PHOTOS: Inside the 2026 Whitney Gala

Shaggy and Verne Tessler. Jason Lowry/BFA.com

A fiery sunset lit up the skies over the Whitney Museum of American Art on Tuesday (May 19), as a vibrant mix of artists and industry insiders gathered for the 2026 Whitney Gala. A cornerstone of New York’s arts and philanthropy calendar, this year’s fundraising gala honored the contemporary visual artist Julie MeritoWhitney chair Vern Kay Tesler And Whitney’s former manager Adam Weinberg.

Merito recalled how exhibitions like “Black Male” at the Whitney Museum inspired her when she first moved to New York. “It is important for organizations to find ways to survive and continue to find ways to support artists,” she told the Observer, noting that “there is a lot of audience to reach” and “increasing accessibility.” “It’s part of how we develop and change culture,” she added.

Before dinner, guests entered a spacious elevator designed by Richard Archwager, where a bartender waited behind a pop-up bar and served drinks as they ascended to the eighth floor for cocktail hour. Waiters wandered through the crowd and around the zucchini wood arrangements inside the sky-lit space, serving up truffle-parmesan puffs and mini spicy hamachi tacos. Among the notable attendees mingling over appetizers were actors Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka and Stephanie March; Artists Anne Craven, Teresita Fernandez, Derek Fordjour, Rasheed Johnson, Fred Wilson, Lorna Simpson, Anna and Yant, Annika Yee and Jim Casper; Designers Stacy Bendet, Wes Gordon and June Ambrose; And singer and songwriter jewel.

Renata Assis, David Kancel and Amanda Cirillo on the dance floor. Carl Timpone/BFA.com

Despite the sweltering 90-degree heat of early New York summer, guests couldn’t help but enjoy the views from the balcony as the sun sank over the Hudson River. This included a fashion photographer and TV personality Nigel Parker and his wife, Christine Parker. “I’m literally a neighbor to the Whitney, I’ve lived two blocks away from it for years,” Nigel Parker said. “The space itself provides the opportunity for artists to express themselves in ways that other museums don’t, and their take on modern art in the way they give people a voice is wonderful. We were just looking at the biennale downstairs, and it was controversial; it’s in your face; it’s not always pretty, but it shows that there is a voice, and it gives a voice to the artists.”

Eventually, the enchanted crowd gathered again in the museum’s atrium for the evening’s main event, where rows of candlelit tables were decorated with yellow floral centerpieces. After emotional statements from the honorees – and $6.3 million raised to support the museum – guests enjoyed a surprise performance by the reggae musician. shaggyleading to an impromptu dance party that lasted late into the night.