Whitney Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Whitney Museum of American Art

The front of the museum (2019)
Established	1930 (1930)
Location	99 Gansevoort Street, Lower Manhattan, New York City
Type	Art museum
Visitors	768,000 (2023)
Founder	Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
Architect	Renzo Piano
Public transit access	Subway: ​ at 14th Street – Eighth Avenue Bus: M11, M12, M14A, M14D

The Whitney Museum of American Art, often called "The Whitney", is a famous art museum in New York City. It focuses on modern and contemporary American art. The museum is located in the Meatpacking District and West Village areas of Manhattan.

A talented sculptor and art lover named Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942) started the museum in 1930. The museum is named after her. The Whitney collects and saves American art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Its collection has over 25,000 artworks by more than 3,500 artists. These artworks include paintings, sculptures, drawings, photos, films, and videos. The museum especially likes to show art by artists who are still alive today.

From 1966 to 2014, the Whitney was on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It moved to its current building in 2015. This new building was designed by Renzo Piano and has much more space for art. In 2023, about 768,000 people visited the Whitney. This made it one of the most visited museums in the United States.

The museum also holds the Whitney Biennial. This is a special art show that happens every two years. It features new and exciting American artists. It is known as one of the most important shows for modern art in the U.S. The Whitney also has a program called the Independent Study Program. It helps young artists, art critics, and art historians learn and grow.

History of the Whitney Museum

How the Museum Started

The Whitney's first home in Greenwich Village

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the museum, was a well-known sculptor. She loved collecting art. She started buying art in 1905. She also ran art spaces called the Whitney Studio and Whitney Studio Club. These places helped new and unusual American artists show their work. Whitney especially liked artists from the Ashcan School like John French Sloan and Edward Hopper.

By 1929, Whitney had collected almost 700 American artworks. She offered to give over 500 of them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But that museum said no to her gift. Also, the new Museum of Modern Art seemed to prefer European art. Because of this, Gertrude Whitney decided to open her own museum. It would be just for American art.

The Whitney Museum of American Art opened in 1931. It was located in three old houses on West 8th Street in Greenwich Village. One of these houses used to be the Studio Club. Juliana Force became the museum's first director. She made sure the museum focused on showing art by new American artists.

In 1954, the museum moved to a smaller building on 54th Street. This building was connected to the Museum of Modern Art.

Moving to the Upper East Side

945 Madison Avenue was the Whitney's home from 1966 to 2014.

In 1961, the Whitney started looking for a bigger place. In 1966, it moved to a new building on Madison Avenue and 75th Street. This building was designed by Marcel Breuer. It looked very modern and stood out from other buildings. It had a unique staircase front made of granite.

For many years, the museum needed more space. It tried to expand its building several times. But these plans were always stopped because of the high cost or design issues. The museum also opened smaller branches in other parts of New York City. These branches helped show art to more people.

Moving Downtown

Entrance to the Whitney via the High Line

The current home of the Whitney, designed by Renzo Piano

The Whitney decided to build a brand new main museum. It was designed by Renzo Piano. The new location is in the West Village and Meatpacking District in lower Manhattan. It is right at the start of the High Line park. Building started in 2010 and finished in 2015. It cost $422 million.

The new building is very large, with eight floors. It has huge art galleries without columns, a learning center, a theater, and a library. Two floors are just for the museum's permanent art collection. There are also outdoor observation decks on floors five through eight. These decks are connected by an outdoor staircase. They offer great views of the city and the Hudson River.

The new building officially opened on May 1, 2015. Important people like Michelle Obama were there for the opening.

Art Collection

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney by Robert Henri (1916)

The Whitney Museum shows many kinds of art. This includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, video, and photography.

When the museum first opened, it had about 600 artworks. This grew to 1,300 by 1954. Today, the collection has more than 25,000 artworks. These pieces are by over 3,500 artists. The art covers a period from the late 19th century to today. Some famous artists in the collection include Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock.

Every two years, the museum hosts the Whitney Biennial. This is a big art show that features many new and lesser-known artists. It has shown some very unique works over the years. For example, in 1976, it even featured live body builders, including Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Whitney also has a special website called Artport. It shows "Net Art," which is art created for the internet. The museum has a rule: it will not sell any art by a living artist. This is to protect the artist's career.

Gallery of Artworks

Library and Research

The Frances Mulhall Achilles Library is a special research library at the Whitney. It started with the books and papers of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. It also has items from Juliana Force, the museum's first director. The library is a great place to learn about American art.

It has special collections like artists' books and photographs. The library also keeps the museum's old records. These records include details about past exhibitions, photos, and letters from artists.

Important Collections:

• Arshile Gorky research collection (1920s–1990s)
• Edward Hopper research collection (1894–2000)

You can find books and materials from the library using the museum's online database.

Independent Study Program

The Whitney Independent Study Program (ISP) began in 1968. It helps talented young artists, critics, and art historians. Many famous people have been part of this program. These include artist Jenny Holzer and film director Kathryn Bigelow.

Each year, the ISP chooses students for different programs:

• 14 students for the Studio Program (artists)
• 4 for the Curatorial Program (people who organize art shows)
• 6 for the Critical Studies Program (researchers who study art)

It's a one-year program where students learn from visiting artists and experts. They also read important art theories.

Notable Alumni

Many successful people have completed the Whitney Independent Study Program. Here are some of them:

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Museum Leadership

Funding the Museum

The Whitney Museum gets money from an endowment fund. This fund helps pay for the museum's yearly costs. The museum also depends on donations from art collectors and other supporters. In 2008, Leonard A. Lauder gave the museum $131 million. This was the largest donation in the Whitney's history.

Museum Directors

The current director of the Whitney Museum is Scott Rothkopf. He became director in 2023. Other past directors include Adam D. Weinberg (2003–2023) and Juliana Force (1931–1948).

Board of Trustees

For many years, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney paid for the museum herself. Her daughter, Flora Whitney Miller, continued this support. Until 1961, the museum's board was mostly made up of family members. Later, the museum added other people to its board. This helped the museum get more support from outside.

See also

In Spanish: Museo Whitney de Arte Estadounidense para niños

• Whitney Museum of American Art (original building)
• List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City
• List of Whitney Biennial artists
• Whitney Biennial