New Museum

Overview

The New Museum is a contemporary art museum on the Bowery in Lower Manhattan, dedicated exclusively to presenting new art and new ideas. Its striking stacked-box building, designed by SANAA, has become a Bowery landmark since opening in 2007.

Highlights

• The Architecture: Seven irregulated, offset aluminum mesh boxes stacked on top of each other create a distinctive, unmistakable silhouette on the Bowery.
• Emerging Artists: The museum deliberately focuses on artists who have not yet been widely exhibited in New York, making it a discovery venue.
• The Triennial: The New Museum Triennial, launched in 2009, surveys emerging art from around the world.

History

Founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, the New Museum began as a nomadic institution before settling into its current purpose-built home designed by the Japanese firm SANAA (Pritzker Prize winners) in 2007.

Visitor Tips

• Pay What You Wish: Thursday evenings from 7–9 PM offer pay-what-you-wish admission.
• Sky Room: The seventh-floor Sky Room offers panoramic views and hosts events.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.