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Next to the Hudson River in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, The Whitney Museum of American Art’s new building is immense and will offer a vast 50,000 square feet space devoted to indoor exhibitions. This is not including its outdoor exhibition terraces facing The High Line, an outdoor gathering space, an education center, which includes everything from classrooms to a black box theater, a retail shop and two different dining areas. Designed by Renzo Piano, the building not only reflects the area that surrounds it with its contemporary-yet-industrial aesthetic, but it will also be a serve as a new haven for arts and culture in the city. The building’s second move since its establishment also means that there will be a new and acclaimed artistic landmark that will be synonymous with the downtown area.
The Whitney studio’s first location was Greenwich Village in 1914, then it opened as a museum in 1931. It then moved to 54th St., fittingly, in 1954 and relocated again to 75th St in 1966. Its move downtown creates a new demographic of Whitney museum goers and signifies Lower Manhattan’s cultural growth. By proxy, the diverse population of the area will undoubtedly influence the artistic spaces within the Whitney in new and positive ways. The Museum hosted its star-studded opening night party on Friday, April 24 to 10,000 guests who got to preview its rotating and permanent exhibits. The museum will open to the public on May 1 and its inaugural installation will showcase the largest display to date of the museum’s permanent art collection.
-by Johanna Silver