Contemporary Art Museums

The first contemporary art center in the United States, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center was founded in 1971 by Alanna Reiss. Located in Long Island City, New York in the borough of Queens just across the East River from Manhattan, P.S.1 offers innovative contemporary artwork across and crossing a range of media. In 2004, the art center joined forces with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). In addition to providing gallery, exhibition and performance space for working artists, P.S.1/MoMA presents a number of community-based programs such as their Saturday afternoon summer "Warm-Up" event combining outdoor barbecue, art and bands or dj's all in their courtyard entrance. This is an example of how contemporary museums and art centers have worked to reach out to youth and young adults in their communities.

Though billed as a museum for Black artists, The Studio Museum of Harlem (SMH), New York, U.S.A. also regularly features work by local, national and international contemporary artists. SMH opened in 1977 in a rented studio space on 125th St. It's notable 2000 Exhibition "Freestyle," curated by Thelma Golden showed the work of emerging black artists and it was around this show that the term 'post-black' was conceived. Post-black referring to art made by Americans of African descent that contained a more postmodern aesthetic and did not necessarily solidify around a Black identity.

One of the first contemporary art museums in the U.S., The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum was opened to the public by founder Larry Aldrich in 1964. Over the course of its forty-year history, the Museum has become renowned as a national leader for its presentation of outstanding new art, cultivation of emerging artists, and innovation in museum education.