NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

Brooklyn Historical Society

Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Historical Society connects the past to the present and makes the vibrant history of Brooklyn tangible, relevant and meaningful for today's diverse communities, and for generations to come. Founded in 1863, the Brooklyn Historical Society is a nationally recognized urban history center dedicated to preserving and encouraging the study of Brooklyn's extraordinary 400-year history. Located in Brooklyn Heights and housed in a magnificent landmark building designed by George Post and opened in 1881, today's BHS is a cultural hub for civic dialogue, thoughtful engagement and community outreach.

Center for Jewish History

Manhattan

The Center for Jewish History is home to the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. The collections at the center contain resources for the documentation and exploration of the Jewish experience and include old and rare books, periodical collections, photos, memoirs, official decrees, personal letters and contemporary publications about all aspects of Jewish identity. The art collections include posters, paintings, sculptures, archeological artifacts, historical textiles and ceremonial objects. These rich and varied collections define one people and many cultures.

George Bruce Branch—New York Public Library

Manhattan

Mon & Wed: 12-7 pm
Tues & Thurs: 10 am-6 pm
Fri & Sat: 10 am-5 pm

George Bruce was an enterprising young Scotsman who sailed to the United States before he was 15. Eventually settling in New York, he became a well-known typefounder and inventor of printing machinery. In 1877, Bruce's daughter Catherine contributed $50,000 for a library building and books, in memory of her father. Completed in 1888, the original George Bruce Library was located on 42nd Street. When it was sold in 1915, the proceeds were used to build the present-day, handsome brick and sandstone Carrère and Hastings-designed building on 125th Street. Heavily used by children and teenagers who come to read and study, the George Bruce Library features a spacious Children's Room. Cultural programs for all ages are held in the auditorium, which includes a stage built by the WPA project. In 2001, a renovation has provided the building a new entrance with restored façade and an elevator giving access to persons who use wheelchairs. New telecommunications equipment, computer workstations, and furnishings were also added.

For more information on the branch, click here.

The Philoctetes Center

Manhattan

The Center is housed on the third floor of the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.

Van Alen Institute Gallery

Manhattan

The institute hosts exhibitions on design in its gallery.