What were the sounds of the Harlem Renaissance? Jazz and blues exploded onto the scene. People flocked to uptown venues like the Savoy Ballroom, where they could dance the Lindy Hop all night long. In this episode, we’ll learn how the music of the Renaissance was part of a larger boundary-breaking nightlife that involved gambling, speakeasies, and hole-in-the-wall clubs where people could express gender and sexuality in new ways. We’ll learn about the artists, musicians, and performers who embodied this spirit of creative experimentation and transgression—and whose work remains fresh decades later.

Learn more about the exhibition at metmuseum.org/HarlemRenaissance

Objects featured in this episode:

James Van Der Zee, [Person in a Fur-Trimmed Ensemble], 1926

Jacob Lawrence, Pool Parlor, 1942

Archibald Motley Jr. paintings: The Liar, 1936; and Picnic, 1934

Guests:

James Smalls, art historian and professor

Richard J. Powell, art historian and professor

Christian McBride, Grammy Award winning musician and composer

Original poem: Carl Phillips’s “At the Reception”

For a transcript of this episode and more information, visit metmuseum.org/HarlemIsEverywhere

#HarlemIsEverywhere

Harlem Is Everywhere is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios.

What were the sounds of the Harlem Renaissance? Jazz and blues exploded onto the scene. People flocked to uptown venues like the Savoy Ballroom, where they could dance the Lindy Hop all night long. In this episode, we’ll learn how the music of the Renaissance was part of a larger boundary-breaking nightlife that involved gambling, speakeasies, and hole-in-the-wall clubs where people could express gender and sexuality in new ways. We’ll learn about the artists, musicians, and performers who embodied this spirit of creative experimentation and transgression—and whose work remains fresh decades later.
Learn more about the exhibition at <a href="http://metmuseum.org/HarlemRenaissance">metmuseum.org/HarlemRenaissance</a>
Objects featured in this episode:
James Van Der Zee, <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/895670">[Person in a Fur-Trimmed Ensemble]</a>, 1926
Jacob Lawrence, <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/488043">Pool Parlor</a>, 1942
Archibald Motley Jr. paintings: <a href="https://archives.nasher.duke.edu/motley/project/the-liar/index.html">The Liar</a>, 1936; and <a href="https://archives.nasher.duke.edu/motley/project/the-picnic/index.html">Picnic</a>, 1934
Guests:
James Smalls, art historian and professor
Richard J. Powell, art historian and professor
Christian McBride, Grammy Award winning musician and composer
Original poem: Carl Phillips’s “At the Reception”
For a transcript of this episode and more information, visit <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/series/harlem-renaissance-podcast">metmuseum.org/HarlemIsEverywhere</a>
#HarlemIsEverywhere
Harlem Is Everywhere is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios.

100 years ago, artists and writers were forging new visions of Blackness—across America and abroad.

Introducing Harlem Is Everywhere, a brand new podcast from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hear how music, fashion, literature, and art helped shape a modern Black identity.

Presented alongside the exhibition The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism, the podcast is hosted by writer and critic Jessica Lynne. This five-part series features a dynamic cast of speakers who reflect on the legacy and cultural impact of the Harlem Renaissance.

100 years ago, artists and writers were forging new visions of Blackness—across America and abroad.
Introducing Harlem Is Everywhere, a brand new podcast from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hear how music, fashion, literature, and art helped shape a modern Black identity.
Presented alongside the exhibition <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/the-harlem-renaissance-and-transatlantic-modernism">The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism</a>, the podcast is hosted by writer and critic Jessica Lynne. This five-part series features a dynamic cast of speakers who reflect on the legacy and cultural impact of the Harlem Renaissance.

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