View All Exhibitions

Black and gold Studio 54 logo

Studio 54: Night Magic

Admission is always FREE for AGO Members, AGO Annual Pass Holders & Visitors 25 and under. Learn more.

 

OVERVIEW
ARTWORKS
VIDEOS
CATALOGUE
SHOP AND DINE
RELATED EVENTS

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

How does a nightclub, open for less than three years, become the global epicentre of music, fashion and design? Studio 54: Night Magic transports visitors back to 1977 when revolutionary creativity, expressive freedom and sexual liberation transformed a New York City nightclub into a phenomenon.
 
Featuring hundreds of objects, including photographs, films, sketches and designer fashions, the exhibition traces the nightclub’s trailblazing aesthetics while situating it within the broader social and historical context of the period. Organized chronologically, visitors are led through the exhibition to the sounds of disco music. Curated by Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture at the Brooklyn Museum in New York State, the installation at the AGO will be overseen by Julian Cox, Deputy Director and Chief Curator.

On opening night, dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre took to the stage indoors, while crowds outside clamored to be admitted. Inside, celebrities, fashion designers, artists, musicians, New Yorkers both gay and straight, Black, White and Latino, all mingled together. Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Cher, Michael Jackson, Truman Capote and Margaret Trudeau were all regulars, and the media couldn’t get enough. During this post-Watergate, pre-AIDS era, glamour danced to a disco beat, and for the 33 months it lasted, Studio 54 was the watchword for creative expression and no-holds-barred excitement.

 

EXHIBITION GUIDE

Download now 1 MB

Download French version 1.08 MB

 

Studio 54: Night Magic is organized by the Brooklyn Museum. It is curated by Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture, Brooklyn Museum. 

VIDEOS FROM THE EXHIBITION

Studio 54: Night Magic Teaser

Behind The Scenes of Studio 54 with Paul Mathiesen

 

ARTWORKS FROM THE EXHIBITION

Photo by Guy Marineau, Pat Cleveland on the dance floor during Halston's disco bash at Studio 54, 1977

Guy Marineau, Pat Cleveland on the dance floor during Halston's disco bash at Studio 54, 1977. Photo: Guy Marineau / WWD / Shutterstock.

Studio 54 artwork 1
Ron Galella, "A Salute to American Designers," Sterling Jacques and Eartha Kitt, May 23, 1978. Gelatin silver print.

Ron Galella, "A Salute to American Designers," Sterling Jacques and Eartha Kitt, May 23, 1978. Gelatin silver print, 27.9 x 21.6 cm. Courtesy of the artist. © Ron Galella.

Studio 54 artwork 2
Meryl Meisler, Stretched on Floor (Silver Boots), Gelatin silver print

Meryl Meisler, Stretched on Floor (Silver Boots), 1977; printed 2019. Gelatin silver print, 35.6 x 35.6 cm. Courtesy of the artist. © Meryl Meisler.

Studio 54 artwork 3
Dustin Pittman, Stroke of Midnight at Studio 54, 1978–79. Photograph.

Dustin Pittman, Stroke of Midnight at Studio 54, 1978–79. Photograph, 38.1 x 50.8 cm. Courtesy of the artist. © Dustin Pittman.

Studio 54 artwork 5
Miestorm Serpent, I Got the Feeling, February 23

Miestorm Serpent, I Got the Feeling, February 23, 1978. Courtesy of the artist. © MiestormSerpent.

Studio 54 artwork 6
Adam Scull, Liza Minnelli and Halston

Adam Scull, Liza Minnelli and Halston, 1978. Photo by © Adam Scull/PHOTOlink.net.

Studio 54 artwork 7
Allan Tannenbaum, “Fashion Maker’s” Show, Jerry Hall

Allan Tannenbaum, “Fashion Maker’s” Show, Jerry Hall, May 23, 1978. Courtesy of the artist. © Allan Tannenbaum.

Studio 54 artwork 8
Ron Galella, Party for Egon von Furstenberg's Book "The Power Look," New York City, Ara Gallant and Diane von Furstenberg

Ron Galella, Party for Egon von Furstenberg's Book "The Power Look," New York City, Ara Gallant and Diane von Furstenberg, September 25, 1978. Gelatin silver print, 50.8 x 61 cm. Courtesy of the artist. © Ron Galella.

studio 54 artwork 9

 

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

Studio 54: Night Magic

Author: Matthew Yokobosky

Telling the story of this legendary club, as well as serving as a companion to the exhibition, Studio 54: Night Magic serves as a document of the era, depicting the wild energy and provocative creativity of this seminal cultural moment.

176 pages
27.94 x 1.42 x 37.47 cm

BUY NOW FROM SHOP AGO

Studio 54 catalogue book cover

 

 

 

Be the first to find out about AGO exhibitions and events, get the behind-the-scenes scoop, and book tickets before your visit.
Sign up to get AGO news right to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.