NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The studio of iconic pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, where he lived and worked until his death, will be donated to the Whitney Museum of Art, the museum announced this week in a joint press release with the artist’s widow, Dorothy Litchenstein.
“Thanks to Roy, this building has been the site for artistic and intellectual endeavors, both for himself and for the people who have long gathered here,” Dorothy Litchenstein said in the statement. “I can’t think of a more meaningful use for the studio than for the Whitney to carry his legacy far into the future, building on and expanding the role of the Foundation in supporting contemporary art and artists.”
The 9,000 square foot Washington Street building was initially constructed in 1912 as a metalworking shop. Lichtenstein purchased the building in 1987 and utilized it as his home and work studio until his 1997 death from pneumonia at age 73.
Since the artist’s death, the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation has used the building for different activities, including the preparation of the archives and creation of a catalogue of all of Litchensutein's art.
“This is a magnificent act of generosity on the part of Dorothy Lichtenstein and the Lichtenstein Estate and is all the more meaningful because of Roy’s history with the Whitney and the many times in recent years they have extended their hand to our museum,” said Adam D. Weinberg, director of the Whitney Museum. “We’re profoundly grateful to be entrusted with this major part of New York’s cultural heritage and are excited to keep Roy’s legacy vital through the programs of our Independent Study Program, which nurtures the next generation of artists, curators, and scholars.”
Lichtenstein and the Whitney have a long history that dates back to 1965 when the artist’s work was featured in both the 1965 Annual Exhibition and A Decade of American Drawings, 1955–1965, and continued through dozens more exhibitions through the years. Lichtenstein also led seminars in the Whitney’s Independent Study Program.
“The Whitney intends to relocate its highly selective Independent Study Program (ISP) into the building in summer 2023, during the year of Roy Lichtenstein’s centennial,” the release said. “During the summers, when not in use by ISP, the Museum expects to use the building for a diverse set of educational programs, including residencies, teacher training, and teen programs.”
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