Whitney Museum of American Art

10/22/2014

Have been living in NYC all my life and never visited the Whitney Museum before. Probably because it's all the way up on the UES. But I LOVED IT & all the weird modern art that's inside. It reminded me a lot of the MoMa or the Pompidou in Paris.

I went for the Jeff Koons exhibit on a "pay as you wish" Friday night. The line stretched around the block when I arrived at 530pm. The line moved rather quickly, got in around 615pm. No backpacks are allowed but there is a complimentary bag check. There's five levels of very unique artwork. From the differently shaped glass mirrors to the women in tub, there's something for everyone. The yellow balloon dog is up on the third floor. The place was pretty packed. Maybe it would be best to go early in the morning. Took about an hour or so to go thru all the floors.

Definitely a good museum to visit.

10/7/2014

The Whitney feels like MoMA's younger, more manageable cousin.  There are pieces in the permanent collection from well-known American artists on the 5th floor - Edward Hopper, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns.

But the real reason to visit the Whitney *NOW* is the Jeff Koons retrospective.  There are four full floors devoted to his work.  So even if you've been to the Whitney before, you'll be seeing something new.

Disclaimer: I've been a Jeff Koons fan for years.  So when the elevator doors opened onto the 4th floor's 'Celebration' I had an overwhelming impulse to act like a kid in a candy store and run around squealing "shiny! shiny! shiny!" and touching everything.  The security guards can thank me for my supreme will power and ability to act like an adult.  

The museum offers free guided tours on different floors of the Koons exhibition.  If you have time, I recommend going on one as it enhances the experience.  The art is arranged chronologically and by collection.  We started with the newest collection and worked our way backwards, but I think Koons' growth as an artist is better appreciated by starting with his first works on the lower floors and then working your way up.  

For those on a budget, the Whitney offers free admission on Friday nights.  Also, don't forget to pick-up your free audio guide when you enter.

Parental Warning: you might know Koons for his giant balloon animal sculptures, but this exhibition is not for the knee-biters.  Unless you're looking for a way to bring up the topic of sexuality in art and the role of tacky 80's lingerie with the kids.

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  An Edward Hopper

  An Edward Hopper

10/6/2014

**Free entrance for non-students - 1st weekend of every month with Bank of America card - just flash it to the cashier!**

So the Jeff Koons exhibit was interesting, very interesting, but interesting because I just don't get art.  Some of the hand-painted artifacts were actually very cool, but staring at old Hoover vacuums and basketballs suspended in water - I guess I just don't get art.  

Three stars not because I don't understand art, but because I waited in a line for 40 minutes to get into a museum that had me in and out within half the time.  We even read most of the commentary.  If you had to pick a couple museums to pay for (voluntary, not involuntary, as the Whitney is) - go to the Met.  Go to the Museum of Natural History.  Moma costs a little more, but that one is worth going to as well.

As others might have mentioned, DO take the stairs.  Do NOT take the elevator - it takes forever and a couple girls almost got into some sort of altercation because one girl wouldn't move out of the way.  Come on people.

8/4/2014

Came here on a whim during my trip to NYC, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My group and I initially came to just get some brunch at Untitled, which is the restaurant in there. We decided to check out the museum afterwards also since it was a Jeff Koons exhibit, and we were all interested in seeing some of his work since we've all seen his stuff around many times before. I don't know much about modern/post-modern and contemporary art, but I did find myself interested in a lot of the art. Okay, maybe I was really confused about why some stuff was considered "art," but it was still interesting to read about the stories behind the pieces.

The Whitney is very nicely organized and structured. It's not overwhelming, and it's not hard to guide yourself from room to room and floor to floor. Really engaging actually. The Jeff Koons exhibit is very interesting, and we got to learn a lot about him as an artist and an individual from his art pieces and the commentaries provided about the pieces. The security is pretty hardcore in the museum in my opinion. They watch you like a hawk and will not hesitate to warn you not to step over the boundaries of the pieces even when you're just closely behind the taped lines.

Definitely check this place out if you are in the area. It took us I'd say a little over an hour to check out all five floors, but we are not educated in the arts so most of the time, we were strolling by and reading. The Whitney is less crowded than the MoMA and the Met so it was a nice chance to be able to check out everything without having a hoard of people around you.

