The museum was founded in 1971 as a satellite branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art before becoming an independent entity.
The current building was originally a synagogue designed in the 1960s, later repurposed for museum use.
The museum's collection emphasizes works from the 1960s to the present, capturing the evolution of the Bronx during and after the borough's period of urban decline.
The museum is known for its 'AIM' program, a long-standing initiative providing career support and exhibition opportunities for emerging NYC-based artists.
The Bronx Museum of the Arts is a contemporary art institution uniquely focused on the history, culture, and social landscape of the Bronx. It is located on the Grand Concourse, a historic boulevard modeled after the Champs-Élysées. The museum maintains a permanent collection of over 2,000 works, primarily by artists of African, Asian, and Latin American descent. Its programming is specifically designed to reflect the demographics and socio-political themes of its surrounding community. The building itself is an architectural anchor for the South Bronx arts district. It hosts rotating contemporary exhibitions that frequently engage with urban planning, social justice, and local historical narratives. Visitors engage with multidisciplinary works including photography, painting, and site-specific installations.
The museum's front glass-enclosed atrium, which provides a striking juxtaposition between the modern interior and the historic streetscape of the Grand Concourse.
Check the museum's digital calendar for community workshops or artist talks that coincide with weekend afternoons.
Walk the surrounding Grand Concourse area to observe notable Art Deco architecture that dates back to the 1920s and 1930s.
Visit the museum's secondary lobby or library sections to view archived documents detailing the development of the Bronx arts scene.
Avoid assuming the museum is purely a historical archive; it is a dynamic, living space focused on current contemporary issues and may not always feature 'traditional' art exhibitions.
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
