Memorabilia That Has Inspired Spike Lee to Be Exhibited in Brooklyn Museum This Fall

From letters to costumes, archival material and works that have inspired Spike Lee will be exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum beginning this fall. Titled Spike Lee: Creative Sources, the exhibit will include over 300 of Lee’s prized memorabilia throughout seven sections, each featuring a clip from one of Lee’s films in the immersive experience. Running from October 6 to February 4, 2024, the exhibit’s organizers are Kimberli Gant, a curator of modern and contemporary art, along with Indira A. Abiskaroon, the Brooklyn Museum’s curatorial assistant of modern and contemporary art.

“By making Lee’s collection accessible to the public, this showcase celebrates his legacy while honoring his deep connection to Brooklyn, a place that has been an integral part of his storytelling,” Gant said in a statement.

The exhibit’s seven sections will span Black history and culture, politics, sports, family, music and cinema. The Brooklyn Museum has revealed that works from Black American visual artists Kehinde Wiley, Deborah Roberts, and Michael Ray Charles will be displayed alongside instruments previously owned by legendary musicians. As Lee’s father, Bill Lee, died in May, museum visitors may view items once owned by the late jazz bassist and composer.

In the Black history section will be Michael Ray Charles’ artwork, which partially inspired Lee’s 2000 minstrel-focused film Bamboozled. Also in the section will be photographs of James Baldwin, Lena Horne, Jacob Lawerence and more. Props from Lee’s movie posters, set materials and props from Lee’s early films Do the Right Thing and She’s Gotta Have It will be presented in the Brooklyn section, dedicated to the director’s beloved neighborhood.

Creative Sources marks Lee’s inaugural major exhibition, following his personal collection being available to view at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in ‘Director’s Inspiration: Spike Lee (2021–22).’