WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
99 GANSEVOORT STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10014 whitney.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE WHITNEY SEEKS TO BE THE DEFINING MUSEUM OF 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY AMERICAN ART. THE MUSEUM COLLECTS, EXHIBITS, PRESERVES, RESEARCHES AND INTERPRETS ART OF THE U.S. IN THE BROADEST GLOBAL, HISTORICAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTEXTS. AS THE PREEMINENT ADVOCATE FOR AMERICAN ART, WE FOSTER THE WORK OF LIVING ARTISTS AT CRITICAL MOMENTS IN THEIR CAREERS. THE WHITNEY EDUCATES A DIVERSE PUBLIC THROUGH DIRECT INTERACTION WITH ARTISTS, OFTEN BEFORE THEIR WORK HAS ACHIEVED GENERAL ACCEPTANCE.

THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART IS A MUSEUM DEVOTED TO AMERICAN ART OF THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES. IN MAY 2015, THE MUSEUM OPENED A NEW, 210,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN. LOCATED ON GANSEVOORT STREET BETWEEN WEST STREET AND THE HIGH LINE, THE NEW BUILDING, DESIGNED BY PRIZE-WINNING ARCHITECT RENZO PIANO, PROVIDES THE WHITNEY WITH ESSENTIAL NEW SPACE FOR ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION, TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS, PERFORMING ARTS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN ONE OF NEW YORK'S MOST VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS.

COLLECTION AND EXHIBITIONS OF AMERICAN ARTIN FY20, THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART PRESENTED 13 EXHIBITIONS. THESE INCLUDED: SPILLING OVER: PAINTING COLOR IN THE 1960S (MARCH 29 - AUGUST 18, 2019); WHITNEY BIENNIAL 2019 (MAY 17 - SEPTEMBER 22, 2019); THE WHITNEY'S COLLECTION: SELECTIONS FROM 1900 TO 1965 (JUNE 28, 2019 - ONGOING); JASON MORAN (SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 - JANUARY 5, 2020); ORDER AND ORNAMENT: ROY LICHTENSTEIN'S ENTABLATURES (SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 - NOVEMBER 16, 2020); POPE.L: CHOIR (OCTOBER 10, 2019 - MARCH 8, 2020); RACHEL HARRISON LIFE HACK (OCTOBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 12, 2020); ALAN MICHELSON: WOLF NATION (OCTOBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 12, 2020); MAKING KNOWING: CRAFT IN ART, 1950-2019 (NOVEMBER 22, 2019 - ONGOING); FRUITS, VEGETABLES; FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SALAD (JANUARY 15 - FEBRUARY 17, 2020); VIDA AMERICANA: MEXICAN MURALISTS REMAKE AMERICAN ART, 1925-1945 (FEBRUARY 17, 2020 - JANUARY 31, 2021); CAULEEN SMITH: MUTUALITIES (FEBRUARY 17, 2020 - JANUARY 31, 2021); AND AGNES PELTON: DESERT TRANSCENDENTALIST (MARCH 13 - NOVEMBER 1, 2020). A NUMBER OF THESE EXHIBITIONS WERE PAUSED WHEN THE WHITNEY'S GALLERIES TEMPORARILY CLOSED IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 ON MARCH 14, 2020.FY20 PERFORMANCES AT THE MUSEUM INCLUDED A VARIETY OF PROJECTS CONNECTED TO THE WHITNEY BIENNIAL 2019 AND JASON MORAN EXHIBITIONS. FOR WHITNEY BIENNIAL 2019, THESE INCLUDED 6 PERFORMANCE PROJECTS: SAHRA MOTALEBI: DIRECTORY OF PORTRAYALS (JULY 12-13 & 20, 2019); ELLIE GA: THE FORTUNETELLERS (JULY 22, 2019); JERRON HERMAN: MANY WAYS TO RAISE A FIST (JULY 25, 2019); MARCUS FISHER (AUGUST 8-9, 2019); STEFFANI JEMISON WITH GARRETT GRAY: ON SIMILITUDE (SEPTEMBER 13, 2019); AND MADELINE HOLLANDER: OUROBOROS: GS (SEPTEMBER 19, 2019). FOR JASON MORAN, THESE INCLUDED 11 PERFORMANCE PROJECTS: JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: ARCHIE SHEPP (SEPTEMBER 27-28, 2019); KARA WALKER'S KATASTWF KARAVAN WITH JASON MORAN (OCTOBER 12, 2019); JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: FAY VICTOR (OCTOBER 18-19, 2019); JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: OLIVER LAKE (OCTOBER 25-26, 2019); JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: ONYX COLLECTIVE (NOVEMBER 1-2, 2019); JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: JAMIRE WILLIAMS (NOVEMBER 8-9, 2019); JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: CECIL MCBEE (NOVEMBER 15-16, 2019); JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: JOANNE BRACKEEN (NOVEMBER 22-23, 2019); JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: MICHELA MARINO LERMAN'S LOVE MOVEMENT (DECEMBER 6-7, 2019); THE BANDWAGON AT 20 (DECEMBER 19-21, 2019); AND JAZZ ON A HIGH FLOOR IN THE AFTERNOON: TIGER TRIO (JANUARY 3-4, 2020).AN ONGOING SERIES OF OUTDOOR ART SHOWN ACROSS GANSEVOORT STREET FROM THE MUSEUM HAD 2 INSTALLATIONS: A PROJECT IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHITNEY BIENNIAL 2019 (MAY 17, 2019 - MARCH 1, 2020) AND JILL MULLEADY: WE WITHER TIME INTO A COIL OF FRIGHT (MARCH 2, 2020 - JANUARY 24, 2021).THE MUSEUM'S EXHIBITIONS TOURED NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY: MARY CORSE: A SURVEY IN LIGHT (LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART, LOS ANGELES, CA); VANTAGE POINTS: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART (PEORIA RIVERFRONT MUSEUM, PEORIA, IL); ANDY WARHOL - FROM A TO B AND BACK AGAIN (ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO, IL); DAVID WOJNAROWICZ: HISTORY KEEPS ME AWAKE AT NIGHT (MUDAM LUXEMBOURG MUSE D'ART MODERNE GRAND-DUC JEAN, LUXEMBOURG); AND ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG: FIVE DECADES FROM THE WHITNEY'S COLLECTION (NORTON MUSEUM OF ART, WEST PALM BEACH, FL).

CURATORIAL AND RELATED SUPPORTIN FY20, THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART CONTINUED ITS ONGOING STUDY INTO THE MORE THAN 25,000 OBJECTS IN THE COLLECTION BY OVER 3,600 ARTISTS. IN THE FALL OF 2019, THE WHITNEY EMBARKED ON A MULTI-YEAR, CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT TO UNDERSTAND THE ORIGIN, SCOPE, EVOLUTION, USE, AND IMPACT OF THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION. THE PROJECT, WHICH WILL CULMINATE IN THE WHITNEY'S FIRST EVER COLLECTION STRATEGIC PLAN, WILL OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WHITNEY'S COLLECTION THAT IS INFORMED BY THE INSTITUTION'S HISTORY AND ENRICHED BY ITS DESIRE TO MAKE ITS HOLDINGS USEFUL, DYNAMIC, AND RELEVANT FOR TODAY AND THE FUTURE. THE WHITNEY CONTINUES TO REFINE AND EXPERIMENT WITH ITS STRATEGIES FOR DISPLAYING MORE OF THE PERMANENT COLLECTION WITHIN ITS GALLERY SPACES. THE RESULTING COLLECTION DISPLAYS CREATE THEMATIC, ART HISTORICAL CONTEXTS AND COUNTERPOINTS TO THE ONGOING SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS PROGRAM, AND EXPLORE HOW THE INSTITUTION CAN CONTRIBUTE TO NEW NARRATIVES ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE AND HISTORY. RICH DOCUMENTATION OF THESE INSTALLATIONS AND MANY OF THE ARTWORKS WITHIN THEM ALLOWED THESE EXHIBITIONS TO REMAIN SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE-ALBEIT OFFERING A VERY DIFFERENT FORMAT AND EXPERIENCE-WHEN THE WHITNEY HAD TO CLOSE TEMPORARILY DUE TO COVID-19. THE WHITNEY'S ON-SITE PROGRAM WAS PUT ON PAUSE BEGINNING MARCH 14, 2020 AND LASTING THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AS THE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTED RESTRICTIONS TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC. CURATORIAL WORK, LIKE THE REST OF THE INSTITUTION'S EFFORTS, MOVED REMOTE AND ONLINE. WORK WAS ONGOING TO DIGITIZE THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS, A PROJECT THAT IS A CRUCIAL ASPECT OF THE INCREASED SCOPE OF THE CURATORIAL, CONSERVATION, AND RESEARCH RESOURCES TEAMS IN ITS GREATLY ENLARGED FACILITY. THE WHITNEY'S PERMANENT COLLECTION REMAINED ONLINE AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AS A SEARCHABLE RESOURCE AND IS UPDATED REGULARLY AS NEW WORKS ENTER THE COLLECTION. IMPORTANT LIBRARY AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS HOLDINGS ARE KEPT ON SITE, AS WELL AS ABOUT 15,000 WORKS ON PAPER THAT ARE STORED IN THE SONDRA GILMAN STUDY CENTER, FACILITATING ACCESS TO THEM FOR CURATORS AND SCHOLARS. THE SONDRA GILMAN STUDY CENTER SUPPORTS CROSS-MEDIUM, CROSS-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, ALLOWING MUSEUM STAFF, ARTISTS, SCHOLARS, AND RESEARCHERS ACCESS TO THE COLLECTION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR CLOSE MATERIAL AND TECHNICAL EXAMINATION OF OBJECTS. AS SUCH, THE STUDY CENTER IS AN EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE FOR HISTORIANS AND CURATORS OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, MAKING THE WHITNEY'S WORLD-CLASS HOLDINGS AVAILABLE FOR PRIMARY RESEARCH AND IN-DEPTH CONSULTATION. IN FY20, 39 EXTERNAL VISITS WITH 164 UNIQUE EXTERNAL VISITORS (34 OF THOSE BEING REPEAT VISITORS) WERE HELD IN THE STUDY CENTER. 35 APPOINTMENTS (BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL) WERE UNABLE TO BE FULFILLED DUE TO COVID-19. THE MUSEUM'S GOAL IS NOT ONLY TO CONTINUE TO MAKE USE OF ITS LARGE, FLEXIBLE GALLERIES BUT ALSO TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMMING POSSIBILITIES FOR THE OUTDOOR TERRACES, THEATER, BLACK BOX SCREENING SPACE, AND MORE.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE WHITNEY, THIS FISCAL YEAR CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS: BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, AND AFTER. OVER THE YEAR, WE SERVED OVER 35,000 ONSITE VISITORS THROUGH SCHOOL, YOUTH, AND FAMILY PROGRAMS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, AND ACCESS & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, AND AN ADDITIONAL 594,386 VISITORS ONLINE THROUGH DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT WITH INTERPRETIVE CONTENT. 12,978 OF THESE AUDIENCE MEMBERS WERE K-12 STUDENTS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM PARTICIPATED IN THE WHITNEY'S FREE GUIDED VISIT PROGRAM FOR NYC PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS, A FIGURE THAT INCLUDES A TOTAL OF 4,401 STUDENTS SERVED THROUGH ONLINE LESSONS. EDUCATION STAFF WORKED WITHIN AND ACROSS PROGRAM AREAS, BOTH IN PERSON AND ON SCREEN TO PRESENT DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING THAT EXPLORED CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT AMERICAN ART, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY. IN-PERSON WHITNEY EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDED FREE PUBLIC TOURS, GUIDED VISITS FOR SCHOOLS, TEEN PROGRAMS, FAMILY ART WORKSHOPS AND FAMILY DAY PROGRAMS, SIGN LANGUAGE AND VERBAL DESCRIPTION AND TOUCH TOURS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES, AND ONLINE AND MULTIMEDIA EXHIBITION-RELATED CONTENT PRODUCED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MUSEUM'S EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTION DISPLAYS. BEFORE WE TRANSITIONED OUR PROGRAMMING TO THE VIRTUAL SPACE, THE LAURIE M. TISCH EDUCATION CENTER, A DEDICATED SPACE TO ENLIVEN AND ENRICH VISITORS' MUSEUM EXPERIENCE, CONTINUED TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITIES. PROGRAMS OFFERED IN THE EDUCATION CENTER INCLUDED DROP-IN EVENTS, HANDS-ON LEARNING AND IN-DEPTH AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMMING. WE LOOK FORWARD TO RESUMING THESE IN-PERSON PROGRAMS WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.AS NYC CLOSED DOWN TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, THE WHITNEY'S EDUCATION STAFF WERE EARLY TO IDENTIFY THE DISTINCT NEED AND GROWING GAP IN PROVIDING ARTS EDUCATION TO K-12 STUDENTS AND SUPPORT FOR EDUCATORS ACROSS THE CITY. IN RESPONSE, PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO MOVE ONLINE, AND BY THE END OF JUNE, THE WHITNEY CONDUCTED 180 ONLINE CLASSES WITH 71 DIFFERENT K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS NYC. IN ADDITION, WHITNEY EDUCATION TRANSITIONED ALL ITS TEEN YOUTH INSIGHTS COHORTS ONLINE, ALLOWING THE WHITNEY TEENS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER, OUR EDUCATORS, AND ARTISTS, AS WELL AS EXPAND THEIR ARTISTIC PRACTICES FROM HOME.PRIOR TO THE MUSEUM'S TEMPORARY CLOSURE, PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CONTINUED TO PRESENT PROVOCATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL EVENTS THAT ENGAGE AUDIENCES IN CRITICAL DIALOGUES ON ART AND CULTURAL PRODUCTION TODAY. FOR THE RACHEL HARRISON LIFE HACK EXHIBITION, PUBLIC PROGRAMS PRODUCED A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE EXHIBITION AND HARRISON'S PRACTICE, WITH PANELISTS THAT INCLUDED ARTISTS PAUL CHAN AND RICHARD HAWKINS, WRITERS OTESSA MOSHFEGH AND LAURA COTTINGHAM, AND ART HISTORIAN ALEX KITNICK. PUBLIC PROGRAMS PRODUCED SEVERAL PERFORMANCES IN FY20, INCLUDING ELLIE GA: THE FORTUNETELLERS; AND A SONIC PERFORMANCE FROM MARCUS FISCHER. IN ADDITION TO A ROBUST SELECTION OF EXHIBITION-RELATED EVENTS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS DEVELOPED PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHTING WHITNEY COLLECTION ARTISTS SUCH AS ALEXANDER CALDER, TIONA NEKKIA MCCLODDEN, AND HENRY KOERNER. FY20 MARKS THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF THE ANNUAL WALTER ANNENBERG LECTURE, WHICH HONORED JASON MORAN.WITH THE WHITNEY'S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TRANSITIONING TO REMOTE LEARNING IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, THE PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM ALSO RAPIDLY DEVELOPED A NEW ROSTER OF PROGRAMS TO BOTH ENGAGE THE WHITNEY'S WORLD-CLASS COLLECTION OF AMERICAN ART AND TO REACH THE DIVERSE AUDIENCE THAT TYPICALLY VISITS THE MUSEUM. THE PUBLIC PROGRAMS TEAM, IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR INTERPRETATION TEAM CREATED "ART HISTORY FROM HOME," A SERIES OF ONLINE TALKS BY JOAN TISCH TEACHING FELLOWS THAT HIGHLIGHTS WORKS IN THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION AND RECENT EXHIBITIONS TO ILLUMINATE CRITICAL TOPICS IN AMERICAN ART FROM 1900 TO THE PRESENT. IN ADDITION, PUBLIC PROGRAMS WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF OUR FREELANCE EDUCATORS TO PILOT AND SUSTAIN "ARTMAKING FROM HOME," A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS DESIGNED FOR ALL AGES THAT ALLOWS PARTICIPANTS TO EXPERIMENT WITH ORDINARY MATERIALS IN NEW AND CREATIVE WAYS. FAMILY PROGRAMS ADDED TO THE ARTMAKING OFFERINGS WITH THE "WHITNEY KIDS ART CHALLENGE," WHICH BEGAN IN APRIL. THIS ONGOING ARTMAKING SERIES DESIGNED FOR KIDS AND GROWNUPS TO DO TOGETHER WITH MATERIALS EASILY FOUND IN THE HOME IS BASED ON WORKS IN THE WHITNEY'S PERMANENT COLLECTION.IN FY20, THE DEPARTMENT OFFERED ITS SECOND ANNUAL ART COLLEGE NIGHT FOR NYC TEENS, THIS TIME ON ZOOM, IN WHICH REPRESENTATIVES FROM COLLEGES IN THE NEW YORK AREA GAVE INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING TIPS, AND MUCH MORE.WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY FOR DISABLED AND NON-DISABLED VISITORS OF ALL AGES BY DEVELOPING "AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE VLOGS," RUNNING "VERBAL DESCRIPTION TOURS," "FAMILY FUN FOR KIDS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, AND "WHITNEY SIGNS" BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE. FOUR SPECIAL ACCESS EVENTS WERE PROGRAMMED BEFORE THE MUSEUM'S SHUTDOWN. THE MUSEUM ALSO LOOKED AHEAD TO THE FORTHCOMING INSTALLATION OF DAVID HAMMONS'S DAY'S END, A PUBLIC ART PROJECT THAT WILL BE LOCATED IN HUDSON RIVER PARK ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF GANSEVOORT PENINSULA DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE MUSEUM. IN FY20, THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO BUILD OUT A VARIETY OF DIGITAL INTERPRETATIVE MATERIALS RELATED TO DAY'S END AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FREE-OF-CHARGE ON-SITE AND ONLINE. THESE MATERIALS INCLUDE NEW AUDIO AND VIDEO CONTENT INTRODUCING DAVID HAMMONS, GORDON MATTA-CLARK, AND THE HISTORY OF THE GANSEVOORT PENINSULA OVER THE CENTURIES, THEMATIC NEIGHBORHOOD WALKING TOURS WITH DIFFERENT THEMES, AN ORAL HISTORY PROJECT THAT IS COLLECTING AND PRESERVING LOCAL STORIES, INDIGENOUS SITE RESEARCH, AND AN ONLINE HUB THAT WILL OFFER A DEEPER DIVE INTO HAMMONS'S ARTWORK AND THE HISTORIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.AS "THE ARTIST'S MUSEUM," ARTIST COLLABORATIONS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S WORK. PRIOR TO THE MUSEUM'S SHUTDOWN, WHITNEY EDUCATION HOSTED GREENWICH HOUSE POTTERY FOR A WEEKLONG ARTIST RESIDENCY INSPIRED BY THE MAKING KNOWING EXHIBITION. WE WERE PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO CONNECT FURTHER WITH A MEMBER OF THE WHITNEY'S EXTENDED COMMUNITY: GREENWICH HOUSE, WHICH OPENED IN 1909 WITH SUPPORT FROM MUSEUM FOUNDER GERTRUDE VANDERBILT WHITNEY. GREENWICH HOUSE IS A FOUNDING PARTICIPANT IN THE WHITNEY EDUCATION COMMUNITY ADVISORY NETWORK (WECAN). ADDITIONAL ARTIST COLLABORATIONS INCLUDED: PAUL CHAN, MARCUS FISCHER, ELLIE GA, RICHARD HAWKINS, JERRON HERMAN, KAHLIL ROBERT IRVING, TOMASHI JACKSON, JASON MORAN, LAUREN RIDLOFF, AND MORE.FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHITNEY EDUCATION, PLEASE VISIT WHITNEY.ORG/EDUCATION.

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