Art at The Center

From Keith Haring's iconic 'Once Upon a Time' mural to the many portraits that double as walls, art has been an integral part of The Center’s history of activism in the city. Queer artists used their work to address issues of AIDS, homophobia, and social justice, helping to raise awareness and promote change. Through art, we’ve been able to express ourselves, share our stories, and fight for our rights, leaving a lasting impact on the city's cultural landscape.

Laverne Cox on Center Show speaking about lgbtq art in nyc

Permanent Collections

The Center is a treasure trove for art enthusiasts, featuring a permanent collection largely created for the 1989 Center Show, an exhibit hosted in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Visit us to view our permanent art collection. Not in town? Explore our exhibits from anywhere, anytime, via the Google Cultural Institute.

Keith Haring Bathroom

Description

The Keith Haring Bathroom is one of the most iconic murals in the world. Painted just before he died, Once Upon a Time is a celebration of the freedom, safety, and vitality gay men enjoyed before the onslaught of HIV & AIDS.

Keith Haring Bathroom Details

Manhattan Sunday

Manhattan Sunday is part homage to a slice of New York nightlife, and part celebration of New York as palimpsest, an evolving form onto which millions of people have and continue to project their ideal selves and ideal lives. In the essay that accompanies his photographs, Richard Renaldi describes his experiences as a young man in the late 1980s who had recently embraced his gay identity, and of finding a home in the mystery and abandonment of the club, the nightscape, and then finally daybreak, each offering a transformation of Manhattan from the known world into a dreamscape of characters acting out their fantasies on a grand stage.

On view through January 10, 2027.

Queer person posing for LGBTQ photographer

Artist

Richard Renaldi

He/Him

Website

Richard Renaldi was born in Chicago in 1968. He received a BFA in photography from New York University in 1990. He is represented by Benrubi Gallery in New York and Robert Morat Galerie in Berlin. Seven monographs of his work have been published, including Richard Renaldi: Figure and Ground (Aperture, 2006); Fall River Boys (Charles Lane Press, 2009); Touching Strangers (Aperture, 2014); Manhattan Sunday (Aperture, 2016); I Want Your Love (Super Labo, 2018); Billions Served (Deadbeat Club, 2025); and 1996 (L’Artiere, 2026). He was the recipient of a 2015 fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. He has taught at Harvard University and Cooper Union, and currently serves as a Visiting Artist in Residence at Bard College.

Femme in NYC smoking a cigarette
LGBTQ nightclub art
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Poppers on the street in NYC
Queer person posing for LGBTQ photographer
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Two queer people creating art
Sep 18

Opening Reception: Manhattan Sunday

Hosted By: Bertha Vanayshun Music By: DJ Peter Napoli Manhattan Sunday is part homage to a slice of New York nightlife, and part celebration of New York as palimpsest an […]

Manhattan Sunday

Past Exhibitions

Be dazzled
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Be dazzled brings together New York–based mixed media artists Khae Haskell, James Jaxxa, and Joan Reutershan in an exploration of queer materiality, luminosity, and urban life. Rooted in collaboration and queer visibility, the exhibition foregrounds the beauty, politics, and physicality of everyday life.

On View: June 11 – August 30, 2026

Lesbian Life, Love, and Community in NYC
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In celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week, The Center presents a collection of photos capturing the power, pleasure, and presence of lesbian life and culture in New York City. The lesbians behind these images showcase their vibrant community through their lenses.

On View: April 19 – May 24, 2026

Transcendent Reflections: Where The Body Speaks
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This exhibition features six artists from the Project TRANSCEND, a 12-week workshop supporting transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary artists in creating life-sized self-portraits through body mapping.

On View: March 16 – May 24, 2026

Our Bodies, Our Voices: Embodied Expressions
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Our Bodies, Our Voices: Embodied Expressions brings together works by contemporary queer artists whose practices explore identity, resilience, and the many ways our histories and futures are written into the body, voice, and imagination.

On View: October 15, 2025 – March 1, 2026

Resilient Voices: Celebrating Black Femmes in Art
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Resilient Voices: Celebrating Black Femmes in Art amplifies the diverse voices and profound contributions of Black femmes in the art space, and invites viewers to explore a vibrant tapestry of creativity that reflects the unique experiences, struggles, and triumphs of Black femmes.

On View: January 29, 2025 – March 30, 2025

Everyone Watches Dyke Sports: Queer Histories of New York Liberty Basketball
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Everyone Watches Dyke Sports celebrates the New York Liberty's lesbian fans. The exhibit was curated by a group of Liberty fans at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, a community-based archive in Brooklyn.

On View: July 27 – September 28, 2025