The Whitney's collection houses more than 23,000 works by American artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. It includes paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, films by Andy Warhol, photographs by Richard Avedon, sculptures by Alexander Calder and more than 3,000 other artists.
The Whitney is more of... Read More
The Whitney's collection houses more than 23,000 works by American artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. It includes paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, films by Andy Warhol, photographs by Richard Avedon, sculptures by Alexander Calder and more than 3,000 other artists.
The Whitney is more of a gallery than a museum: the walls are whitewashed (you might have to squint on a sunny day), art covers almost every square inch of the gallery, and the interior configuration can be changed so no two exhibitions are the same. One could argue that curation is very demanding. So if you're not interested in modern art, you might feel underwhelmed by the experience.
Expect a diverse crowd, from downtown hipsters to fanny pack-wearing tourists. If you value a lot of space and time, you should get there early, otherwise you run the risk of standing on your tiptoes and looking at something over the heads of other museum visitors.
The floors are connected by two artist-designed elevators (albeit slow, crowded ones). If mobility isn't an issue, take the stairs instead, which offer unobstructed views of the Hudson River. The upper floors and sculpture terraces are also connected by a series of outdoor staircases, offering magnificent views of the downtown skyline and a rare opportunity to experience outdoor art.
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