment by the City of New York.  

“A museum’s education center is where its most dynamic, community-focused programming takes place, offering a wide open door for residents of all ages to experience the exhibitions and programming in a deeper, more meaningful way,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “The Brooklyn Museum is one of the jewels in our city’s cultural crown, and we’re proud of our investment in their completely revamped education center. I know that me and my son will get to know this new space very well, and I encourage all New Yorkers to plan their visit to Brooklyn Museum today.”  

“The Brooklyn Museum has a long tradition of providing arts education for diverse audiences across the borough and beyond,” says Adjoa Jones de Almeida, Brooklyn Museum’s Deputy Director for Learning and Social Impact. “This renovation has been many years in the making. We’re so excited to offer Brooklynites and visitors from all walks of life beautiful spaces where they can connect and nurture their creative potential—where everyone is an artist.” 

The Education Center will serve and support engagement among visitors across age groups, as research shows that intergenerational relationships are foundational for community building and connectivity. Three studios, complete with state-of-the-art audiovisual systems and LED lighting, have been specially conceived to facilitate creative expression and collaboration. They will host regular programs and classes that highlight the Museum’s ongoing commitment to arts education and community engagement.  

Adding to its all-ages appeal, the center also features a 1,300-square-foot gallery for rotating exhibitions, including artist installations with family-friendly interactive elements. The inaugural installation, Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and Children, opened on January 27 in the newly named Norman M. Feinberg Gallery, introducing Brooklyn audiences to an imaginative world filled with enchanting characters and landscapes. Finally, the center’s footprint allots 4,600 square feet of offices to the Museum’s education staff, including a dedicated area for teen staff and museum guides.  

Arts education is the cornerstone of the Brooklyn Museum’s longstanding mission to bring people together through art and experiences that inspire celebration, compassion, courage, and the will to act. The institution has been committed to providing learning opportunities since its founding 200 years ago, later becoming one of the first American museums to create a discrete Education department.  

Stephen Yablon Architecture served as the Design Architect for this project. Samuel Anderson Architects was the Architect of Record/Construction Administration. The facade and curtain wall designs were by AYON Studio. Gilbane Building Company served as the Construction Manager.  

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About NYC Department of Cultural Affairs 

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is dedicated to supporting and strengthening New York City’s vibrant cultural life. DCLA works to promote and advocate for quality arts programming and to articulate the contribution made by the cultural community to the City’s vitality. The Department represents and serves nonprofit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary, and performing arts; public-oriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens, and historic and preservation societies; and creative artists at all skill levels who live and work within the City’s five boroughs. DCLA also provides donated materials for arts programs offered by the public schools and cultural and social service groups, and commissions permanent works of public art at City-funded construction projects throughout the five boroughs. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/culture.