Artists Council

The Artists Council is a patron group comprised of young collectors who share a passion for supporting the Whitney and its commitment to working with living artists. Throughout the year, Artists Council members have the unique opportunity to engage with Whitney artists, often before their work is known to the broader contemporary art world. With the guidance of curator Christopher Y. Lew, the group gains access to cutting-edge artists’ studios, private collections, and much more. Lew is the Nancy and Fred Poses Curator at the Whitney. Along with several of his curatorial colleagues, he oversees the emerging artist program at the Museum and was co-curator of the 2017 Whitney Biennial. He organized Pope.L:Choir (2019) and Kevin Beasley: A view of a landscape (2018), as well as mounting the first US solo exhibitions for Sophia Al-Maria, Rachel Rose, and Jared Madere. He also organized Lucy Dodd’s large-scale installation that was part of the exhibition Open Plan (2016) and was co-curator of the group show Mirror Cells (2016).

Participation begins with an annual gift of $5,000.

For further information please email patron_groups@whitney.org or call (212) 671-5402.

recent events include:

• Exclusive exhibition talks and tours with Whitney artists such as Carol Bove, William Cordova, Wyatt Kahn, Nate Lowman, Keith Mayerson, Rachel Rose, Taryn Simon, Dana Schutz, Fred Wilson, and many more
• Private artist studio visits with Anne Collier, Beth Campbell, Matthew Day Jackson, Vik Muniz, and Gedi Sibony, among others
• An annual summer art weekend in the Hamptons that has included studio visits and talks with Whitney artists such as Bryan Hunt, Diana Al-Hadid, and Elizabeth Jaeger. The group has visited multiple private collections in East Hampton and Wainscott, and they have been hosted for dinners at Surf Lodge and Refinery29 Beach House
• Day trips to art destinations in the tri-state area. Recent trips include The Brant Foundation Art Study Center in Greenwich, CT and Dia: Beacon in Beacon, NY
• Private collection visits in NYC and beyond
• Gallery walks led by Christopher Y. Lew that are designed to highlight the influential artists and galleries of the moment