May 31–Ongoing
The Met
In May 2025, The Met proudly reopened its reimagined Arts of the Ancient Americas galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing after an extensive multiyear renovation. This transformative installation offers visitors a fresh encounter with nearly 700 ancestral artworks from Indigenous cultures across North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean, all dating before 1600 CE. Through visionary presentation and cutting-edge museographic design, the exhibition sheds new light on the rich artistic traditions and vibrant legacies of these ancient American civilizations.
The galleries showcase a remarkable range of works, including monumental stone sculptures and dazzling metalwork, many illuminated by natural daylight filtered through a custom sloped glass wall offering views of Central Park. Visitors will also encounter intricate ceramic vessels, precious regalia fashioned from gold, shell, and semiprecious stones, and beautifully carved wooden sculptures. This installation reflects a dynamic collaboration between The Met and scholars and Indigenous communities throughout the Americas, infusing the exhibition with contemporary research, Indigenous perspectives, and nuanced curatorial insights regarding materials, techniques, social roles, and cultural interconnections.
Organized both chronologically and geographically, the galleries guide visitors through ancient artistic traditions ranging from finely wrought lithic bannerstones dating as far back as 4000 BCE in the west, to imperial art styles of the Mexica and Inca empires in the east. A pioneering gallery dedicated to ancient Andean textiles—the first of its kind in the United States—highlights exceptionally preserved fiber arts, with garments and hangings over 2,000 years old displayed in state-of-the-art cases that enable rotating presentations of this delicate, light-sensitive material. The exhibition also extends to explore Indigenous perspectives from the Viceregal (Colonial) period, considering evolving gender roles and conceptions of the natural world, and incorporates Indigenous texts to enrich interpretation and connection to these artworks.
Designed by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture in collaboration with Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects LLP and The Met’s Design Department, the galleries take inspiration from ancient American architectural forms, including stone platform motifs referencing Mesoamerican and Andean landmarks. The thoughtful reinstallation revitalizes the Museum’s mission to illuminate the profound artistry and enduring cultural significance of the Americas’ Indigenous peoples. Visitors are invited to embark on a deeply immersive journey through millennia of creativity that continues to resonate today.
For further information and to explore this groundbreaking exhibition, visit the official page at The Met’s Arts of the Ancient Americas.
