POSTER HOUSE PRESENTS FIRST FRIDAY ON MAY 2

Poster House, the first museum in the United States dedicated to the global history of posters, will host its monthly “First Friday” event May 2, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM at Poster House, 119 West 23rd Street in Manhattan. On the first Friday of every month, Poster House offers free admission and extended hours for guests. Explore the museum’s latest exhibitions and get in on the fun by attending a tour, workshop, performance, or activity throughout the day. The two main exhibitions currently on view are: Fallout: Atoms for War & Peace and Puerto Rico in Print: The Posters of Lorenzo Homar. Both exhibitions are open until September 7, 2025. Poster House’s spring capsule exhibitions are: From the Bronx to the Battery: Subway Sun and Copy/Paste/Print/Repeat: Mike King & the Art of the Gig Poster. These exhibitions are open until November 2, 2025.

Every First Friday is different, offering unique opportunities such as tours, workshops, performances, and activities, to further engage visitors with the exhibitions. First Friday activities for May 2nd include:

• 11am–12:45pm: Turning Red Movie Screening

Kick off AAPI Heritage Month with Poster House with  a special First Friday takeover in collaboration with Welcome to Chinatown. Visitors can come and enjoy Disney and Pixar’s unusual coming-of-age film, the comic drama Turning Red (2022).

• 2–3:30pm: Papercut Workshop – $10

Poster House will host a workshop where attendees can explore the timeless craft of Chinese paper cutting as they transform simple materials into intricate works of art and learn traditional folding techniques, creating beautiful, symmetrical designs while they uncover the cultural symbolism and meditative nature of this peaceful, hands-on practice.

• 3–4pm: How to Build an Exhibition – Design Tour

Join John Kudos, founder of KUDOS Design Collaboratory, and John Lynch, Poster House’s Associate Director of Exhibits, four a tour of Fallout: Atoms for War & Peace where they will explain the nose-to-tail of exhibition building. From initial design concepts to how an installation crew interprets a designer’s vision, this informative tour will have visitors  looking at exhibition building in a whole new light.

• 5–6pm: Gyotaku Fish Print Drop-in Workshop – $10

Join a Gyotaku workshop at Poster House and experience an exciting traditional Japanese art form. Emerging in the mid-19th century, Gyotaku is the authentic Japanese method of fish printing. This technique involves applying ink to an actual fish and pressing it onto paper. Originally used by fishermen to record their catches, Gyotaku has since become a unique artistic practice.

The workshop will be led by Sato Yamamoto, a distinguished printmaker from Tokyo, now residing in Westchester County. She has taught numerous workshops at such distinguished venues as the Brooklyn Museum, the Worcester Art Museum, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Center for Book Arts, Manhattan Graphics Center, and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

• 5–6pm: Happy Hour

Swing by Poster House’s Night Market and enjoy a complimentary spring roll, provided by our friends at Jing Fong NY! Available while supplies last—RSVP does not guarantee a small bite, so come early!

• 6–8:30pm: Night Market Curated by Welcome to Chinatown

Experience the Night Market presented at Poster House by Welcome to Chinatown. This event features a carefully curated collection of design and craft items celebrating the creativity and culture of New York’s Chinatown. Seize this chance to discover one-of-a-kind local treasures!

• 7–8pm: Choy Lay Fut Lion Dance

Experience an extraordinary dance performance at Poster House by New York Choy Lay Fut, a legendary Lion Dance Team from New York’s Chinatown, representing more than 30 years of cultural tradition. Known for its energetic shows and deep community roots (most of the performers are Chinatown high schoolers), the team will perform its much-loved Drunken Lion routine, in which a curious lion discovers a wine bottle and gets a little tipsy, resulting in a humorous and skillful display of movement and character.

After the performance, don’t miss the chance to meet the lion up close! The team will stick around after the show, giving guests a chance to snap photos and learn more about this cherished tradition.