What Is “A sustained becoming” at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and How Do You Visit?

Short answer

A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026 is on view at the Studio Museum in Harlem through January 3, 2027. It presents work by Derriann Pharr, Simonette Quamina and Taylor Simmons, the museum’s 2026 artists in residence and, according to the museum, the first Artist-in-Residence cohort in its new building at 144 West 125th Street.

The museum describes three distinct approaches to figuration, across painting, collage, printmaking, drawing, sculpture and mixed media. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with suggested prices, and booking in advance is advised. The museum is closed Monday and Tuesday. All times are local to New York.

Key facts

• Exhibition: A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026.
• Artists: Derriann Pharr, Simonette Quamina and Taylor Simmons.
• On view through: January 3, 2027.
• Venue: Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027.
• Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 11am-6pm; Friday, 11am-9pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday. A members’ hour runs on Saturdays from 10 to 11am and is not open to all visitors.
• Tickets: pay-what-you-can, with suggested prices of $16 for adults and $9 for seniors (65+), students and visitors with disability. Children 16 and under are free. Care partners for visitors with disability and members are free.
• Free Sundays: admission is free every Sunday with Studio Sundays, 11am-6pm; the museum says tickets are still required.
• Contact: 212-864-4500.

What is A sustained becoming?

The museum presents the exhibition as the work of its 2026 artists in residence. Its description says each artist’s practice shows a distinct approach to figuration, and that Pharr, Quamina and Simmons work across painting, collage, printmaking, drawing, sculpture and mixed media.

In the museum’s words, real and otherworldly images come together to suggest the experience of remembering or dreaming. The museum also says the works are grounded in cultural memory and create “momentary suspensions in time” to imagine what has already happened and what is yet to come.

The pages cited here do not list individual works, titles or materials for each artist. This guide therefore does not describe specific pieces. A question to bring to the galleries is: how does each artist handle the human figure, and what changes from one practice to the next?

Why is this cohort singled out?

The museum’s press release of September 30, 2026 says Pharr, Quamina and Simmons are the first to work out of the custom-designed studios in its purpose-built home. The museum’s new building opened to the public on November 15, 2025, according to the same release.

The exhibition therefore shows work by artists who are working out of studios inside the building that presents it.

An open art studio, as Antre uses the term, is something different: a studio opened to visitors. The Studio Museum does not describe this show that way. The exhibition presents finished work by the residents, not a visit to their working spaces. For the distinction, see What Is an Open Art Studio?.

How can context shape the visit?

The exhibition brings together three separate practices. Wall texts, an artist’s own account and the museum’s framing can each add a layer without fixing a single reading of an image.

That is the idea behind cultural mediation: connecting a work, its setting and a visitor’s questions. The museum’s account of memory and dreaming is one way in. It does not have to be the only one.

For another New York exhibition guide, see Arthur Jafa: I Am Tony at the New Museum. The Studio Museum’s press release also announces Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images at the Studio Museum from April 9 to September 5, 2027. For her work in a Los Angeles museum, see Mavis Pusey at the Hammer.

How should you plan the visit?

Book tickets in advance on the museum’s website; the visit page advises it. Prices are suggestions under the pay-what-you-can model, and several visitor groups have free or complimentary options listed on the museum’s visit page.

Friday is the longest day, with the museum open until 9pm. Sunday is free and, per the museum, comes with family-centered programming. Choose by what suits you: a weekday, a late Friday or a Sunday with programs.

Check the museum’s hours on the day you go. Hours and ticketing can change.

FAQ

When does A sustained becoming close?

January 3, 2027, according to the museum.

Who are the artists in A sustained becoming?

Derriann Pharr, Simonette Quamina and Taylor Simmons, the Studio Museum’s 2026 artists in residence.

What are the Studio Museum’s hours?

Wednesday-Thursday, 11am-6pm; Friday, 11am-9pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm. The museum is closed Monday and Tuesday. A members’ hour runs on Saturdays from 10 to 11am.

How much does it cost?

Tickets are pay-what-you-can. The suggested prices are $16 for adults and $9 for seniors (65+), students and visitors with disability. Children 16 and under are free, and every Sunday is free with Studio Sundays. Free tickets are still required on Sundays.

Do you need to book in advance?

The museum’s visit page says to book tickets in advance. You can also book at the museum.

About Antre

Antre is building an app that gives artworks their context, starting with New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Join the waiting list at antre.art.

Sources

• Studio Museum in Harlem: A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026: artists, media, description, curators and closing date.
• Studio Museum in Harlem: Visit: address, hours, ticket prices, Studio Sundays and booking advice.
• Studio Museum in Harlem: press release of September 30, 2026: first residents in the new building, new building opening date and upcoming Mavis Pusey exhibition.