In the early 20th century the art world was heavily biased towards European art and older classics. The philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney wasn't having it. She started her own museum devoted to living American artists. It's prospered ever since, becoming a touchstone of artistic achievement of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Book Whitney Museum tickets and prepare yourself for an unparalleled voyage into American contemporary art.
Still devoted to American art, the Whitney houses 21,000 works by 3,000 artists across many media. You’ll find paintings, sculptures, drawings, videos, photography, and new media. We’re not saying you’ll get to feast your eyes on each and every piece, but you will get an insight into how American creative genius has manifested itself from 1900 to today.
Andy Warhol might be the most iconic name among the artists featured, but you’ll also get to meet other 20th-century titans such as Jasper Johns, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Edward Hopper.
In addition to the visionaries of the recent past, the Whitney is still very much dedicated to championing the new. Every two years the Whitney Biennial features the work of young up-and-coming American artists.
Like most New Yorkers, the Whitney has moved around the city a lot. Its most recent move was in 2015 to a new Downtown building designed by Renzo Piano. The new building gives the Whitney more space than ever to showcase its massive collection of modern and contemporary American art.
Located on the West side of Manhattan in the Meatpacking district, the Whitney Museum of American Art right off the High Line is the place you’ll meet American genius of the now.
