Photograph by Nic Lehoux
The Whitney Museum of American Art is celebrating the first-ever West Side Fest by offering free admission, neighborhood tours, and artmaking for kids and families on Saturday, September 30. The Whitney’s lineup of events includes:
- Free admission to the Museum from 10:30 am–6 pm. New Yorkers of all ages are invited to enjoy the exhibitions on view, including a permanent collection show with works by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jay DeFeo, Alexander Calder, Lee Krasner, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and more.
- A special Open Studio for families and kids led by artist Dindga McCannon in the theater from 11 am–3 pm. Join McCannon and create beautiful fabric collages and experiment with printmaking inspired by her work currently on view in Inheritance.
- Interactive family tours in the galleries at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm for families with kids ages five and up. Learn about art together through lively discussion and fun, hands-on artmaking activities.
- A Whitney neighborhood arts walk 11 am and 5 pm. From the area’s cultural and artistic history to public art installations by leading contemporary artists, the tours provide an opportunity to explore the cultural highlights surrounding the Whitney Museum.
More information about the West Side Fest celebrations at the Whitney, including advance ticket reservations and program registration, is available at whitney.org/west-side-fest-2023.
“Manhattan’s West Side is a dynamic cultural hub,” said Jane Carey, Director of Government and Community Affairs at the Whitney Museum of American Art and a lead planner of West Side Fest. “We are thrilled to celebrate this community and offer New Yorkers a full day of free creative activities and beautiful views during the first-ever West Side Fest. Each year, millions of people are brought together by the dozens of arts organizations, parks, and performance centers in the area, sparking curiosity, giving space for conversations, and providing joy—all while driving societal and economic progress. Cultural communities like the West Side solidify New York as a global arts destination. At the Whitney, we are proud to be part of this vibrant, growing community dedicated to arts and culture!”
Organized by West Side Cultural Network, the September 30 event highlights the city’s newest cultural destination on the western edge of Manhattan, a historic area with a welcoming and unique mix of fresh, fun activities, special indoor and outdoor programming, open gathering spaces, artmaking for all ages, and more, to welcome all New Yorkers to their vibrant, exciting, cultural village along the waterfront.
West Side Fest is conveniently accessible by subway, bus, the High Line, bike, or car. More information and complete listing of events throughout Manhattan’s west side can be found at the event website at westsidefest.nyc.
The West Side Cultural Network is a group of over 20 organizations that includes the Atlantic Theater Company, Center for Art, Research and Alliances, Chelsea Factory, Dia Chelsea, the High Line, Hill Art Foundation, Hudson River Park, The Joyce Theater, The Kitchen, Little Island, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, New York City AIDS Memorial, New York Live Arts, Poster House, Print Center New York, the Rubin Museum of Art, The Shed, Westbeth, West Village Rehearsal Co-Op, White Columns, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
ABOUT THE WHITNEY
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942), houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Mrs. Whitney, an early and ardent supporter of modern American art, nurtured groundbreaking artists when audiences were still largely preoccupied with the Old Masters. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for ninety years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
Whitney Museum Land Acknowledgment
The Whitney is located in Lenapehoking, the ancestral homeland of the Lenape. The name Manhattan comes from their word Mannahatta, meaning “island of many hills.” The Museum’s current site is close to land that was a Lenape fishing and planting site called Sapponckanikan (“tobacco field”). The Whitney acknowledges the displacement of this region’s original inhabitants and the Lenape diaspora that exists today.
As a museum of American art in a city with vital and diverse communities of Indigenous people, the Whitney recognizes the historical exclusion of Indigenous artists from its collection and program. The Museum is committed to addressing these erasures and honoring the perspectives of Indigenous artists and communities as we work for a more equitable future. To read more about the Museum’s Land Acknowledgement, visit the Museum’s website.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Whitney Museum of American Art is located at 99 Gansevoort Street between Washington and West Streets, New York City. Public hours are: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 10:30 am–6 pm; Friday, 10:30 am–10 pm; and Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 am–6 pm. Closed Tuesday. Visitors eighteen years and under and Whitney members: FREE. Admission is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays, 7–10 pm. COVID-19 vaccination and face coverings are not required but strongly recommended. We encourage all visitors to wear face coverings that cover the nose and mouth throughout their visit.
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