Considering the city skyline, why does this asymmetrical building command so much attention? This is the Whitney Museum of American Art. It is known informally as “The Whitney”. Here we celebrate the vibrant world of modern and contemporary American art. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney founded the Whitney in 1930. She was a socialite, sculptor, and art patron.
The Whitney Museum focuses on 20th and 21st-century American art. Its collection boasts over 25000 works. These include paintings and sculptures. There are drawings, prints, photos, films, videos, and new media. Over 3500 artists are represented. The Whitney emphasizes living artists.
Imagine stepping inside. You will find institutional archives of American art history. The Edward and Josephine Hopper Research Collection is here. The Whitney is the largest repository of Edward Hopper’s work.
From 1966 to 2014 the Whitney Museum was on Madison Avenue. Marcel Breuer and Hamilton P. Smith designed that building. In 2015 the Whitney relocated. Its current home is at 99 Gansevoort Street. Renzo Piano designed this modern space. It expanded the exhibition space to 50000 square feet.
The Whitney Biennial is a highlight. This bi-annual event showcases emerging American artists. It is the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the United States. The Whitney Independent Study Program supports artists and art historians.
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney began collecting art in 1905. She ran exhibition spaces from 1914 to 1928. These spaces promoted avant-garde American artists. She favored artists of the Ashcan School. These included John Sloan, George Luks, and Everett Shinn. She also supported Edward Hopper and Stuart Davis.
Whitney offered over 500 works to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1929. The Met declined. This led Whitney to found her own museum. It was exclusively for American art. Juliana Force became the Whitney’s first director. She focused on new and contemporary American artists.
In 1954 the Whitney Museum moved to 54th Street. It was behind the Museum of Modern Art. A fire at MoMA in 1958 forced the Whitney to help evacuate paintings.
The Whitney sought a larger building in 1961. It settled on Madison Avenue in 1966. The Whitney grappled with space problems for decades. It opened satellite spaces including the Art Resources Center.
The Whitney developed a new main building downtown. Renzo Piano designed it. It stands at Gansevoort and Washington Streets. Construction finished in 2015. The new structure spans 200000 square feet. It has column-free art gallery spaces. There is an education center, theater, and library. Observation decks link to an outdoor staircase.
The Whitney Museum needed to raise 760 million dollars for the building. The Metropolitan Museum of Art occupied the old Madison Avenue building temporarily. Michelle Obama attended the new building’s opening in 2015.
Today the Whitney continues to shape the art world. It challenges norms. It fosters dialogue. As you explore its galleries consider the Whitney’s enduring impact. It champions American art. It inspires generations.