7/6/2014

Having only visited once, I can only comment on the space.

I appreciate the stairs, they are short, accessible and much more time efficient than the elevators.

6 floors plus basement is a more manageable size than the Moma. We could quickly view each floor without getting lost.

I really appreciate the leather seating at the basement level for weary museum goers to rest. Especially if you sprinted through 6 floors of exhibits.

And the Untitled farm-to-table cafe seems like an appealing and delicious concept. Brooklyn sourced foodstuffs such as Stumptown coffee, and 4 & 20 blackbirds? Yes please!

As for the exhibit:

Jeff Koons is amazing. I have been a fan of Jeff Koons since his balloon animals days. I love how he can turn stiff materials such as concrete and transform said material into child hood playthings that look soft. Such his Play Doh pile.
Go see his exhibit before time runs out!

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• See all photos from Doreen L. for Whitney Museum of American Art

7/17/2014

This museum needs to be upgraded big-time the most distracting is the ceiling which is a checkered cement block pattern, distracting to the art, sculptures, and the vibe expressed in each room.
I paid $20 for the exhibit which was arranged and five floors the staff are very kind and the art books are numerous. There is a restaurant on the bottom floor which I did not have time to try this place is definitely kid friendly!

4/10/2014

The Whitney Museum features paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos, and new media by US artists during the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly living artists.  One of my favorite parts of Whitney was the giant's bird nest by the entrance :D  I'm a huge Edward Hopper fan, so seeing some of his work was amazing; Calder's 'Calder's Circus' is a miniature piece that was pretty neat to see; Man Ray''s 'La Fortune' was lovely, and Ray's 'Puzzle Bottle' of a self-portrait of the artist in a glass bottle (one of the museum's prized possessions) was cool.  A nice museum to check out if you';re in this part of town. :D

+Edward Hopper :D

9/28/2014

Museum date to see Jeff Koons exhibition and his work did not disappoint us. We dropped by early afternoon on a Friday so the museum was relatively quiet and not congested. It gave us the opportunity to analysis each piece while taking pictures with minimal wait and rush. There were so many interesting pieces to look at ... of course like many had mentioned, some of them are definitely not children friendly. We walked around for hours to the point where the crowd that waited for 6-9p came in. Seeing how packed it was going to be, I was glad we came early and had paid for it.

If you haven't seen Jeff Koons work at the Whitney Museum yet, I recommend coming in to check it out before time runs out.

10/4/2014

This is a small museum; much smaller than MoMA and of course, the Met. I was impressed by Jeff Koons' balloon animals and giant play-doh inside the wide open space. We just took the elevator to the 4th floor (there are 6 floors but Jeff Koons' exhibits only went up to 4) and walked down the stairs as we finished with each floor.

What I REALLY liked was that unlike the MoMA, the descriptions actually helped me understand the artist and his work. I've always felt that museums usually try to make their descriptions as vague as possible to allow for interpretation and creativity. But really though, I just want to know why this dude painted/sculpted/made this thing they call art.

I would come back if they had another unique exhibit again.

9/19/2014

I see myself as a crayon... I may not be your favorite color...but I know someday... you will need me to complete your picture....

My friend is a art major.... and she loves this museum and insets I check it out with her..So I did...it was pretty interesting

Some of the most interesting arts i ever seen ....most unusual gallery i ever been too...deffenlty go check it out... located in mahatten... lots of designer boutiques near the musume....contemporary art scene...love it! Weekends are crowed try to avoide that and come here on the weekdays! Enjoy!

7/25/2014

The Whitney is a great museum if you love contemporary art! There's 6 floors and a small mezzanine and we were able to enjoy the museum in about 2-3 hours. Flow of the exhibits made it easy to walk around and get to the exits. I recently went for the  Jeff Koons exhibit, which I found really engaging. There's 5 floors dedicated to his work and it was really fun to view. We waited on line for about 10 minutes (this was before the pay as like admission though). When we left, there was a line around the corner for the pay as you like admission (valid Fridays 6-9), but the line seemed to move quickly. When we went in though at around 5pm, there was already a separate line formed for the 6pm pay as you like admission.

