Whitney Museum of American Art - Essay Example

Whitney Museum of American Art Museums are most broadly defined as a collection warehouse for a composite collection of objects which each have their own shapes, functions, designs, purposes, materials and other qualities. While these can often be appreciated simply for their own values based upon their aesthetics, their significance or the richness of their materials, it is becoming increasingly understood that a great deal of the importance of these objects rests upon their context within the greater fabric of the society in which they were produced. As a result, it is becoming increasingly understood that the context of the museum setting and the principles upon which it is built must be known in order to understand the potential approach taken. This knowledge can be gained in a variety of ways such as multiple visits over a period of time through which a ‘feel’ for the museum and its philosophical approach might be developed. More practical means of discerning the particular approach a museum has adopted may include discovering the history of the museum, the distinguishing characteristics of it, the philosophies of the people who helped to build the museum to its present incarnation and an understanding of the people who govern, to some degree, the museum’s direction – the board of directors and donors. Therefore, before looking into the way the Whitney Museum of American Art treats its patrons through member benefits or the type of exhibitions they present, it is helpful to investigate some of these more practical conceptions of history, uniqueness, foundational principles and current influences. This museum was founded in 1931 based largely around the American art objects either previously collected by the museum’s founder Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney or purchased specifically for the museum by Mrs. Whitney. The original collection featured 700 paintings, sculptures and other art objects. Operating on a relatively tight budget, the museum quickly established a custom of purchasing works from living artists who were on the cusp of making themselves known in the general art world. These artists were often discovered through regularly scheduled exhibitions that showcased recent American art. Inspired pieces were often acquired through these exhibitions as well as future works by these grateful artists. Although these exhibits started as annual events, as soon as the museum could afford expansion, the events were scheduled biennially instead, a custom the museum continues to practice today. According to the museum’s website, these exhibitions enabled the museum to acquire works by Arshile Gorky, Stuart Davis, Reginald Marsh, Philip Guston and Jasper Johns while more recent acquisitions have included Mike Kelley, Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Zoe Leonard, Matthew Ritchie and Shahzia Sikander (Weinberg, 2009). Throughout much of its first two decades, the era of the Great Depression, the museum depended to a large extent upon the generosity and continued interest of Mrs. Whitney. It wasn’t until 1956 that the non-profit Friends of the Whitney Museum of American Art group was formed as a means of ensuring continued support and funding to keep pace with a growing field. It was this group of supporters who largely changed the focus of the museum from mostly realist art with some modern works thrown in to mostly modern work. Throughout its history, though, the focus of the museum has been to provide a comprehensive conception of twentieth-century American art. As this history might suggest, there are several ways in which this museum is strikingly different from other museums. To start, it focuses on emerging artists rather than strongly established masters of the field. As a result, the featured artists are living and typically available for special exhibitions, etc. This is another big change from other museums that commonly display the work of artists long dead. This is not to say all of the Whitney artists are still living though. Beginning this process in the 1930s, there are several artists who rose and fell within the lifespan of the museum itself. However, this has become another way in which the museum has distinguished itself as it provides in depth understanding of numerous influential artists of the century through large and comprehensive collections of their work. For example, the Whitney Museum played a large role in launching the successful careers of Edward Hopper and Reginald Marsh, both of whom are very well represented in the museum’s collection with more than 2,500 oils and works on paper from Hopper and almost 200 works by Marsh (Weinberg, 2009). Other large-size and well-rounded collections include several of the intricate pieces of Alexander Calder and works by Marsden Hartley, Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Burchfield, Gaston Lachaise, Louise Nevelson and Agnes Martin. As a result, visitors can trace the development of the artist as well as the philosophical ideals of the artistic approach through the collection. This was a great deal of the spirit intended for the museum by its founder, Mrs. Whitney. As has been mentioned, the earliest collections of the museum were provided by Mrs. Whitney either at its opening or through her continued support in the form of gifts and donations. “Mrs. Whitney favored the art of the revolutionary artists derisively called the Ashcan School, among them John Sloan, George Luks, and Everett Shinn, as well as realists such as Edward Hopper and American Scene