Video Games: The Great Connector Drives Record Engagement at Long Island Museum
The Harlem Gallery of Science's traveling exhibition, Video Games: The Great Connector, concluded a successful three-month run at the Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages (LIM), welcoming 4,431 visitors and increasing attendance by 72% compared to the previous year.
Designed to explore how video games connect young people to creativity, technology, storytelling, community, and future careers, the interactive exhibition featured hands-on experiences, educational programming, and community events that engaged visitors of all ages. More than 100 students and educators participated in workshops and guided tours focused on game design, computer science, pixel art, and STEAM learning.
Originally developed by the Harlem Gallery of Science in 2024, the exhibition has since traveled to museums, schools, and festivals across New York City, reaching more than 10,000 visitors. Its research and educational mission have also helped shape the organization's Gaming Pathways initiative and inspired the creation of the Bachelor of Science in Digital Game Design at The City College of New York.
Visitors praised the exhibition's interactive approach, with one attendee calling it "so much fun" and another saying they were "telling everyone I know to come."
As the exhibition continues to travel, the Harlem Gallery of Science remains committed to using games as a powerful tool for learning, innovation, and expanding pathways into STEAM careers.
On April 7, 2019, Fred Crawford, Sr. made opening remarks at the Harlem gallery of Sciences exhibition on The Science of Music: From Jazz to Hip Hop and announced the need for the Gallery to engage young men and women in Harlem to produce video games.
Gaming Pathways & Video Games: The Great Connector Exhibition
Fred Crawford’s challenge was met three years later with the creation of The Gaming Pathways Program, funded by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, that has produced the first public bachelor’s degree program in digital game development at The City College of New York providing an affordable option for children of working families in the city to pursue a future career in digital game and other creative industries.
In addition, it has led to the development of the Video Games: The Great Connector Exhibition which explores three themes:
Connecting with Self allows visitors to examine how youth use games to shape their identity, manage their emotions, and acquire skills.
Connecting with Community lets visitors investigate how youth use games to foster community and enhance their awareness of the world around them.
Connecting with Future gives visitors a chance to explore how youth use their interests in games to connect with careers in the gaming industry.
Through December 2025, over 6,000 visitors have seen the exhibition.
Harlem Gallery of Science Receives Major Public Funding to Expand STEAM Pathways Through Digital Gaming
Learn more about these organizations:
Science and Arts Engagement New York, Inc. (SAENY), doing business as the Harlem Gallery of Science, has received new public support to advance its digital gaming–based STEAM programs for young people ages 11–24.
$47,365 from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs to expand citywide STEAM education and digital gaming initiatives
$20,000 from the West Harlem Development Corporation to further strengthen the organization’s video game–based learning programs
$10,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts to support Video Games: The Great Connector
Together, these investments advance HGS’s mission to connect young New Yorkers to future-ready skills in technology, creativity, and innovation.
