Daily Newsletter

Juneteenth Joy

The Obama Center opens, and a guide to what to do on the holiday in NYC.

Hyperallergic

June 19, 2026 — 4 min read

Happy Juneteenth! This year, the US’s newest federal holiday — inaugurated during the Biden presidency to commemorate the end of slavery here — also lands on the nation’s 250th anniversary. An uneasy collision, to say the least.

And yet remembering need not only be solemn. It can take the form of coming together, of celebration. We’ve put together a handy guide of what to do on the holiday around New York City, including DJ sets and drumming performances at the Bronx Museum, a free performance series at South Street Seaport, sound baths at the Studio Museum, and a ton more.

Meanwhile, the Obama Center in Chicago, which is teeming with fantastic art, officially opens to the public today. Dubbed the “Obamalisk,” it seems like a formal challenge to a similar-looking landmark in Washington, DC — a visual reminder that at any point in history, there’s always more than one moral center.

—Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor

10 Art Events for Juneteenth Joy in NYC

The United States’ Juneteenth federal holiday, commemorating the day emancipation reached Texas years after the proclamation of the end of slavery, turns five this Friday.

Notably, this year, the public holiday’s festivities coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary, which has propelled a nationwide discourse about which American stories ought to be elevated. In New York, arts groups and organizations are honoring the contemplative and joyous date with events ranging from heritage walks and drag performances to DJ sets and museum exhibitions. Here’s a selection of programming across the boroughs this long weekend.

Six heritage preservation groups in Washington, DC, are suing the Trump administration over its plans to create a sculpture garden devoted to American “exceptionalism” on public land along the Potomac River.
Staff members at the Seattle Art Museum have officially unionized following a landslide National Labor Relations Board election this week.