painters John Steuart Curry and Thomas Hart Benton” (Weinberg, 2009). Although these were her personal interests and aesthetics, Mrs. Whitney was careful to include purchases reflecting other artistic approaches, such as works by early modernists Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Charles Sheeler and Max Weber. Throughout this period, the museum was directed by Juliana Force, who continued in Mrs. Whitney’s tradition after Whitney’s 1942 death until her own death in 1948. Leadership of the museum somewhat floundered for nearly a decade after this as supporters worked to organize a non-profit organization to keep the museum competitive. This first board was comprised of Seymour Knox, Mrs. Albert List, Milton Lowenthal, Roy Neuberger, Duncan Phillips, Nelson Rockefeller, David Solinger and Hudson Walker (Weinberg, 2009). While the museum has largely performed under the direction of these types of boards, its collection has also been influenced by the gifts it has received. For example, Howard and Jean Lipman contributed a great deal of the Calder works and numerous sculptures and other works throughout the years. With the broad dedication to providing a comprehensive view of American art and the established tradition of purchasing from new or emerging artists, the museum has continued to focus on contemporary works, thus expanding the collection into the twenty-first century. The Whitney Museum, like numerous other museums, is kept to its original vision through a combination of factors. This starts with the established reputation and traditions the museum has put in place. Its name alone ensures it remains dedicated to the art of this continent while its traditions ensure it remains dedicated to contemporary art and ‘fresh’ views. In addition to the art, though, the museum offers a number of community outreach programs and other programs which, as it moves into the future, the museum will need supervised and evaluated to ensure they remain in keeping with the underlying goal of the organization. This is the responsibility of the board of trustees and can be influenced, to varying degrees, by the museum’s donors and supporters. Currently, there are approximately 44 people on the museum’s list of trustees including co-chairmen Robert Hurst and Brooke Neidich; vice-chairmen Melva Bucksbaum, Susan Hess, Raymond McGuire, Robert Wilson; vice-presidents Richard DeMartini, James Gordon, Warren Kanders, Thomas Lee, Eric Mindich, Scott Resnick, Thomas Tuft; and director Adam Weinberg. Several of the people on this list are important in their own right, but not necessarily within the art world. Understanding why these people are important on their own may help reveal the integrity and direction of the museum itself. According to Forbes Magazine, Robert Hurst, one of the co-chairmen, is an important man in the world of finance having served as vice chairman of the Goldman Sachs Group until 2005 and then serving as managing director of Crestview Partners LLC to the present (Forbes, 2009). His involvement in the art world is poorly documented. The other co-chairman, Brooke Garber Neidich, has been highly influential in the medical world as a trustee of a number of different medical organizations and co-founder of NYU’s Child Study Center, dedicated to “developing and applying scientifically-sound practices that can be utilized on a national scale to significantly improve prevention, identification and treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents” (Brooke Garber Neidich, 2009). President Neil G. Bluhm made his name in realty and vice president Richard DeMartini is another trustee whose principle importance lies in his position within the financial sector. While their lack of artistic elements on their resume may cause it to seem as if these individuals are unsuited to the task, it is noted in a press release provided by the museum that all of these individuals have served on the board of trustees of the museum for several years. However, there are also several members of the board who are associated with the arts world. Vice-Chairman Melva Bucksbaum, for instance, has an extensive artistic background as a patron and collector. Fred Wilson, on the general trustee board, is a practicing artist who has exhibited nationwide and is the recipient of some prestigious arts awards (May 2008). Director Adam Weinberg has been in his position since 2003 and has an extensive background in art and at the Whitney. The continuation of board members under other long-term members ensures a continued shared vision of what the museum stands for. Donors also have some say in what direction the museum moves, particularly those who are capable of donating much. Those who donate $10,000 or more in a year are invited to join the director and other members of the board of trustees in decision-making meetings regarding acquisitions and exhibitions. According to the museum’s public 990 tax form for 2007, the museum receives a great majority of its funding from public donations, more than $58 million of its total reported revenue of $87 million. The rest of the funds come from government contributions, rents, sales, interest and other small revenue streams. Because the museum supports a donor privacy policy, the names of these donors is difficult to obtain, but the types of donors can be determined through an analysis of the donor programs that the museum offers. Essentially, there is a three-tiered program that is subtly designed to appeal to only the wealthier segments of society. This is because the lowest tier is offered to patrons who