More than seven hundred artists, civic leaders and philanthropists gathered at The Glasshouse in Manhattan on Monday 26 October for the Studio Museum in Harlem's annual gala, an evening that raised $4 million for the museum's exhibitions, programmes and outreach. The event marked the end of the institution's first year in its new home on 125th Street, a building designed by Adjaye Associates that opened to the public on 15 November 2025 as the first purpose-built home in the museum's history.

The night also honoured Raymond J. McGuire, the long-serving chairman of the board who guided the museum through the campaign to build its new home and now holds the title of chair emeritus. Director and chief curator Thelma Golden praised his leadership in championing artists of African descent and strengthening the museum's ties to Harlem, while board chair Kathryn C. Chenault remembered the late trustee Gordon J. Davis, who had supported the institution through almost every chapter of its journey.

The evening's artistic centrepiece was the presentation of the Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize to Kevin Beasley. Established in 2006 by the jazz impresario George Wein in memory of his late wife, a longtime museum trustee, the prize is among the most significant awards given to an individual artist in the United States, recognising innovation, promise and creativity by an African American artist. Beasley, born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1985, works across sculpture, sound, installation and performance, using everyday materials to probe the histories of power and race in America. His recent projects include a monumental installation that opened Storm King Art Center's Tippet's Field in 2025 and a sound work with Ralph Lemon due at Kunsthaus Zürich in November.

The guest list reflected the museum's reach across the art world and beyond, with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani in attendance alongside artists Amy Sherald, Lorna Simpson, Glenn Ligon, Rashid Johnson and Carrie Mae Weems, and directors including Michael Govan of LACMA and Scott Rothkopf of the Whitney. Lead corporate support came from Lafayette Square and HarbourView Equity.