Georgia O’Keeffe. Brooklyn Bridge, 1949. Oil on Masonite. Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Mary Childs Draper, 77.11. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Francis L. V. Hoppin. McKim, Mead & White's Design for the Brooklyn Museum, 1893. Watercolor, pen, and ink on paper. Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X737. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Delaware artist. Youth Moccasins, ca. 1900. Hide, cloth, and beads. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Edward J. Guarino Collection in memory of Edgar J. Guarino, 2016.11.3a-b. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Francis Guy. Winter Scene in Brooklyn, ca. 1819–20. Oil on canvas. Brooklyn Museum, Transferred from the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences to the Brooklyn Museum, 97.13. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Unknown maker. Tea Caddy, ca. 1698. Glazed earthenware. Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by anonymous donors, 64.3.4a-b. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Robert Frank. Coney Island, 4th of July, 1958. Gelatin silver print. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation, in honor of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th Anniversary. © The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Edward Lycett. Ewer, ca. 1885. Glazed porcelain. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Emma and Jay Lewis in honor of Kevin L. Stayton, 1999.1. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Jenna Gribbon. Big Peek, 2022. Oil on linen. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Jonathan and Debbie Rosen, 2023.30. © Jenna Gribbon. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Chokwe artist. Snuff Container (Tesa Ya Ma Kanya), 19th century. Wood, iron, and fiber. Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1089. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

William Blake. The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun (Rev. 12: 1-4), ca. 1803–5. Ink and watercolor over traces of graphite and incised lines on paper. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of William Augustus White, 15.368. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Maori artist. Lintel (Pare or Kōrupe), late 18th–early 19th century. Wood and pāua shell. Brooklyn Museum, Frank L. Babbott Fund and Carll H. de Silver Fund, 61.126. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Winslow Homer. Glass Windows, Bahamas, ca. 1885. Watercolor and graphite on paper. Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund and Special Subscription, 11.54. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200

February 28, 2025–February 22, 2026

Decorative Arts and Design Galleries, 4th Floor

From groundbreaking early acquisitions to striking new additions, the Brooklyn Museum’s collection has always championed artists and artworks that catalyze imaginative storytelling and brave conversations. As we ring in our 200th anniversary, Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200 celebrates this unique legacy. Comprising three chapters that boast both longtime favorites and brand-new standouts, the exhibition brings fresh narratives to the fore while exploring the collection’s rich history and future evolution.

Brooklyn Made is an homage to art and design created in the borough from the 17th century to today. Beginning with a pair of Delaware youth moccasins that acknowledge the land’s original inhabitants, this chapter journeys through time to spotlight works by active Brooklyn artists such as KAWS, Duke Riley, and Tourmaline. Building the Brooklyn Museum and Its Collection features transformational artworks and archival materials that trace the development of the collection as well as the Beaux-Arts building that houses it. Gifts of Art showcases extraordinary contemporary works—paintings, photographs, video, sculpture, ceramics, and more—given to us by valued donors in honor of our bicentennial. Exemplary pieces by well-established artists such as Julie Mehretu, Robert Frank, Alex Katz, and Coco Fusco are joined by contributions from influential artists working today, many in Brooklyn. Telling the Museum’s story along with their own, these works reveal how the collection continues to reflect our changing world.

Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200 is organized by Meghan Bill, Coordinator of Provenance; Abigail Dansiger, Director of Libraries and Archives; Catherine Futter, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Senior Curator of Decorative Arts; Liz St. George, Assistant Curator, Decorative Arts; and Pauline Vermare, Phillip and Edith Leonian Curator of Photography; with Kimberli Gant, Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art; Carmen Hermo, former Associate Curator, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art; Michael Gibson-Prugh, Curatorial Assistant, Arts of the Americas and Europe; and Imani Williford, Curatorial Assistant, Photography, Fashion, and Material Culture.

Thank you to the Curatorial Division for their collaboration on the development of Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200.