Community Agreement and FAQ

We ask visitors to follow these rules, guidelines, and policies.

Community Agreement

By agreeing to our shared community guidelines, you will help us honor the importance of this place and the art and people within it.

We are an intersectional community that centers considerate behavior and language. We do not tolerate violence, threats, harassment, inappropriate touch, intimidation or stalking (online or in person), racism, xenophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism, or other discriminatory language or actions. Firearms and other weapons are prohibited. Clothing and shoes are required.

Our neighborhood is known for its collective gathering, from the speeches of civil rights leaders to the sermons in Harlem’s houses of worship. We ask that leafleting, signature gathering, displaying signs, placards, or banners, picketing, charitable solicitations, intentionally disrupting programs, talks, or community events, photography for commercial use, and press conferences by visitors occur outside our walls. Keep access to entrances, hallways, stairwells, elevators, or other shared spaces clear for everyone to move freely.

Being in the presence of art is a reminder of our shared humanity, and everything in the Museum is in the care of everyone who enters the building. When looking at the artwork, keep an arm's-length distance. Do not touch, deface, or remove artwork or any Museum property. Eating and drinking can be enjoyed in Studio Cafe on the Lower Level. The Studio Museum is a substance-free environment; smoking and vaping is not permitted on the premises.

The Museum can deny entry or remove anyone not abiding by the community agreements. If you notice anything happening at the Studio Museum that is out of line with our agreements, contact a staff member.

FAQs

We welcome our visitors to sketch in the galleries with pencils. To protect our floors and the artwork, we ask that you do not use wet mediums such as paint, watercolor, adhesives, epoxies, glues, crayons, and markers. We welcome you to participate in art making activities with our Learning and Engagement team if you would like to explore a wider range of mediums and materials.

The Studio Museum in Harlem provides free coat check to all people visiting the museum, and you are welcome to leave your items with us. There are a few items that we ask visitors to check before exploring the museum including luggage, any backpack or bag you cannot wear to the front of your body including hiking backpacks, scooters, selfie sticks, tripods, monopods, professional video equipment, skateboards, hoverboards, roller skates/blades, banners and signs, confetti, balloons, flowers and plants, drones or any other flying device, leaflets or other soliciting items, portable speakers, musical instruments, sounds amplifying devices or any item that may be deemed to put people or art at risk.

Yes, for safety reasons we prohibit anyone from bringing in weapons of any kind. This includes firearms, ammunition, cutting tools including pocketknives, pepper spray, mace, explosives including fireworks, flammable liquids, aerosols, hammers, saws, poles, and sticks. We ask that you refrain from bringing in alcohol or illicit items and substances. Our security team will inspect the bags of all our visitors to ensure that you didn’t forget to leave these items at home. Due to the danger associated with e-bike and e-scooter batteries, we also do not allow these items within our building.

To ensure a good visit for all of our visitors, we ask that all smoking and vaping be taken off the Museum premises.

Visitors may bring water into the Museum, and water fountains are available throughout the building. The Studio Café, located on the Lower Level, does not require a ticket to enter. To help keep the Museum pest-free, we are unable to store food in the coat check.

You are welcome to take photos during your visit! Please be mindful of any signs that may restrict photos near specific artworks or in specific spaces. We do not permit professional photography projects that are not pre-approved by the Museum including wedding photos or school fashion shoots, monopods, tripods, flash or other professional photography equipment, are not allowed. We ask visitors to refrain from taking up sections of the Museum for personal photography if the behavior is obstructive to the art or interrupts other visitor’s experiences. Please refrain from photographing or filming other guests.

Our coat check, located on the Lower Level, is free for all visitors. For the safety of both visitors and artworks, we ask that certain items be checked before entering the galleries. The following list includes objects that must be checked, and the Museum reserves the right to check any other item that may be deemed to put people or artworks at risk.

Items to check:

Any backpack or bag that cannot be worn on the front of the body, such as hiking backpacks
Scooters
Skateboards
Hoverboards
Roller skates or blades
Selfie sticks
Tripods
Monopods
Professional video equipment
Drones or other flying devices
Banners or signs
Leaflets or other soliciting materials
Confetti
Balloons
Flowers or plants
Portable speakers
Musical instruments
Sound-amplifying devices

Community Agreement and FAQ

Community Agreement

FAQs

Thank you for helping us keep the Studio Museum in Harlem a welcoming place for everyone.