Founded in 1968, the Studio Museum in Harlem stands as the nexus for artists of African descent. As a studio, it funds emerging artists and offers them studio space; as a museum, it curates a compelling collection supporting underrepresented artists. Rooted in Harlem’s cultural legacy, the museum is a bastion of Black art. It’s a site for stirring conversations among its visitors – a hub for dynamic exchanges and sharing ideas about art and society.

In preparing to move, the Studio Museum sought a website redesign to align with its evolving institution. The aim was to achieve greater accessibility for a broader community. The Studio Museum actively redefines the museum experience as a vibrant meeting place reverberating with life, sound and dynamic energy – Base Design embraced the challenge of translating this vitality and communal spirit into an engaging online platform.

“Inspired by Harlem’s iconic Brownstone stoop, our website design transforms into a dynamic meeting place, echoing the lively streets with sounds and voices,” says Base Design. “Embracing noise as a concept, we digitally mirror the museum’s living space, presenting artworks immersed in the context of neighbouring creations.

“Shifting the focus from artworks to the artists themselves, the new website features engaging video and audio clips within the margins – peripheral ‘chatter’ to capture the animated essence of the Studio Museum’s setting.”

Credits:
Design Studio: Base Design
Partner, ECD & Managing Director: Min Lew
Partner & Digital Director: Mirek Nisenbaum
Managing Director: Andrey Starkov
Senior Account Lead: Harry Laverty
Senior Design Director: Ross Gendels
Senior Designer/Digital Strategist: Marc Hill
Project Manager: Masha Basyrova
Digital Producer: Vivian Valentin
Developer: Artem Lyustik
Production Designer: Mitya Sudakov
Developers: Olga Sidorchenko, Sergei Khegai, Volha Trehubava
Strategist: Jerry Johnston
Designer/Creative Technologist: Ji Park
Client: Studio Museum in Harlem
Chief Advancement Oicer: Chakshu Patel
Director of Marketing: Elizabeth Karp-Evans
Associate Director of Digital Marketing and Communications: Shanna Kudowitz
Director of Marketing and Communications: Isata Yansaneh
Director and Chief Curator: Thelma Golden
Branding, Custom Typography: Pacific
Co-Creative Directors: Elizabeth Karp-Evans, Adam Turnbull