In this article we will give you information about the Whitney Museum of American Art, whose new headquarters, inaugurated on May 1, 2015, has been designed by the great Italian architect Renzo Piano and is located just in the beginning from the High Line, on Gansevoort Street.
Undoubtedly, the Whitney Museum is a mandatory stop for all lovers of 20th century American art, and especially for followers of Edward Hopper, who has the largest collection of works by this author in the world.
Whitney Museum History
The museum was born from the work of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in favor of American artists of the early twentieth century, who faced enormous obstacles and it was almost impossible for them to exhibit or sell their work in the United States. Mrs. Whitney became patrons of many of them and began buying and exhibiting their work from 1907 until her death in 1942.
In 1914 Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney founded the Whitney Studio in Greenwich Village, where she began exhibiting American artists.
In 1929 he already owns more than 500 works by contemporary American artists, which he offers to the Metropolitan Museum as a donation and which are rejected by it.
This rejection causes that in 1930 he founded his own museum and the Whitney Museum opened its doors in 1931 in its original location in Greenwich Village, oriented exclusively to American art.
The new museum soon became too small, and was expanded by moving it in 1954 to West 54th Street.
In 1966 he bought a building designed by Marcel Breuer on Madison Avenue and this is the museum's headquarters until 2015. Currently, this building is the headquarters of the Met Breuer.
In 2015 the museum moved to its current location at 99 Gansevoort Street, where in addition to being able to enjoy the museum's exhibition, we can contemplate a spectacular view of New York from its upper terraces.
The new museum building has been designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano.
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| Entrance to the Whitney Museum |
Just below we find the High Line park, so it is a very good idea to visit the museum and then go for a walk around this park.
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| Views from the upper terraces, with the High Line below |
The Museum Collection
The museum currently has the largest collection of 20th and 21st century American art in the world with more than 22,000 works created by some 3,000 artists.
Its extensive collection includes works by Peggy Bacon, George Bellows, Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Mabel Dwight, Edward Hopper, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Reginald Marsh, and John Sloan, which were part of the museum's initial collection.
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| Visiting the exhibition |
In addition, it also has works by artists of the stature of Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe or Keith Haring, and contains the best set of works by Edward Hopper in the world, since the artist himself donated a large part of them to the museum at his death.
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| Whitney Museum interior |
Whitney Museum Hours
Sunday to Thursday: From 10:30 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon
Friday and Saturday: From 10:30 in the morning to 10 at night
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| Whitney Museum Terraces |
Rates (year 2021)
Adults: $ 25.
Senior / Student: $ 18
Under 18s: Free
NOTE: On Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. the will is paid, and in all cases it is necessary to get your ticket in advance to be able to enter at the time assigned to you.
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| Views from the terraces of the Whitney Museum |
Tourist Cards
The Whitney Museum of American Art is included in the New York Pass, Sightseeing Pass and Go New York tourist cards.
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| Whitney Museum of American Art |
How to get to the Museum?
Subway: Lines A, C, E and L (14th St)
More information about the Whitney museum
For more information on the Whitney Museum of American Art, reservation of time and advance purchase of tickets, I recommend you visit the museum's official website.