NYU Exhibition Invites You to Walk the Path of Empathy

We've all heard the saying that to better understand someone, you should try walking a mile in their shoes.

But imagine being able to enter a life-sized shoe box (think: a small Winnebago), pluck a pair off a shelf, try them on for size, and take a stroll while listening to the original owner's story?

NYU's A Mile in My Shoes, in partnership with the Empathy Museum, invites all students, faculty administrators, and staff to do just that from September 15-October 15 at the Paulson Center and from September 15-26 at 2 MetroTech in Brooklyn. Some of the museum's 350 previously collected stories will be available to listen to alongside new, NYU entries produced by and featuring voices from the university community. With anecdotes from a disability advocate, a war veteran, a hospital chaplain, and more, the stories cover grief and hope, love and conflict. Visitors will select a pair of shoes and the story that goes with them, scan a QR code to listen to the personal narrative, and-if they wish-step into someone else's shoes and walk along one of the suggested neighborhood routes.

"At its heart, the project is about bringing together people who might never otherwise meet, and taking them on both a physical and emotional journey that deepens their sense of shared humanity and nurtures the practice of empathy," says Clare Patey, artistic director of the Empathy Museum, an organization devoted to staging participatory, traveling art projects that explore "how empathy can not only transform our personal relationships, but also help tackle global challenges such as prejudice, conflict, and inequality."

Stories have so far been collected in several languages across 19 countries, and the exhibition has previously stopped in Denver, Milan, and Melbourne. At NYU, marking the first time the museum has collaborated with an American university, the installations will be staffed in part by students, who will assist to curate the visitor experience and answer questions.

"This experience offers our community a chance to pause, listen, take a walk with someone they have never met," says Kristie Patten, counselor to the president at NYU. "The goal this semester is to create many opportunities where we can not only listen to others' stories but tell our own, to feel connected as a community."

Inspired to share your story? Deepen the experience by joining a Story Exchange workshop on September 29 or October 6. Facilitated by Narrative 4-a global education organization that harnesses the power of storytelling to cultivate empathy, compassion, and social connection among students and communities-these workshops create space for participants to listen closely and retell a partner's story in the first person.

The effort is part of NYU's In Dialogue series, which aims to grow the community's capacity to listen and to value different perspectives. This 2025-2026 In Dialogue season also includes volunteer events with the Afya Foundation, which gathers medical supplies that would have otherwise been discarded and taps volunteers to expedite their sorting, packing, and delivery; Around the Table faculty and staff dinners; and an event, Leadership Rooted in Faith and Resilience, featuring two NYU university chaplains from the Bronfman and Islamic Centers in conversation on "how values-driven leadership can sustain moral courage, foster resilience, and shape meaningful contributions in academic and public life."

"Bringing the Empathy Museum here to NYU continues our commitment to build community, foster connections, and create possibilities," explains Ellen Schall, senior presidential fellow at NYU. "Each of us benefits when we deepen our ability to listen deeply and engage people whose stories are different from our own."

A Mile in My Shoes and related events are open only to NYU students, faculty, administrators, and staff. Learn more about NYU's A Mile in My Shoes, and please contact [email protected] with questions.

Plan Your Visit

Main Exhibition in Manhattan
September 15-October 15, 2025
Paulson Center Commons
181 Mercer Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY

Days/Hours:
Mondays 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
Tuesdays 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
Wednesdays 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
Thursdays 11 A.M. - 9 P.M.
Fridays 11 A.M. - 3 P.M.
Saturdays: Closed
Sundays 3 P.M. - 6 P.M.

Mini Pop-Up in Brooklyn
September 15-26, 2025
NYU Tandon School of Engineering
2 MetroTech Center
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Days/Hours:
Mondays 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
Tuesdays 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
Wednesdays 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
Thursdays 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
Fridays 11 A.M. - 3 P.M.
Saturdays: Closed
Sundays: Closed