5 Things To Do Right Now At The Whitney Museum Of American Art

The Whitney is doing some big things this spring! With the excitement of their newly released 2014  Biennial exhibition, this Upper East Side museum has a whole slew of related family friendly activities, programs, and even a fabulous party.

The Whitney Biennial 2014 Exhibition

Featuring works from 103 artists, the Biennial is a massive, multi-floor exhibition where the Whitney asked three outside curators to each oversee a floor of their building. The awe-inspiring result is a sprawling array of pieces widely varying in scope, process, theme, and material. This year, the fourth floor, curated by Michelle Grabner, is of particular interest to families.

“It has a lot of work that’s really joyous and beautiful and deals with the making of the artwork,” said Heather Maxson, the manager of school, youth, and family programs at the museum.

Among the highlights on the fourth floor is Zoe Leonard’s camera obscura, a large installation in front of the Whitney’s iconic window. Guests can enter the area and see the world reflected upside down on the walls, including people walking on the street, buildings, and cars driving by. Other great finds are  artist Sterling Ruby’s work, which is comprised of his past “failures” re-glazed, re-fired, and re-combined into new, intriguing pieces, and Dona Nelson’s two-sided abstract paintings, where she let the paint soak through canvas to the other side.

Free Audio and Family Activity Guides

Not everyone knows this, but the Whitney offers special audio guides for kids in the front lobby (and they’re free!). Adults can also nab their own version to make touring the exhibit as fun as possible for all involved. Additionally, the museum also provides free family activity guides tailored to the artwork.

“We ask many of the artists to submit their own ideas for what kind of activities they would want kids to do around their work,” Maxson said.

Artist’s Choice Children’s Programs

Perfect for children ages 8 to 12, the Whitney is hosting several kids programs in collaboration with artists featured in the Biennial.

“They all work in different media,” Maxson said, “and they’re really wonderful, intimate workshops where the artists get to talk to families directly and share information about their work and process. And then they do an art project together in the studio.”

Though the museum offers many children’s programs (three Saturdays every month to be exact, for kids of all age ranges), four of the most exciting upcoming workshops are with Joshua Mosley (stop motion animation), Dan Walsh (geometric paintings), My Barbarian (experimental performances), and Sara Greenberger Rafferty (video discussing political issues).

Biennial Teen Programs

Similar to the aforementioned children’s programs, there are also several Biennial teen programs led by artists as well. Highlights include a My Barbarian workshop where participants transform a current event into a performance, a Joshua Mosley workshop exploring stop motion animation, and a Kevin Beasley workshop that covers collaborating and creating sound pieces.

Biennial Family Party

On Saturday, April 5, the Whitney is hosting a very special family party in honor of the Biennial! Parents and their little museum lovers (all ages) will have a blast celebrating contemporary art through interactive tours, gallery activities, and even artist workshops. Essentially, it’s every amazing Whitney offering all rolled into one day!

“We’re actually opening up the museum an hour early just for families,” Maxson said. “So they’ll get to see the biennial without the crowds and get to have a nice, intimate experience with their artwork.”