Announcing Untapped Cities’ Tour of the Historic Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Studio

Located in the heart of the Greenwich Village Historic District, the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Studio has served American artists for well over a century — and now, it’s finally opening its doors to Untapped Cities. Join us on a special tour that will take you inside this National Historic Landmark, which was the first and former home of the Whitney Museum of Art.

Tour of the Historic Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Studio

While The Metropolitan Museum of Art famously rejected Whitney’s art collection and a donation to maintain it, Whitney’s work to showcase American art at this studio spurred the modern art movement in the United States.

In 2014, the National Trust named the Whitney Studio a National Treasure, providing a $30,000 grant for repairs and physical upgrades. The National Trust hopes not only to do more restoration of the studio, but to also promote its active use as a place for art students to thrive and learn about art and the artists that have come before. The New York Studio School is located in four mid-19th century townhouses at 8, 10, 12, and 14 West 8th Street, each with a carriage house in the back along MacDougal Alley. One of these townhouses belonged to renown sculptor Daniel Chester French, who created the figure of Abraham Lincoln in Washington D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Learn about the art career and patronage of one of the studio’s most famous occupants, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the Whitney Museum at the site, and used the building as her private studio, salon and gallery
• See the few surviving works of decorative art by Robert Winthrop Chanler, the designer of the Whitney Studio, whose fireplace and the ceiling can still be seen
• View works of art from students who currently utilize the studio

DETAILS:
Price: $35
What to bring: Comfortable walking shoes
What to know: The tour is approximately one-hour long. Please be mindful of the space and the artwork inside. The artwork guests will be seeing is student work and photos should not be taken unless approval is permitted. We will be walking through the student’s studio space, please respect this. Stairs are involved in this tour.

Here are more photos of places you will see on this tour:

An oxidized copper-clad balcony that was installed by architect Grosvenor Atterbury in a renovation to connect the townhouse in front to the carriage house studio.

The secret staircase that connects the townhouse to carriage house

MacDougal Alley

Lower level of the studio

Tour of the Historic Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Studio

See all upcoming Untapped Cities Behind the Scenes Tours.