The Italian American Museum, located in Little Italy since 2007, is about to embark on a major project that will quadruple its size at its current location. But it is more than a physical expansion. It is an endeavor to ensure that Little Italy will have a permanent anchor institution that will preserve and promote not only the neighborhood, but the legacy of Italians in America from Peter Caesar Alberti in 1635 to present-day immigrants who continue to seek opportunity on these shores.
The Museum’s mission will also be to celebrate modern-day Italian culture with exhibitions and programs that feature artists, authors and thinkers from Italy.
The Museum’s historic location on the corner of Mulberry and Grand Streets once housed the Banca Stabile which was founded by Francesco Rosario Stabile in 1885. During its heyday, the bank offered newly arrived immigrants much more than financial services. It was a link for the immigrants in the United States with their relatives in Italy. In addition to a full range of banking services, it also provided the following services: telegraph, travel via steam ships, import-export, notary public, and post office; in essence, a community nexus. The Museum intends to re-establish this “hub” of activity–on a cultural level.
With construction beginning in early 2018 and slated for completion in 2021, the new Italian American Museum will encompass four levels in a new structure located on Mulberry St. It will feature a majestic street- level entrance, four levels for permanent and temporary exhibitions, and an auditorium for film screenings, lectures, presentations, meetings and theatrical, music and dance performances.