Member Museum Routine with Dami Oyelola
I met with Innovator Member Dami Oyelola on a sunny Saturday morning on her way to the Studio Museum in Harlem. Enamored by the Studio Museum since her first visit in 2016, the thirty-five-year-old tech worker and burgeoning culture writer became a Member in early 2025. Oyelola says her favorite Member perk to date has been the friendships she has cultivated within our Membership community.
Photo: Heryte T. Tequame
FIRST STOP: EARL GREY TEA TO-GO AT THE OMA, SHOP
2754 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, New York, NY 10039
“The owner, Lizzy Okpo, has done such a great job at selecting quality coffees and teas as well as offering a beautiful range of home goods. I’ve discovered a lot of new brands through the Oma, Shop. I purchased the perfume that I amwearing today here. It’s from a Montreal-based brand and is sold out in most US stores. I’m obsessed! Now that the Oma, Shop is part of the Studio Museum’s Neighborhood Discount Program, it’s an added incentive to support a local business I was already a fan of.”
Photo: Heryte T. Tequame
SECOND STOP: A STROLL THROUGH ST. NICHOLAS PARK
St. Nicholas Ave and St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10030
“Part of my daily routine during the week and on the weekends is to go on long walks and explore the green spaces in the neighborhood, such as St. Nicholas Park. Being in nature, surrounded by greenery, and inhaling and exhaling: it’s all very grounding. A park stroll is the perfect way to start a day before the Studio Museum, to connect with the source of inspiration for so many artists.”
THIRD STOP: DREAMS OF THIS FUTURE: THE COLLECTION OF PEGGY COOPER CAFRITZ AT THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM
144 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027
“When I’m visiting the Museum with a friend who hasn’t been here before, my favorite thing to do is to start on the sixth floor. I like to make sure anyone who is accompanying me reads through the Museum’s history in To Be a Place. The show gives good context for the rest of the experience, showcasing what has existed and continues to exist in this institution.
I see bits of myself in the art on view. Being immersed in this celebration of blackness is very nourishing, and also sobering at times. I also love the discovery aspect and learning about artists I wasn’t previously familiar with. Like today, seeing Dreams of This Future and understanding how Peggy Cooper Cafritz supported artists at varying stages of their careers. As someone who has started building my own collection, I admire the way she championed early career artists. I am looking to do the same.”
FOURTH STOP: RETAIL THERAPY AT STUDIO STORE
144 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027
“Everything is perfectly connected to the artworks throughout the Museum. I’m like a kid in a candy store. One day it’s a silk Barkley L. Hendricks scarf. Another day it’s a Studio cap. Today it was a gorgeous Studio designer tee by Melinda Griffith. I definitely take advantage of my Member discount.”
LAST STOP: SWEET TREATS AT LEE LEE’S BAKED GOODS
283 West 118th Street, New York, NY 10026
“When you’re already on such a high from being so visually stimulated and soul-filled from all the art at the Studio Museum, why not cap it off with a little something extra that celebrates Black greatness? Lee Lee’s is a business that has stood the test of time in a neighborhood that is evolving at such a rapid pace. I’m proud that they’ve been here since the 1980s and remain a vibrant presence in the heart of Harlem. My favorite thing to order is the apricot rugelach. It’s the perfect little indulgence.”