Metropolitan Museum Reopens Renovated Rockefeller Wing with Global Collections

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is reopening its Michael C. Rockefeller Wing on May 31, 2025, following a multi-year renovation that modernized the galleries dedicated to the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Ancient Americas. The redesign by WHY Architecture, led by Kulapat Yantrasast, enhances spatial flow and visual connections, allowing the collections to be displayed in distinct yet resonant galleries with improved natural light and digital features. The wing, which houses over 1,800 objects spanning five continents and eight millennia, now offers visitors a more immersive and accessible experience, with freestanding displays and enriched interpretive contexts. To celebrate, the Met is hosting a daylong public festival featuring live music, performances, art-making activities, film screenings, and culinary events inspired by Indigenous and local traditions, all free with museum admission or outdoors. The event aims to honor the cultural legacies represented in the wing through a range of participatory and educational programming for all ages. This reopening reflects the Met's commitment to expanding and deepening the narratives surrounding these global art histories.