are under the age of 40 as a member of the Whitney Contemporaries club. For $400 per individual or $765 for a couple, individuals can purchase membership at the museum with a few extra perks over the average member. Patrons at this level can gain access to private tours, seminars and a free annual exhibition catalog for $1000. Older individuals can join at the next level for $5,000 while patrons can join at the American Fellows level for $10,000 or choose instead to join the Director’s Council, in which they are given the opportunity to take part in the artistic decisions of the museum. The Director’s Council is not an option made available for lower members. Below the donor level, however, there are many levels of membership available to the general public, making the museum highly available to the community. These include individual membership, couple membership, family membership, friend membership starting at $75 and increasing incrementally with even a patron level available at the rate of $500. A fully tax-deductable membership is offered to those typically on lower incomes such as artists, students and seniors. With membership, donors gain yearly access to the museum’s collections, invitations to special events that become increasingly special as the level of patronage rises, special gifts, newsletters, community discounts and, at the highest level, the ability to influence, to some extent, the art the museum acquires. The special events held range from varying numbers of invitations to cocktail receptions of opening exhibitions to high-class appreciation dinners, private exhibition tours, exclusive evening events, special seminars and available direct interaction with the artists and trustees of the museum. The museum hosts a wide variety of exhibitions throughout the year. One of their most popular attractions has already been mentioned, the biennial American Art exhibition designed to highlight some of the country’s newest artistic achievements and expose new artists to the art world. Last year’s biennial event attracted artists practicing in a number of different media. Sculptural works included the natural element of water and growing plants for some and basic hardware construction materials for others. Some were intended to be merely viewed while others encouraged an interactive element. Paintings were present as well as explorations in photography, light and video. Installation pieces were in abundance as well. Other past exhibitions have included photography exhibits featuring the work of William Eggleston and Sam Simore without any concern that exhibits are spaced too close together. For example, two Eggleston exhibits were presented almost simultaneously, with “Between the Still and Moving Image” on exhibit through January 4 of this year and “William Eggleston: Democratic Camera, Photographs and Video, 1961-2008” available through January 25. This kind of frequency highlights the museum’s dedication to providing a comprehensive understanding of an artist’s work by collecting numerous examples and displaying them often. The museum has also recently exhibited some of the exhibition pieces of Paul McCarthy in conjunction with the exhibition of some of his filmic works. Currently, the museum is exhibiting a collection of photographs from Chamberlain, Rauschenberg, Ruscha, Samaras and Warhol; the painterly creations of Peter Halley; the filmic works of Elad Lassry; an installation of Alex Bag; and a collection of Alexander Calder from his Paris period. Within this collection of exhibits, the museum again demonstrates its dedication to diversity. Upcoming exhibitions will include the digitally inspired art of Agnes Denes, the multi-media approach of Jenny Holzer and the printed material of Dan Graham. By examining the background information of the Whitney Museum, one can gain a greater sense of its purpose and dedication as it has progressed from its founding to its present incarnation. The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded with the dream of provided a public space in which the tremendous diversity and energy of American art could be made available to a wide audience. This dream remained nearly privately funded throughout its lengthy early period, but has managed to remain true to these goals even after being entrusted to a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the museum’s success. Although the trustees typically seem to come from the high-dollar business sector, not typically associated with those who have a true appreciation for art, the museum is careful to include artists and art patrons on its board and tends to promote from within to ensure a long-term continuation of vision and approach. Donors are able to gain access to the decision makers, particularly as they move higher up on the donation level, but this has not had the effect of changing the direction of the museum’s approach. The Whitney Museum remains unique among museums because of its wide range of exhibitions, its dedication to discovering new artists and exhibiting them within the museum space and in its devotion to providing a well-rounded understanding of the arts and artists on display through extensive collections and rapidly changing exhibit schedules. Works Cited “Brooke Garber Neidich.” New York University: Arts and Science. (2009). February 11, 2009 < http://as.nyu.edu/object/as.about.neidich> “Robert J. Hurst.” Forbes.com. (2009). February 11, 2009 Weinberg, Adam. The Whitney Museum of American Art. February 11, 2009 Whitney Museum of American Art 990 U.S. Tax Return. (2007). February 11, 2009 Read More