The security guards are very on top of making sure you don't even go an inch near the artwork. I saw them telling many people who were taking photos with sculptures to back away. It's sort of intimidating but for a good cause. There are places to rest even in the stairways which I appreciate because 2-3 hours of museum walking can get tiring. There's also a resting station on the first and basement floors.

Artwork was beautifully exhibited. Lighting was standard gallery brightness. Noise level was conversational, which I liked. It wasn't super quiet and we were able to have conversation without being looked at like we were committing a crime. Admission is a steep $20 for adults! There are some free tours though--be on the look out for those!

10/5/2014

This is one of my favorite modern art exhibits. I've been to the Moma and New Museum before, but the Whitney definitely is one of the best in presentation and organization. A ticket and ID will secure a complimentary audio to give you the full experience and understanding of the complexity of the art. The Whitney will have you coming back as well because they have temporary exhibitions for a limited time.

I came here for the Jeff Koons exhibit and I couldn't stop talking about it ever since. Please be aware that some content are not appropriate for children, so you might want to keep them home for this one. It is not just friendly balloon animals and a gigantic pile of play-doh. There are graphics and even more graphical explanations to his art. Nonetheless, it was still an amazing exhibit!

Also, don't forget your student ID. If you have an NYU ID, you can gain free admission for you and your guest.

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  Use your imagination

  Use your imagination
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  The yellow balloon dog

  The yellow balloon dog

8/12/2014

Came here on a Sunday afternoon.  SO crowded ugh.  People children everywhere... It was $16 for student, so I'm glad I didn't have to pay like 20 something dollars for such a small gallery.

Jeff Koons art was pretty cool, but I just didn't understand most of it... apologies I'm an art noob.  The sculptures were amazing considering the materials.  BUT why are there children looking at Koons' art, especially the erotic ones? haha disturbing......

Probably won't come back here again...unless it's FREE. :D

8/11/2014

This rating was hard to decide on.  I liked all of the art and especially the Jeff Koons exhibit. There is a great selection and I'm excited for their new space to open in the meat packing district.

My grip with this museum was the absurdly long line, the miserable crowds, and there were way too many children.  

Yes - culture your children but lets be honest, your two-year-old really could care less about Koons.  They will mostly cry and flop all over the place echoing and making the experience miserable for everyone.

I recommend going very early so zip through the galleries' and get out before the post brunch crowd arrives.

Hopfully the new space will help the issues above but until then Whitney Museum, you haven't captured my heart.

8/16/2014

I came here on a date for the Koons exhibit.  The Koons exhibit was the first museum exhibit that has ever shocked me and I have been to nearly all the museums in Manhattan at one point or another.

There were kids and babies all around and some of the artwork was disturbed or pornographic, but fortunately the kids in the museum seemed oblivious to it.  I'm talking like sculptures of naked children, a Michael Jackson sculpture of him with a monkey on his lap, a pink panther hugging a topless mermaid sculpture, topless playboy bunny photos, and a whole room full of huge pictures of a man and woman having sex in different positions with their genitalia on full display.  I'm talking like X-rated stuff and there were children running around.  This was interspersed with innocent balloon animal displays and blown up bunnies and flowers and multi color clay crayon-like sculptures.  For shock factor, this museum got me.

This is apparently the first time the Whitney, which is moving downtown next Spring, has just showcased one artist chronologically so you got a real sense of his progression from simple stuff early on in his career, to the sculptures that seemed to have been made while in a drug induced stage, to his pornographic photo art period, to the madness at the end where he did paintings and then slashed them with red paint steaks.

In that sense it was interesting as you got a real sense of one artist's journey in his career, but be forewarned that the art ranges from utter innocence to absolute depravity.  The juxtaposition is what is shocking and if that was the artist's intent, then he succeeded (if not inadvertently exceeded) in what he was trying to achieve because there were children running around in that museum and innocently having their moms take their pictures with pornography behind them in the background (the real life juxtaposition that mirrored his artwork that shocked me even more).

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  Koons' innocent artwork early-on in his career. I could not bring myself to take a picture of the more graphic stuff later on.

  Koons' innocent artwork early-on in his career. I could not bring myself to take a picture of the more graphic stuff later on.

