PHOTOS: Inside the 2026 Whitney Gala

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Shaggy and Fern Tessler. Jason Lowrie/BFA.com

A fiery sunset lit the sky above the Whitney Museum of American Art on Tuesday (May 19), as a 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 fundraiser honored a contemporary visual artist Julie MehretuWhitney board chair Fern Kaye Tessler and Whitney's former director Adam Weinberg.

Mehretu recalled how shows like “Black Male” at the Whitney inspired her when she first moved to New York. “It's important that institutions find ways to survive and continue to find ways to support artists,” he told the Observer, noting that “there are more audiences to reach” and “more discoveries to be made.” He added, “It's part of how we develop and change the culture.”

Before dinner, guests entered a spacious elevator designed by Richard Artschwager, where a bartender waited behind a pop-up bar and served drinks as they ascended to the eighth floor for cocktail hour. Waiters meandered through the crowd and tossed around arrangements of kousa dogwood inside the sky-lit space, offering truffle-parmesan-sprayed, steaming hamachi mini tacos. Notable guests mingling with hors d'oeuvres included the cast Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka again Stephanie March; singers Ann Craven, Teresita Fernandez, Derek Fordjour, Rashid Johnson, Fred Wilson, Lorna Simpson, Anna Weyant, Anicka Yi again Jim Casebere; designers Stacey Bendet, Wes Gordon again June Ambrose; and singer-songwriter A gem.

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

Despite the sweltering 90-degree heat in early New York summer, guests couldn't help but admire the views from the terrace as the sun set over the Hudson. This included a fashion photographer and a TV celebrity Nigel Barker and his wife, Kristen Barker. “I'm actually a Whitney neighbor—I've lived two blocks away for years,” said Nigel Barker. “The space itself gives artists the opportunity to express themselves in a way that other museums don't, and their kind of contemporary art in the way that it gives people a voice stands out.

Finally, the lavish crowd reconvened in the museum's lobby for the evening's main event, where rows of candlelit tables were decorated with yellow flowers. After warm words from the dignitaries—and $6.3 million raised to support the museum—guests were treated to a surprise performance by the reggae singer. Shaggystarting an unprecedented dance party that lasted well into the night.