Sunrise

Sunset

A 30-second online art project:

Peter Burr, Sunshine Monument

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FAQ


Museum History

How do I find out more information about the Museum’s founder, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and her family?
A brief history of the Museum can be found on this site. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney: A Biography (1978), written by B.H. Friedman, Rebels on Eighth Street: Juliana Force and the Whitney Museum of American Art (1990), by Avis Berman, and The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made: A Family Memoir (1999), by Flora Miller Biddle, are important books that document her life and family. Gertrude’s personal papers are held by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC.

Where was the original Whitney Museum of American Art located?
The original Museum opened in 1931 at 10 West 8th Street, New York. In 1954, the Museum relocated to 22 West 54th Street. From 1966 until October 2014, the Whitney was located at 945 Madison Avenue in its Marcel Breuer–designed building. The new Whitney opened at 99 Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District on May 1, 2015.


Permanent Collection and Exhibitions

What kind of works will I find at the Whitney? 
The Whitney collects and exhibits American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Our galleries feature a rotation of work from the permanent collection and  a changing series of exhibitions. 

How can I find out about the Whitney’s collection?
View the Collection pages. There are also numerous publications that picture and describe the collection, which are available for purchase at the Museum Shop.

Is there a list of collection works presently on view at the Museum?
A comprehensive list of works on view is available here. In addition, works displayed on the Collection pages are flagged if they are on view at the Museum.

How do I find out about a specific work in the Whitney’s collection?
All questions regarding the collection should be sent to research@whitney.org.

How can I view a work in the Whitney's collection that is not on view?
For works that are on paper, please contact the Sondra Gilman Study Center at studycenter@whitney.org. For all other requests, please contact artappointment@whitney.org.

How can an institution request a loan from the Whitney's collection?
See Guidelines for Requesting Loans for an overview on our loan policy.

Where can I find a copy of the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Collection Management Policy?
See the Collections Management Policy.

Where can I find out about past exhibitions?
Information on hundreds of past exhibitions are included in the exhibition archive. For more information on exhibitions held at the Whitney, you may consult the Exhibition Records Finding Aid, which covers shows at the Museum from 1931–2000.

Where can I find information regarding rights to reproduce works in the Whitney’s collection?
Please view the Rights & Reproductions page.

How can I let the Whitney Museum's curatorial staff know about my artwork?
If you would like the curatorial staff to learn more about your work, please feel free to send written materials and reproductions only. We cannot accept original works of art. Due to the volume of correspondence we receive, we may not be able to respond directly to each and every submission and we cannot assume responsibility for or guarantee the return of any materials that are submitted.

Materials may be sent to: Curatorial Department, Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York NY 10014.

Can I submit materials for consideration for the Biennial?
No, the Biennial is a curated exhibition, and thus there is no formal submission process.

How do I donate or see if the Museum is interested in purchasing works of art from my collection?
In order for the Museum to consider the work, please send a letter indicating your intention to offer the work as a gift or for sale, along with a reproduction of the piece, and detailed object information (artist, artist's dates, title, work date, process, dimensions, edition number, insurance value, and preferred donor credit information for the gift). We try to respond to every offer but due to the volume of correspondence we receive, it may not be possible to respond to each and every sale submission.

Please send your letter to the Curator of the Permanent Collection, Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York NY 10014.


Research

How can I learn about an artist in the Whitney’s collection?
For general information about a contemporary artist, we recommend you begin research in your local public library, where you will find indexes to artists, current periodical publications, encyclopedias, and other general sources of art history. You may also find information in periodical articles and such publications as dissertations and anthologies. Libraries collect ephemeral materials and place them in folders called pamphlet, vertical, or artist files. These files contain small brochures, press releases, magazines, and newspaper clippings.

The New York Public Library offers a free research service, Ask Librarians Online or call (212) 340-0871. Many public and museum library collections contain books about contemporary art and artists. Search online catalogues of the Whitney, MoMA, The Met, and the New York Public Library.

Finally, there are numerous web resources that one can search to find information about contemporary artists. Sites such as artnet, askART, Artforum, and ARTnews provide information about artists, exhibitions, and current events in the art world.

