Expanding the Walls has been putting cameras in the hands of New York teenagers for twenty-five years, using James Van Der Zee's Harlem archive as the starting point, and this cohort's pictures hang next to his. Seventeen photographers from Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens split the show between street motion and the stillness of home. If you want to see what the next generation of the city looks like through its own lens, this is where it is.
What to expect
Framed prints by seventeen young photographers hung with Van Der Zee photographs for context, in the Studio Museum's new 125th Street building. It is on the same ticket as Fade and the Peggy Cooper Cafritz collection show. Thirty minutes here, two hours for the building.
Good to know
- Take the 2 or 3 to 125th Street, or the A, B, C or D to 125th Street
- Included with the same admission as the rest of the museum
- Best seen after the larger exhibitions upstairs so the scale shift lands
- The exhibition is also presented online if you cannot make the trip
- Good for families with teenagers and for anyone teaching photography
- Elevators serve all gallery floors
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Common questions
Who made the work?
Seventeen high-school-aged participants in the Studio Museum's free Expanding the Walls photography programme.
Why is James Van Der Zee included?
His Harlem photographs and archive are the entry point the programme uses each year.
How long is it on view?
Through January 31, 2027, both in person and online.
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