The Whitney Celebrates Julie Mehretu and Raises Millions for the Museum

The Whitney Museum of American Art hosted its annual spring gala Tuesday night, bringing together artists, collectors, patrons, and downtown New York regulars for an evening honoring Julie Mehretu, Whitney Board Chair Fern Kaye Tessler, and Director Emeritus Adam D. Weinberg. The benefit raised $6.3 million in support of the museum’s exhibitions, educational programming, and free admission initiatives.

Fittingly for an institution that has long cultivated a close-knit patron and leadership network, the evening also reflected a broader museum-world tendency toward honoring figures from within its own orbit, with all three honorees deeply tied to the Whitney itself.

Held across multiple floors of the museum’s Meatpacking District building, the evening began with cocktails at sunset overlooking the Hudson before guests sat down for a formal dinner and tributes to the honorees. Much of the night centered on Mehretu’s impact on the institution, particularly her support of the Whitney’s free admission program for visitors under 25.

The attendees included a strong contingent of Palm Beach regulars, among them Kimberly and Neil Bluhm, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Sean MacPherson, Nicola and Jeff Marcus, Laurie Tisch, Maynard Monrow, Bronson van Wyck, Stefano Tonchi and David Maupin, Bobbi Brown, and Wes Gordon. 

Later in the evening, two-time Grammy Award winner Shaggy took the stage, drawing guests out of their seats and onto the dance floor, closing out a night that celebrated Julie Mehretu’s immense influence on contemporary art, as well as the Whitney’s longstanding role as an institution committed to championing living artists and pushing the boundaries of American culture.