A small vintage circus dancer puppet in a leaping pose on a red fringe-covered platform.
A small vintage circus dancer puppet in a leaping pose on a red fringe-covered platform.

Alexander Calder, Calder's Circus (detail), 1926-31 (installation view, High Wire: Calder’s Circus at 100, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 18, 2025–March 9, 2026). Wire, wood, metal, cloth, yarn, paper, cardboard, leather, string, rubber tubing, corks, buttons, rhinestones, pipe cleaners, and bottle caps, dimensions variable. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from a public fundraising campaign in May 1982. One half the funds were contributed by the Robert Wood Johnson Jr. Charitable Trust. Additional major donations were given by The Lauder Foundation; the Robert Lehman Foundation, Inc.; the Howard and Jean Lipman Foundation, Inc.; an anonymous donor; The T. M. Evans Foundation, Inc.; MacAndrews & Forbes Group, Incorporated; the DeWitt Wallace Fund, Inc.; Martin and Agneta Gruss; Anne Phillips; Mr. and Mrs. Laurance S. Rockefeller; the Simon Foundation, Inc.; Marylou Whitney; Bankers Trust Company; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth N. Dayton; Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz; Irvin and Kenneth Feld; Flora Whitney Miller. More than 500 individuals from 26 states and abroad also contributed to the campaign 83.36.1-72. © 2026 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photograph by Gus Powell

Last chance

High Wire: Calder’s Circus at 100
Through Mar 9
Learn more about the exhibition Book Tickets
A large group of people dance together outdoors, raising their arms, while others watch and walk nearby.

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The Whitney Biennial is the longest-running survey of American art, and has been a hallmark of the Museum since 1932. The current format—a survey show of work in all media occurring every two years—has been in place since 1973. Mark your calendars for the next iteration, opening March 2026. 

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artport

Check out art that's created specifically for the web on artport—the Whitney's gallery space for Internet and new-media art.

Dive Into Our Collection

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  • Strings of hanging light bulbs cascade down a stairwell, with several bulbs coiled on the floor.
    Strings of hanging light bulbs cascade down a stairwell, with several bulbs coiled on the floor.

    Felix Gonzalez-Torres, "Untitled" (America), 1994. Twelve parts, each: 42 light bulbs, waterproof rubber light sockets, and waterproof electrical cord, dimensions variable . Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from the Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Committee 96.74.1a-l. © The Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation, Courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York

  • A black plaque with gold letters advising to limit acting against your nature, like sleeping with people you hate.
    A black plaque with gold letters advising to limit acting against your nature, like sleeping with people you hate.

    Jenny Holzer, Untitled with selection from "Living Series", 1980–1982. Bronze wall plaque, overall: 7 15/16 × 10 × 1/4 in. (20.2 × 25.4 × 0.6 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2011.179. © Jenny Holzer/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

  • Backwards glowing neon sign spelling 'AMERICA' mounted on wall with cords and power boxes below.
    Backwards glowing neon sign spelling 'AMERICA' mounted on wall with cords and power boxes below.

    Glenn Ligon, Rückenfigur, 2009. Neon and paint, overall: 24 × 145 1/2 × 5 in. (61 × 369.6 × 12.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from the Painting and Sculpture Committee 2011.3a-i. © Glenn Ligon

  • A woman in a vintage suit and hat walks along a cobblestone street, looking to her right.
    A woman in a vintage suit and hat walks along a cobblestone street, looking to her right.

    Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #23, 1978. Gelatin silver print, sheet: 8 × 9 15/16 in. (20.3 × 25.2 cm) Image: 7 1/2 × 9 7/16 in. (19.1 × 24 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner 2010.221. © Cindy Sherman, courtesy the artist and Metro Pictures

  • Stylized torso wearing textured, wrapped black garments with cutouts against a gray background.
    Stylized torso wearing textured, wrapped black garments with cutouts against a gray background.

    Christina Ramberg, Istrian River Lady, 1974. Acrylic on composition board, with wood frame, overall: 35 3/8 × 31 1/4 × 1 5/8 in. (89.9 × 79.4 × 4.1 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from Mr. and Mrs. Frederic M. Roberts in memory of their son, James Reed Roberts 74.12a-b. Courtesy of the Estate of Christina Ramberg & Corbett vs. Dempsey.

  • Six candid portraits show people smoking, talking, embracing, and resting in intimate indoor settings.
    Six candid portraits show people smoking, talking, embracing, and resting in intimate indoor settings.

    Nan Goldin, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, 1979–1996. Slide installation with 690 35mm color slides, sound, 45 min. looped, dimensions variable. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from The Charles Engelhard Foundation, the Mrs. Percy Uris Bequest, the Painting and Sculpture Committee and the Photography Committee 92.127. © Nan Goldin

On the Hour

A 30-second online art project:
Frank WANG Yefeng, The Levitating Perils #2

Learn more about this project

Learn more at whitney.org/artport

On the Hour projects can contain motion and sound. To respect your accessibility settings autoplay is disabled.