Long Island Museum is reconsidering the cultural landscape of the 1970s in a new exhibition looking at how the decade reshaped life across Long Island, politically and artistically. On view from 14 May through 18 October 2026, Long Island in the ’70s brings together photography, fashion, music memorabilia and historical objects to engage with a transfomrative period of time distinguished by rapid suburban expansion and environmental activism.
Curated by Nina Sangimino, the exhibition moves beyond the more familiar images of disco-era nostalgia to consider the broader tensions and transformations of the decade. Alongside clothing, toys, sports memorabilia and artworks from the museum’s collection, the presentation includes photography by Rick Kopstein, Meryl Meisler and Joanne Mulberg. Visitors are also able to enjoy immersive displays, for instance, a fully realised 1970s suburban living room.
The exhibition also traces Long Island’s changing social and political climate during the era, from protests surrounding the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant to the region’s experiences at the close of the Vietnam War. Other sections examine the eastward growth of suburbia into Suffolk County, the arrival of the New York Islanders in 1972, and the increasing presence of artists on the East End.
Long Island in the ’70s is on view at the Long Island Museum through 18 October 2026. The museum is located at 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook, New York.
