A message from City Reliquary Founder Dave Herman:

Dear Civic New Yorkers,

Today The City Reliquary is launching its 2017 Year-End campaign. As we close another eventful year, I wanted to reflect on the compelling programs and exhibitions made possible because of Civic New Yorkers like you, and to ask for your support in the coming year.

Our staff and volunteers rely on you to help make the Reliquary possible. Joseph Pulitzer’s 1883 “Pedestal Fund” for the Statue of Liberty revealed the powerful result when people of all economic and cultural backgrounds unite towards a common goal. The symbol of our city–and of the American Dream–literally stands on the contributions of the people.

In that spirit, and during this challenging time for small and feisty non-profits, we remind you that even the smallest contribution makes a difference. To this day, the majority of our funding comes through individual gifts under $100. All gifts are tax-deductible.

If you can make a larger gift and wish to do so, consider sponsoring a specific Reliquary initiative: ensure the maintenance of our permanent exhibits, support a signature event or public program, or make possible a special exhibition. You can find more details on our Artfully page.

Thanks to your generosity, our community museum has been For the people, not for profit since 2002. Please help us continue to offer the exhibitions and events that deepen our connection with the great City of New York.

Always Civic,

Dave Herman, Founder
The City Reliquary Museum & Civic Organization

2017 Reliquary Highlights–with your help, 2018 will be an even bigger success! Support The City Reliquary today!

Exhibitions of Overlooked New York

Our 2017 special exhibition calendar opened with Heroes Of The Knish: Making A Living And Making A Life, which traced the history of the knish from its arrival in the US with Jewish immigrants to its current status as an iconic NYC street food.

Following knishes came Closet Archaeology, one of our most successful exhibitions to date. This exciting show featured over a century’s worth of everyday objects excavated by fourth-grade students from beneath the floorboards of their school building and received a wealth of press coverage, from the New Yorker to the New York Post.

We’ll close out 2017 with NYC Trash! Past, Present, & Future, which considers the history and anthropology of trash in New York from the nineteenth century slums of Manhattan to present-day innovations for reuse and recycle to trash as a cultural archive.

Civic-Minded Events

This was also a banner year for classic City Reliquary events and new annual traditions.

Collectors’ Night, our celebration of collectors and collecting, drew a greater crowd than ever before–triple the average size.

Equally successful was the 2017 Miss Subways Extravaganza This anti-pageant addressed the current deplorable condition of the NYC subway system and raised funds for the Riders Alliance advocacy group. Celebrity judges including Janeane Garofalo and NY1’s own Roger Clark evaluated contestants who embodied the diversity of our city and showcased the unique talents of New York.

We also hosted a brass-band blowout party to herald HONK NYC 2017, and we even marched in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

Thank for you helping us achieve a phenomenal 2017. With your help, 2018 will be an even bigger success. Support The City Reliquary today!