8/18/2014

Jeff Koons is one of my favorite artists, so I was pretty excited that his retrospective was on at the Whitney while we were visiting. It's a popular show, so get there early as the line can snake around the block. That said, the staff seems to move people through the admissions process very quickly.

I like that the Whitney generally focuses on one (mostly still living) American artist at a time. There is a small showing of works from the permanent collection on the top floor - think lots of Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Alexander Caldwell, Claes Oldenberg. Otherwise, if you don't care for the main exhibition, it's probably best to wait and visit another time as 80%+ of the displays will be devoted to that person.

The building itself was designed by Marcel Breuer and serves as a great venue for an exhibition, especially for large scale modern pieces. It's not a distraction (as the Guggenheim can be) from what you'll be seeing. That said, because the floors are relatively small you'll be spending a lot of time climbing stairs or waiting for elevators. My advice is to start at the top and work down - sure, you might do the show in reverse order but if it's crowded you'll save a lot of time.

Slight tangent and specific to the Jeff Koons show: people - leave your kids at home! I was appalled at the amount of strollers and little kids here. Your kids don't give a shit about Jeff Koons and it's not age appropriate as overheard yesterday in the elevators:

Mom 1 (stage whisper to Mom 2): I heard the third floor is the esss-eeee-ekks floor.

Mom 2 How bad could it be?

Now I would have let them head on to the 3rd floor and snickered while they tried to explain to their precious 3 year olds about the kind of hugging that mommies and daddies do but my husband is a good man and reminded them that JK was married to a porn star and maybe skip that floor. A further note - in the overall context of JK's work, what's on display is relatively tame. That said, you're going to see some Jeff Koons dong on a pretty large scale and a bunch of naked ladies, juxtaposed with pictures of lunch meat (even on the non-esss-eeee-ekks floors). So, if that doesn't appeal it's not the show for you.

TLDR: don't bring your kids to the Koons retrospective, ok?

9/26/2014

The Jeff Koons Perspective was infinitely colorful and interesting but my primary thought walking through the gallery was "How the hell is this guy loaded?" There were four plastic flowers as part of one exhibit and also basketballs suspended in plastic. It kind of defied belief. That being said the balloon animals were larger than life and beautiful to gaze at.

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• See all photos from Eva T. for Whitney Museum of American Art

5/13/2014

This museum is all American art which means it's contemporary art.  Definitely check out the 5th floor where you can see some really cool work by Georgia O'Keefe (the woman who paints everything to look like a vagina) and Roy Lichtenstein (the guy who paints comic-book looking people with lots of tiny dots).  

I started at the top and worked my way down.  After getting pumped up seeing the O'Keefes and Lichtensteins on the 5th floor, I became increasingly confused and disappointed as I walked down each level.  The 3rd floor was basically just a lot of erotic and frankly sexual art that I apparently am not cultured enough "to get."  For example, I just didn't "get" the tunnel made of women's wigs and ginormous penises.  I also was confused by a black and white video that showed two naked women giving each other high fives and pushing each others shoulders like they're setting up to do the "scrum" in rugby.  

The museum is interesting and I'm glad I went but I don't think I'll every have to go again.  I'll take The Met (which is right next door) any day of the week over the Whitney.

5/9/2014

Surprised that this museum has relatively few reviews for a very large museum that is acquiring a second large space in Chelsea!

The focus of this is American art, but note that this is mostly modern art with activist messages (on a scale - weirder than the MOMA and Guggenheim, but less weird than PS 1 MOMA). It has a large Biennial exhibition every 2 years. So go regularly because the exhibits will be totally different from your last visit! I am not a fan of modern art, so I think I enjoy it a lot less than the average museum goer, but for a large museum that is free every Friday 6 - 9 pm, it's definitely worth your while to visit if you've already been to all the other large institutions.

3/1/2014

Things to take note of before you come here.  Make sure there is more than one floor open because I failed at taking note of this rule.  Lucky for me, I live in the neighborhood, it was free because of BofA's Museums on Us pass and the exhibits that were open were pretty cool.  

