Bold Spaces For All Ages: Brooklyn Museum's Education Center Transformation Unveiled

The Brooklyn Museum will welcome students of all ages to the its newly renovated education center Saturday, as the cultural institution looks to expand its roster of programs.     

The Toby Devan Lewis Education Center, named after the famed philanthropist and collector, spans 9,500-square-feet with three studios, offices, meeting rooms and the newly named 1,300-square-foot Norman M. Feinberg Gallery.

”We are not just opening doors,” said Anne Pasternak, the director of the Brooklyn Museum at the education center’s preview. “We are unlocking a potential within each of us to explore and create for years to come.”

The old education spaces were well-loved and well-used, but were, "dark and uninspiring spaces that did not do justice to the groundbreaking innovative work of our communities," said Adjoa Jones de Almeida, the museum's deputy director for learning and social impact.

Community programs and art classes will be held in each of the studio rooms, which come equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual systems, LED lighting and whiteboards in order to nurture creativity and collaboration for students and members alike. 

“Inside [the Toby Devan Lewis Education Center], we will have an annual artist-led exhibition that invites visitors of all ages to actively engage in participatory experiences, art and more importantly in one another,” said the Director of Education Shamilia McBean Tocruray.

The inaugural installation Artland, which runs from January 27 to May 5, greets anyone who walks through the doors with its expanding colorful islands sculpted with nontoxic clay. Created by Do Ho Suh and his two daughters, the interactive art pieces invites visitors to add to the colorful world with imaginative flora and fauna of their own. 

The other half of the center is office space for education staff. There are also various conference rooms and a large communal area with bright yellow cushions where people can hang out.  

The center’s namesake, Toby Devan Lewis, was a long-standing member of the Brooklyn Museum. She supported the museum through art acquisitions, exhibitions and capital support which culminated in a gift to revamp the education center in 2022.

“Having our education center bear her name is a badge of honor,” said Pasternak. “We wear it with pride.” 

Unfortunately, Lewis passed away shortly thereafter but her impact lives on through her family, who remain heavily involved with the museum.