Brooklyn Museum Plans to Expand and Revamp Its Africa Collection Exhibit Space

In March, the Brooklyn Museum announced plans to create a permanent home for its Arts of Africa collection, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the department’s establishment. This $13 million project will transform unused storage areas on the museum’s third floor into 6,400 square feet of exhibition space. The redesign will connect seamlessly with the Egyptian art galleries, aiming to present a more integrated view of the historical and art legacy of North Africa and the rest of the continent.

Brooklyn-based architecture firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO) is leading this transformation, working closely with the museum’s exhibition design team and curators Ernestine White-Mifetu, Annissa Malvoisin, and Yara Doumani. The design features tall ceilings, strategic lighting, and carefully planned spaces that embody a transdisciplinary and decolonial approach to showcasing African art.

In preparation, the curators have conducted an extensive collection review, identifying previously unseen objects for conservation. They plan to present over 300 works in the inaugural installation, organized around the historical material and cultural exchanges along Africa’s natural pathways. The approach moves beyond post-colonial and national boundaries, embracing a regional curation strategy that includes areas like the Nile and Niger Rivers, and the Sahara desert.

The new galleries will highlight objects significant to Black, African, and Afrodiasporic audiences. The curators have worked with scholars, community organizations, and the museum’s education departments to select works that resonate with diverse cultural perspectives. As part of this effort, notable pieces such as the “Bwanga Bwa Cibola” of the Lulua people and a Tuareg traveling sack will feature in the display, alongside contemporary highlights like the Ordehlay cultural society’s mask from Sierra Leone.

The Arts of Africa collection, established as a department in 2016, has expanded significantly, representing 2,500 years of history. Despite facing challenges, including a $10 million budget deficit and staff layoffs, the Brooklyn Museum continues its commitment to cultural representation and education. The new galleries, set to open in fall 2027, will advance dialogue among the Arts of Africa, the Arts of the Islamic World, and Ancient Egyptian art collections, enriching the museum’s diverse offerings.