This would have been three stars because of the lack of exhibits open but it got a star bump due to the tour that I walked into as I was browsing all of the art.  After joining the group I realized that this is the way to experience the Whitney.  The museum docent was very knowledgable and really helped tie in the background of the art with the time period and thinking behind all of the pieces.  She walked into the main exhibits and really gave a back story to the pieces that I wouldn't have been able to understand on my own.  It really gave me a much more enjoyable experience as I heard why Georgia Okeeffe had a fascination with flowers and New Mexico.  She has gave some great back history on Alexander Calder and his art which was pretty fascinating.  

Going forward, I will look to take a guided tour of museums as I can get a richer back story that allow me to fully enjoy the art I am looking at.  I will also make sure I check the exhibit openings to make sure that the exhibits I want to see are open.  Ill be back to check out the ones I just missed.

7/28/2014

Listen, I'm not even going to pretend like I know a thing about modern or contemporary art. I came to the Whitney to check it off my museum list and because a friend wanted to view the Jeff Koons exhibit. Luckily, he had a corporate hookup which allowed us to skip the line and enter the museum for free.

First, the Jeff Koons exhibit: there were more pieces than not that totally confused us (the inflatable pool toys in particular) but overall, made for a fun visual experience. A giant mound of Play-Doh, shiny objects, and sexually graphic images will amuse your eyeballs and confound your brain.

As for the rest of the museum, Warhol and Hering can be found on the top floor (very quiet compared to the rest of the museum this past Saturday) among other artwork that you can take your time fancying.

If you have any type of hookup (such as membership, corporate benefits, or even a student ID) I suggest you get here early and use it.

9/26/2014

Came on a rainy Saturday afternoon to see the Jeff Koons retrospective. The line wrapped around the corner, but moved decently quickly. I don't really know anything about art, but I still enjoyed the hour or so I spent walking around. I really liked how the explanations on the side really emphasized the progression of his career instead of just describing his artwork. Note: If you're bringing kids, just be aware that the third floor is pretty explicit.

9/6/2014

I am a fan of this museum.

1) Come here during Friday's between 6pm to 9pm. It is "pay what you wish". Basically pay a dollar to get in, instead of the full price. Which in my opinion is not worth it.
2) They always have nice exhibits, but you must like contemporary art.
3) The museum is not too big. So you can finish it quickly.
4) Make sure to get the audio guide. Some of the stuff needs explanation.

8/1/2014

Went here for the Jeff Koons exhibit and though the exhibit was extraordinary, the museum itself was ahhh, ok. Its smaller than it's more popular neighbors in the neighborhood and it would be unfair to compare it to say the MET, but it has some pretty dope contemporary art and I would recommend checking it out. P.S they're moving to the meat packing district next year in a supposedly better building so hopefully there's much more in store for the whitney.

7/23/2013

The Whitney is a force to be reckon with. I've never been to the Whitney before and I'm so glad I chose this past weekend to visit. Oh - and sorry for the novel. I just really love art.

With only a $20 general admission, Whitney has a lot to offer. Not sure what they have displayed in the past, but they definitely brought it with the current exhibits.

The American Legends: From Calder to O'Keefe
-I have always been more of a 19th century European artist enthusiast and O'Keefe was the one of the very few American artists I was familiar with. This exhibit introduced me to so many more! Though there is a Hopper exhibit a few floors down, this exhibit displayed a few of his work. If like me and you start from the top floors down, the few Hopper displays here are sort of like an amuse bouche to the main course. Another fave from this exhibit was Oscar Bluemner. His use of geometric shapes brings abstract to another level, but it's his use of bold colors and blending technique that really impressed - particularly "Last Evening of the Year."

Robert Irwin: Scrim veil-Black rectangle-Natural light
-I really enjoyed this one. This exhibit features Whitney's iconic window. Great use of light and space. Take advantage of it and take silhouette pictures. Be creative - pics taken in natural light is most beautiful.

Hopper Drawing
-Amazing! Everyone is familiar with his Nighthawks (am lucky to see this twice - at Art Institute of Chicago & here at Whitney) and New York Movie paintings, but very rarely you see his other works, including his sketches. Like the Matisse exhibit at the Met and the Picasso exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Hopper exhibit included his drawings and sketches that leads up to the full and final painting. What was interesting was Hopper's lines and details were more fluid in the sketches. The soft lines plus his use of cross-hatch shading really does take you into his thinking process. Plus, it's nice to see how the sketches contrast with his paintings - which uses sharper lines and light to draw your eyes to the focal point.

