NYC’s American Folk Art Museum Is Closing for Renovations

The American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) in Manhattan’s Upper West Side will temporarily close its doors to the public this summer for a major renovation project set to revitalize the museum shop, courtyard, office spaces, entry façade, and operations systems. Scheduled to reopen in phases as the project progresses, AFAM will shutter the ongoing Somewhere to Roost exhibition this coming Friday, May 2, and close the remaining galleries effective Monday, May 26.

In 1961, the museum opened as a beacon for folk and self-taught artists without formal training, aligning with its curatorial mission through free visitor admission since its inception. The space consolidated into its satellite gallery on 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street, in 2011, and is set to commence its largest renovation project in the last 30 years. The expected completion date will be sometime next spring, specifically timed around the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.

In addition to its robust collection of folk quilts, the museum is known for its offbeat, charming, and informative exhibitions of work beyond the canon of formal art education — often spotlighting alternative and reused media, underrepresented topics and perspectives, and stylized wares like weathervanes and board games.

Stocked with handcrafted objects and decorative art, the beloved museum shop will operate in limited capacity from June 1 through August 12, though the online store will remain unaffected. The shop will be outfitted with new flooring, updated custom-built display cabinetry, and wall shelving, while the courtyard will be reconfigured to better suit outdoor programming. Remodeled restrooms and a more stylized and attractive update to the museum’s entryway façade are also part of the renovation project.

A statement from AFAM notes that the Manhattan New York Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns 2 Lincoln Square, has “generously funded” the museum’s renovations in conjunction with its own construction overhaul, set to be completed in 2028.