The beautiful Mamdouha S. Bobst Gallery in Bobst Library opened on December 16, 2002, in celebration of the library’s 30th anniversary. Located on the west side of the Floor 1 Atrium, the Gallery is used for public exhibitions drawn from New York University’s vast and varied special collections of art, literature, left politics, and history.
The featured exhibitions are thoughtfully curated experiential learning opportunities to advance teaching, learning, and research in an environment dedicated to the open exchange of information. Each exhibition represents our values of service, access, and inclusion, focusing on our commitment to diversity, belonging, equity, and anti-racism. Each installation explores the intersections of scholarly and artistic inquiry and encourages users to explore the imaginative use of information for research.
To inquire about partnering on an upcoming exhibit, send us an email at libraryevents@nyu.edu.
Recent Exhibitions
Violet Holdings: LGBTQ+ Highlights from the NYU Special Collections
April 18 - January 6, 2020
This exhibition surveyed queer life from the mid-1800s to the present day through a sample of materials drawn from NYU Libraries’ special collections and archives. Violet Holdings was part of NYU’s yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising.
AIDS Memorial Quilt for Stonewall 50th Anniversary
September 12 - December 15, 2019
NYU Libraries displayed nine panels from the NAMES Project Foundation’s AIDS Memorial Quilt to close NYU’s yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The 12x12-foot panels represent a cross-section of people lost to AIDS, including students, activists, artists, and NYU community members lost to the pandemic.
The Unflinching Eye: The Symbols of David Wojnarowicz
July 12 - October 11, 2018
This exhibition utilized archival material to contextualize Wojnarowicz’s creative practice — held in conjunction with the Whitney Museum of Art’s sweeping retrospective, History Keeps Me Awake at Night. Selected almost entirely from the David Wojnarowicz Papers housed in NYU’s Downtown Collection, The Unflinching Eye seeks to analyze the images, ideas, and relationships that informed the artist’s work across media, including painting, photography, installation, performance, and writing.
Mamdouha S. Bobst Gallery