I, YOU, WE
-Wow. Talk about movements and making history. This exhibit focuses on the issues of the modern society - bringing the perspective from the 80s through 90s, forcing you to think about how little or how much society changed since. From violence, oppression, racism, feminism, sex, AIDS... you will either be disturbed by what you see or inspired - either way, you will be moved.

If you can make it, definitely go before the summer ends. These exhibits (aside from the American Legends) end September 1. Enjoy it while you can!

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  Alexander Calder: The Brass Family

  Alexander Calder: The Brass Family
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  Oscar Bluemner: Last Evening of the Year

  Oscar Bluemner: Last Evening of the Year
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• See all photos from Lily C. for Whitney Museum of American Art

7/2/2013

I love the building; I love an exhibit I saw here.  I don't think I care for the permanent collection.  It just isn't mentally exciting or stimulating.  In short, it bored me a little, and I'm an art nerd.  Kind of.  I have my limits.

I also have a theory, art is only as good as your frame of mind at the moment.  Since art is subjective, I could argue that you see what you feel.  Perhaps I was in a boring part of my head on that Sunday afternoon.  Or maybe the permanent collection was just not doing it for me.  I was a bit frantic to see everything I could as it was in the building since they are relocating off of Museum Mile in about a year.

I was there to see the Hopper drawing exhibit.  His wife bequeathed his work, including many studies/drawings/sketches to the Whitney, and this made for a marvelous exhibit.  

He really put quite a bit of thought into his art.  Virtually every detail.  What patience!  Most of his paintings are about contemplation.  Either the observer (you) is spying on the snapshot scene of people contemplating their scene or you are the subject contemplating a scene.  Always the observer, though.  Thinking and considering.  Reflecting.  

The way the sketches and studies lead up to each painting is almost reminiscent of the framework of a building or the backside of a sculpture.  It lets you see Hopper in a way most don't see him, with his slip showing.

The exhibit was fantastic.  And it was brilliant that the Whitney put this exhibit together (and had the means), it's just a shame that the other exhibits weren't as witty.  Perhaps they just didn't speak to me.  Perhaps I wasn't listening.

8/11/2014

The Whitney needs to oust its curator.  Call me naive, but a toaster under glass is not art.  Nor is a vaccuum cleaner under glass.  Nor is a blow up bunny in front of mirrors.  Nor is a display of sponges, fanned out on the ground.  My eyes?!  I paid 20 bucks for this crap?  Sprinkled among the Koons exhibit were a few pieces by Warhol, Pollack, Basquiat, Haring...but not enough to evacuate the rage I felt, watching people go "Hmmmm" while staring at a friggin vaccuum cleaner.  Go drunk or Go Home.

8/6/2014

I think the museum itself is neat, and the Edward Hopper room is very enjoyable, but the Jeff Koons exhibit didn't really do it for me. I would like to visit the Whitney again during an exhibit of a painter I enjoy, as I'm not as much into sculpture.

8/15/2014

went to whitney for Jeff Koons gallery - so nothing more to say :) Just perfect.

Tips:
-if you have a Bank of America Card you can visit the museum for free first free weekend of every month.
- even if the line is outside the museum it moves fast

8/29/2014

Amazing! Great curation and actually interesting descriptions for important pieces that really made the rest of the exhibit easier to follow. Make sure to check what's being shown before you bring your kids!

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  A Jeff Koons classic

  A Jeff Koons classic

1/11/2014

The Whitney Museum is not for someone who expects the usual museum faire of art and sculpture. It consists of eclectic works that highlight the use of mediums such as film and its more contemporary than I expected. The space is also limited, but I understand they're expanding and you can hear the progress as you are in the museum (construction).

I stumbled into this museum after trying to go to a different museum with no expectations. The top two floors were dedicated to "American Legends" and it was nice to see some O'Keefe and Lichtenstein. Then I tried the third floor, which was basically a collection dedicated to the performance art of the 70's and 80's. There were a lot of things playing at once and a lot of mediums combined together to give it an almost Clockwork Orange feel. The following floor consistent of filming the cityscape day to night and whole rooms dedicated to these still films of a building window for instance.

