Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria

The Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria is located in the street-level pedestrian plaza of the international headquarters of Altria Group, Inc., designed by Ulrich Franzen. Situated on Park Avenue directly across from Grand Central Station, the museum serves as a primary cultural resource in this bustling midtown commercial area.
This Branch Museum and all of its programs are funded by Altria Group, Inc. For more than forty years, Altria Group, Inc., has been a major supporter of the arts and has contributed to museums, theaters, dance companies, music groups, and other cultural institutions around the world. The association between the Whitney Museum of American Art and Altria Group, Inc. dates back to 1967, when the corporation established a special purchase fund for the Museum. Since that time, Altria Group, Inc. has made substantial contributions to the operations of the Museum and has sponsored several important Whitney exhibitions.

Four exhibitions are organized annually in the 900-square-foot gallery, with an emphasis on solo exhibitions by contemporary living artists. Each year, one or two projects are also presented in the 5,200-square-foot Sculpture Court, a glass-enclosed atrium with public seating and an espresso bar. Artists who have been exhibited in recent years include Jane Dickson, Ming Fay, Ik-Joong Kang, Christian Marclay, Shirin Neshat, Hope Sandrow, and Accra Shepp. A free brochure accompanies each exhibition, and gallery talks with the artists are organized regularly. Lunchtime gallery tours are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 1 pm. Tours for both adult and student groups may also be arranged by calling (917) 663-2349.

In addition to the exhibitions and education programs, the Whitney Museum at Altria produces Performance on 42nd, an ongoing series of free music, dance, theater, and performance art. No reservations are taken. Recent performers in the series include Sussan Deyhim, Ned Rothenberg, Christian Marclay, Pheeroan akLaff, Goldhuber & Latsky, Dael Orlandersmith, and Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.