| Official Name | Whitney Museum of American Art |
|---|---|
| Museum Focus | Twentieth- and twenty-first-century art of the United States, with a strong focus on living artists |
| Founded | 1930 |
| Founder | Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney |
| Current Location | 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY 10014, United States |
| Collection | More than 27,000 works by more than 4,100 artists |
| Current Building | Designed by Renzo Piano; opened to the public in 2015 |
| Director | Scott Rothkopf |
| Phone | +1 212-570-3600 |
| Official Website | whitney.org |
The Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan is devoted to art of the United States from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with particular attention to living artists. Its holdings extend across painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, prints, installation, film, video, digital art, sound, textiles, and other media. The museum’s online collection currently records more than 27,000 works by more than 4,100 artists.
What the Whitney Collects
The Whitney’s collection reflects more than a century of American artistic production. Artists represented include Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder, Jasper Johns, Lee Krasner, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, and many others. The museum continues to acquire work by contemporary artists rather than treating its collection as a closed historical record.
Edward Hopper has an especially close connection to the collection. The Whitney holds a large body of his work, including paintings, drawings, prints, and related material. Works by Hopper frequently appear in exhibitions drawn from the permanent collection, alongside artists from different generations whose work addresses American life from very different perspectives.
The museum does not limit American art to painting and sculpture. Its holdings and exhibitions also cover photography, film, video, installation, performance-related material, digital art, and newer forms of artistic practice. This broader collecting policy is closely tied to the Whitney’s long-standing emphasis on artists working during their own time.
From Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to Gansevoort Street
Sculptor and patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney began supporting American artists in the early twentieth century, when many artists experimenting with new approaches had limited access to established exhibition spaces. In 1914 she created the Whitney Studio in Greenwich Village as a place where living American artists could show their work.
By 1929, Whitney had assembled more than 500 works. After an offer to give the collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was declined, she established an independent institution devoted to American art. The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930 and opened to the public in 1931 on West Eighth Street in Greenwich Village.
The museum moved to West 54th Street in 1954. In 1966 it opened a new home at Madison Avenue and 75th Street designed by architect Marcel Breuer. That building served as the Whitney’s main location until 2014.
The present museum at 99 Gansevoort Street opened on May 1, 2015. The move placed the Whitney in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, between the southern end of the High Line and the Hudson River.
The Whitney Biennial and Living Artists
The museum’s relationship with contemporary artists is most visibly expressed through the Whitney Biennial. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney introduced the first Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting in 1932. The first edition ran from November 22, 1932, to January 5, 1933.
The Biennial developed into the Whitney’s recurring survey of recent American art and is the longest-running exhibition series of its kind in the United States. Its format has changed over time as artistic media and definitions of American art have changed. Editions have included painting and sculpture as well as photography, film, video, installation, performance, and digital practices.
The Whitney has also presented early museum surveys and exhibitions for artists who later became widely recognized. Its historical record includes exhibitions devoted to figures such as Jasper Johns, Jay DeFeo, Glenn Ligon, Cindy Sherman, Paul Thek, and Nam June Paik. In 1982, the Whitney presented a major exhibition devoted to Paik’s video work, an early example of a New York museum giving this level of attention to video art.
Renzo Piano’s Meatpacking District Building
The current Whitney building was designed by architect Renzo Piano. Its location and internal layout were developed to provide considerably more exhibition space than the museum’s former Madison Avenue building.
The building contains approximately 50,000 square feet of indoor gallery space and about 13,000 square feet of outdoor exhibition space and terraces. A special-exhibition gallery measuring approximately 18,000 square feet is designed without internal columns, allowing curators to configure large installations and exhibitions with fewer structural constraints.
Outdoor terraces connect several levels of the building and face the High Line and surrounding Manhattan streets. The museum also includes spaces for education, performances, conservation work, collection study, and public programs. The ground floor contains a gallery that can be entered without purchasing general museum admission.
Visiting the Whitney
The Whitney is at 99 Gansevoort Street in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. The A, C, E, and L subway lines serve the 14th Street and Eighth Avenue area, about six blocks from the museum. Bicycle racks are available in front of the building, and Citi Bike stations operate nearby.
The museum’s published regular opening schedule is:
- Monday: 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Thursday: 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Friday: 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
- Saturday: 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Standard admission is currently $30 for adults and $24 for seniors and students. Visitors age 25 and under receive free admission. Whitney members also enter free. The museum recommends checking its official visitor information before traveling because hours, ticket conditions, and special schedules can change.
General museum admission is free during Free Friday Nights from 5–10 p.m. and on the second Sunday of each month. Visitors age 25 and under receive free general admission every day. Advance reservations may still be required or recommended for free-admission periods because capacity is limited.
The ground-floor lobby, Floor 1 gallery, Whitney Shop, and ground-floor food service area can be entered without general museum admission during museum hours.
Accessibility
The museum is accessible by ramp and elevator. An accessible route to the main entrance at 99 Gansevoort Street approaches from Washington Street along the south side of the building. Manual wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Service animals are permitted. Accessibility resources include large-print exhibition labels, assistive listening systems in designated areas, captioning support, a social narrative for visitors on the autism spectrum, and scheduled access programs. Visitors with disabilities currently receive discounted admission, with free admission for one care partner. Additional arrangements and current access information are available through the museum’s official accessibility page.