Description
The Whitney collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets 20 th – and 21 st -century art of the United States in global and interdisciplinary contexts. Since its founding in 1930, the Whitney’s permanent collection has grown to 25,000 objects by 3,500 artists, with works in a wide range of media including painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, prints, performance, installation, film, video, and new media. The Whitney is distinctive as a museum created by an artist and dedicated to the support of living artists. Today it organizes ten to twelve exhibitions per year; its signature exhibition, the Biennial, is the country’s only ongoing exhibition series surveying the most recent developments in American art.
The Whitney’s permanent collection was a major catalyst for the museum’s recent relocation and expansion, which yielded more than four times its previous gallery space for permanent collection installations. The Whitney views the presentation of its collection as critical to its overall exhibition program, and to dynamic curatorial thinking around new narratives of American art. With larger galleries and triple its previous visitorship, museum staff have developed a heightened awareness of the role of the collection, and in a 2017 strategic plan have defined a holistic approach to its constitution, care, and presentation.
The Whitney now proposes a rigorous, five-year collection study project aimed at gaining a new understanding of the shape, evolution, impact, and potential future of its permanent collection. The outcomes would include a collection-building plan informed by the Whitney’s history and the goal of making its holdings dynamic and relevant for today and the future. This project would begin with a two and a half year research period that will culminate in the execution of: a formal assessment; a convening with external peers; a set of recommendations; and two innovative exhibitions based on the research findings.
The project team would begin with research into institutional history and current practice to develop an understanding of certain fundamental philosophies: How does the museum define the term “American,” when it has variously been defined? What has defined a “Whitney artist,” whose work is substantially represented and frequently featured? How has the Whitney approached acquiring from living artists, and how have its exhibitions provided opportunities for collection building? What have been key practices in collection installations and exhibitions, and what are the external demands on the collection? How has the collection served audience engagement and institutional mission?
The research phase of the project would result in a functional set of criteria for future acquisitions, with regard to American identity, collection strengths, emerging artist selection, and goals for inclusivity. Based on findings, the criteria would also include recommendations regarding the viability of and potential guidelines for deaccessioning. Additionally, it would make recommendations for increased collection accessibility and information sharing, through exhibitions, scholarship, and a new program plan for the Sondra Gilman Study Center, which houses the museum’s 19,000 works on paper.
In the second phase, the project team would organize two collection-based exhibitions inspired by the findings of the collection analysis and designed to showcase aspects of the research: a case-study would be installed on the eighth floor in 2023; and a broader, thematic exhibition would be presented in the large sixth floor galleries in 2024.
The Whitney’s collection study project and exhibitions have the potential to significantly inform the field at large, as many institutions embark on the process of deep consideration of their collections and current practices, and what their futures could be. The scholarly convening at the end of the research phase would share findings and gain feedback from outside experts while data sets are being assessed and in advance of policy recommendations.
The initiative will be led by David Breslin, director of the collection, and Kim Conaty, curator of drawings and prints. Director Adam Weinberg will oversee the project, along with Scott Rothkopf, senior deputy director and chief curator. Grant funds would support: term curatorial research associate and assistant positions; term archivist and registrar positions; convenings; and costs associated with the two project-related exhibitions.