They also have a lot of children's activities if you're into that. There were several groups of children in the museum when I went. I probably wouldn't come back here without a reason but it was a nice foray into something different on a cold rainy Saturday morning.

10/23/2014

So many babies and strollers everywhere! I thought was I was at Museum of Natural History for a second. Came here for the Jeff Koons exhibit on a Saturday morning, so there was extra mayhem. Luckily, I got advanced tickets online (for an additional $2 service charge) and was able to skip the line and walk right in to redeem my tickets. Otherwise, I'd have to wait online 100 people deep around the corner and down the block. I thought it was rather insecure of them to just ask me for the name the tickets were reserved under (in this case, it was actually under my friend's name) without asking for ID. I took a point off because i thought the layout was really weird..where everyone clamors to wait for the elevators in order to go up and see the 5 floors of museum and work your way down. There are stairs, but the entrance was marked "exit only" and the traffic is mostly downwards...which seems like a possible fire hazard.

8/16/2014

Jeff Koons retrospective was creative. The inflatable art work was ok lol.  Statues and sculptures were great.  There were some pictures that were not for kids. ;). It was enjoyable.

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  Michael Jackson. And Bubbles

  Michael Jackson. And Bubbles
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  bear and the cop

  bear and the cop

11/15/2013

If you like Edward Hopper, O'Keefe, or the similar, you will like this museum. Otherwise, the colllection is a bit more lackluster than many of the other museums in the area, espcially as the cost is qutie similar to the other major ones.

It is almost too specificed for my liking.

10/24/2014

5 floors and a terrace of nothing but Jeff Koons, The Retrospective was a great finale for The Whitney and has me looking forward to the new downtown location.  The tour staff were very accommodating and allowed you to get up close and personal with the exhibits.  Popeye on the terrace was my favorite piece.

10/25/2014

The Jeff Koons exhibit was excellent. It was quite surreal to see how he was able to fabricate sculptures out of metal that looked so much like the real object. I would absolutely visit this exhibit again.

4/18/2014

Amazing museum.  They always have nice exhibits.  Focus here is on AMERICAN art.

I don't need to visit each time I'm in NYC (as I do The Met), but certainly once every couple of years.

The Biennial activities and exhibitions are all excellent.

9/7/2014

Free general admission on the first full weekend of every month for Bank of America customers, otherwise, it's $20 for an adult. All you have to do is present an ID and your Bank of America card. Arrived here at 1pm on a Saturday and it was busy but the line for tickets was still contained inside the building. When I left around 3:30pm the line was wrapped around the outside of the building. I have to say if this museum hadn't been free I think I would have been mad to have paid $20. I went during the Jeff Koons exhibit and I guess I'm not a fan. HIs exhibit covered the 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st and lower level floors. I did enjoy the 5th floor with its Warhol, Pollock, Rothko and Hopper pieces. I'm sad the museum is moving in the Spring because I would have liked to see a different exhibit.

8/1/2013

A amazing time as they had a special exhibition on Edward Hopper!

A. The museum-a very nice facility that has 6 floors of exhibits and flows very well. Spacious, roomy and very comforting

B. the price - 20.00 for the normal price as non member. Not too shabby.

C. The exhibits- we came here to see Edward Hopper. I always felt that Nighthawks was overrated and I was not interested. I was wrong. Along with nighthawks, we saw Railroad Crossings and New York Movie. What amazed me in all these, especially the last two, were all his notebook and sketches.

Here is an artist who intensely studied every aspect if his final art and piece by piece sketches and refined each part until he had his final result. To see the painstaking dedication was inspiring.

The sense of isolation or loneliness is beautifully and subtly captured in his work. So what really amazed me was the powerful use of light and how it so simply affected his subject matter, altering the mood and caused you to focus on his subject. Who knew....

I am a huge Hopper fan now and New York movie is one of my favorites.

D.  Robert Irwin Scrim Veil-  okay, one dedicated floor for this. All I can say is, I did not get it at all.

Anyway great museum and great exhibit!

7/14/2014

This may be my favorite NY museum.  I don't know exactly why.  I guess I like the feeling of the space, how intelligently it's curated and how it's kind of comfortably avant-garde.  If I'm in NY and I make it to The Whitney it feels like everything is OK.