Like the Guggenheim, the Whitney is set apart by its unique architecture: a gray granite cube with an all-seeing upper-story “eye” window, designed by Marcel Breuer. When Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a sculptor and art patron, opened the museum in 1931, she dedicated it to living American artists. Today, the Whitney holds about 12,000 pieces by nearly 2,000 artists, including Alexander Calder, Willem de Kooning, Edward Hopper (the museum holds his entire estate), Jasper Johns, Louise Nevelson, Georgia O’Keeffe and Claes Oldenburg. Still, the museum’s reputation rests mainly on its temporary shows, particularly the exhibit everyone loves to hate: the Whitney Biennial. Held in even-numbered years, the biennial remains the most prestigious (and controversial) assessment of contemporary art in America. The Whitney’s smaller satellite Altria branch, located in an office building’s atrium space across from Grand Central Terminal in midtown, mounts solo commissioned projects. At the main building, there are free guided tours daily, and live performances on Friday nights. Sarabeth’s, the museum’s café, is open daily till 4:30pm and offers pleasant, homey fare. Other location • Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria, 120 Park Ave at 42nd St (917-663-2453).
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