How can I learn about an artist or a work in the Whitney's collection?
We recommend you begin your research by visiting the Whitney’s Collection Online. The Whitney’s collection includes over 22,000 works created by more than 3,000 artists in the United States during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

For more information on a Whitney exhibition or a specific work in the collection, please contact research@whitney.org

How can I conduct research at the Whitney?
The Frances Mulhall Achilles Library at the Whitney Museum of American Art contains a comprehensive research collection in the field of twentieth-century and contemporary American art. Our research collections include books, periodicals, archival material, artist files, and special collections that are accessible to the public by appointment.

Please visit the library section of our website for a comprehensive overview of our holdings and instructions for scheduling an appointment.

Who can use the Museum Library?
It is available, by appointment only, for research on the Museum’s history and exhibitions and study of American art history by collectors, art historians, graduate students, staff of other museums, art galleries, and scholars. Before making an appointment, researchers are encouraged to search the Library online catalogue, WhitneyCat. Please email your request to library@whitney.org to schedule an appointment.

Is it possible to contact artists through the Whitney?
The Whitney does not release artists’ personal information. Artists should be contacted through their galleries.

How do I contact the owner of a specific Edward Hopper work of art?
We suggest you read Edward Hopper: A Catalogue Raisonné (1995) by Gail Levin published by the Whitney in association with W.W. Norton & Company. Owners are listed beneath each entry for oil paintings, watercolors, and illustrations. The Museum does not provide addresses of private collectors.

How can I order a book published by the Whitney?
Visit the online Museum Shop or call (212) 570-3614.

Where would I go to have a work of art restored?
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works at (202) 452-9545, guides collectors on how to find and choose qualified conservators in their particular area of the country.

How can I find out the value of a work of art, its provenance, or its attribution?
Below is a list of organizations that help people with questions about value, provenance, or attribution of works of art (select artist-specific foundations and catalogue raisonné committees may also offer authentications):

International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR)
500 Fifth Avenue, Suite 935
New York, NY 10110
(212) 391-6234

Telepraisal
316 East 3rd Street
New York, NY 10009
(800) 645-6002

American Society of Appraisers
P.O. Box 17625
Washington, D.C., 20041
(800) ASA-VALU

Appraisers Association of America, Inc.
212 West 35th Street
11th Floor South, New York, NY 10001
(212) 889-5404 x 10 or referrals@appraisersassociation.org

Art Dealers Association of America
575 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 940-8590

The Whitney does not provide authentications or appraisals to third parties concerning works of art.  As part of the Museum’s educational mission, curators and conservators may discuss general matters of connoisseurship, such as relative importance, quality, and condition ("Connoisseurship Information"). To the extent any third parties obtain Connoisseurship Information, they acknowledge and understand that it may not be relied upon, and neither the Whitney nor its staff have any liability arising from its use.


MISCELLANEOUS

How can I find out about employment opportunities at the Whitney?
View the job postings page.

Can I rent space in the Museum for a private event or photo shoot?
Entertaining at the Whitney includes Corporate Events and Social Events. Entertaining is exclusive to Corporate Members and Individual Leadership Donors and is not available to the general public. All Events are subject to the Whitney’s Entertaining Policies and the terms and conditions outlined in the Special Event Terms and Conditions.

Commercial Filming and Photography includes movie productions, television productions, documentaries, product or promotional campaigns and non-exhibition related campaigns and editorial content. Commercial Filming and Photography is subject to the Whitney’s Filming and Photography Policies and the terms and conditions in the Museum’s Location Agreement.

For more information about Entertaining or Commercial Filming and Photography please contact filming@whitney.org

All editorial film and photo shoot requests must be directed to the Press Office. Editorial shoots that center on current and upcoming exhibitions and the Museum’s collection and programs will be given priority. Your request should include a brief description of the proposed shoot, proposed dates and times, the desired museum spaces or exhibits, and an estimate of the size of the crew. Film and photography shoots must comply with the Museum’s Photo Guidelines and may require the completion of a Location Agreement.

Personal, non-commercial photography is permitted in public areas and in the Museum’s Permanent Collection galleries only. The use of a flash, tripod, or other professional equipment is not permitted. 

If you would like to obtain Whitney-owned images, or other materials (video, audio, text), for commercial purposes please visit the Images and Permissions page for instructions and contact information. To obtain materials for research or archival purposes, contact licensing@whitney.org. This includes requests for works in the Whitney’s Permanent Collection, archival materials, and installation images from past exhibitions. To request images of current or upcoming exhibition, please contact the Press Office