Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Museum Of The City Of New York Introduces First Ever "Activist" Exhibit
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published May 9, 2012
Modified May 9, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 8
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published May 9, 2012
Modified May 9, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York is no stranger to acts of protest, and the Museum of the City of New York's newest exhibition, Activist New York, which opened over the weekend, focuses on how activists and episodes of social, political and religious activism have shaped the city over time.
The exhibition, which is the first to be held in the museum's brand new Puffin Foundation Gallery, is also the first exhibition of its kind, featuring artifacts, photographs and interactive installations from 14 different protest-heavy periods. This includes the abolitionist era, women's suffrage, and the Settlement House movement, in addition to more contemporary issues like the push for equality for gays and lesbians, bicycle advocacy, and the recent controversy over the Park51 Islamic community center near Ground Zero. And for the first three weeks only, visitors can take a look at the original "Flushing Remonstrance," the city's first recorded protest document from 1657, which spoke against restrictions against Quakers in then-New Amsterdam.
"An understanding of New York City's historic distinctiveness is incomplete without grasping the motivations and issues for which activists have struggled and fought to bring about change," Susan Henshaw Jones, the museum's director, said in a press release. "Virtually every aspect of life in the city has been affected by the actions of passionate and committed New Yorkers who have not been content with the world as they found it."
The exhibition is ongoing, and the public is welcome to submit photos of modern activists on the museum's website, which will later be put online.
Tagged
activism
activists
exhibit
museum of the city of new york
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .