The story of an extraordinary community museum for music, art, science, dance, poetry, and Black history in Brooklyn that most people have never heard of.
Crown Heights in the 1970s: As New York City navigated economic disaster and America at large grappled with the aftermath of the many sociopolitical movements and events of the 1960s—civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, anti-war protests, environmental awareness, sexual and drug liberation, busing, and the assassinations of our leaders and citizens—jazz musicians in New York City were creating their own reality of tradition, invention, and human connection in the essentially underground jazz lofts and places like MUSE. This exhibition situates MUSE as a historically specific but instructive example of self-organized cultural infrastructure and considers its relevance to contemporary questions of artistic labor, collective practice, and cultural sustainability.
An important yet relatively unknown piece of NYC music history, MUSE operated in Crown Heights from 1968 through the 1980s. Legendary musicians such as Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Mtume, McCoy Tyner, Jerry Gonzales, Rashid Ali, Jimmy Garrison, Sam Rivers, Billy Higgins, Sonny Fortune, Bill Lee, and many others came to MUSE, which became a hub for musicians. It provided affordable lessons, concerts, and resources for musicians, as well as community services—supporting tenants’ rights, the Crow’s Hill Festival, and much more. MUSE also created publications such as Black Contributions to the Development of Brooklyn and hosted exhibits on jazz history, New Guinea, and many other subjects for its younger visitors, who were the original focus of the site when it was an annex of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Through years of regular concerts, jam sessions, classes, and exhibits, MUSE—which separated from the Children’s Museum in 1975 and became the New MUSE—served thousands of people in the Brooklyn area.
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Presented by MOMENT NYC in collaboratipon with ShapeShifter Plus will be open on September 19th and 20th at ShapeShifter Lab, 837 Union St., Brooklyn, with live performances by the MUSE Alumni Band, with musical coordination by Craig Harris – trombone, Rachiim Ausar-Sahu – bass, Akua Dixon – cello, Ronald Griffin – piano, Richard Harper – piano, Ricardo Strobert – sax, special guests TBA, and DJ Barry Cole. Focused largely on MUSE as a music center, the exhibit will include live music, extremely rare archival footage and artifacts, and a panel discussion. Please join our mailing list to get updates on project dates and performers.
We welcome all MUSE / New MUSE patrons, alumni, faculty, friends, and family, as well as those curious to learn more about this amazing time and place.
Open to the public
Sat 19th 4pm – 11pm
Sun 20th 4pm -11pm
Suggested donation: $20
TICKET LINK
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Revisiting MUSE: A Museum for the People is still gathering memories and artifacts from the community that help tell the story of MUSE, to accompany the archive of this exhibit. If you have a story, memory, or artifact from MUSE, please submit your contribution through the link or by scanning the QR code at the bottom of this page.
This MOMENT NYC project is part of the Municipal Arts Society of NY’s Enduring Culture Initiative, made possible in part with additional funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
