Is there anyone left in the world who thinks that aging icon Lou Reed is all sunshine and rainbows? The grumpy old man/legendary rock star was at it again this week when he "demanded the bar be shut down when he sang at Persol's Incognito design exhibit at the Whitney." The Daily News reports that he didn't want to hear those pesky bar noises as he performed, and once onstage he addressed his audience by shouting: "Shut the [bleep] up - you're talking too much!" That kind of outburst would have never flown at the Factory, man. Earlier this year he griped about a garage, maintenance facility and salt shed the city is planning for the corner of Washington and Spring Streets. Reed resides in a nearby penthouse with wife Laurie Anderson, and the couple are now part of a lawsuit against the city. more ›

The Whitney, being so modern, has joined forces with The Gap, the founders of which talked about opening their own museum just last summer. The retailers aren't quite trying to set up shop in the new downtown outlet, but they are getting their T's imprinted with famous artist designs thanks to the museum (and the nonprofit Art Production Fund). more ›

In March it was announced that The Whitney received a generous donation from Leonard A. Lauder (to the tune of $131 million). The donation came with a caveat -- they wouldn't be able to sell their Marcel Breuer building on Madison Avenue; however, it looks like they received the funding they needed to move forward with a satellite museum in the Meatpacking District. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

SHOP: Tonight head to Dumbo for an “Evening of Cheer,” where three neighborhood events coordinated by the Dumbo Improvement District will be taking place. "The night’s events combine Dumbo’s monthly cultural event, First Thursdays, with extended shopping hours and promotions by local retailers and the illumination of the Empire Stores in Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park by famed lighting designer Brendon Boyd." 6pm // Various location details here EVENT: Tonight some experts gather around to celebrate... more ›

The Observer points us to a new exhibit opening at the Whitney this month. "Television Delivers People" will feature video works from the 1970s to present day. The will be work from Alex Bag, Dara Birnbaum, Joan Braderman, Keren Cytter, Kalup Linzy, Richard Serra (yes, that Richard Serra), Michael Smith, and Ryan Trecartin. "The exhibition borrows its title from Richard Serra's video Television Delivers People (1973), which playfully pairs a Muzak soundtrack with a scrolling... more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

LISTEN UP: Last month we set up shop at White Rabbit, which was transformed into Gothamist House, with WOXY for 4 days of shows. Now WOXY has put together "Best of" podcasts from each of those days, and the first one is up -- so give a listen! Gothamist House Day 1.mp3 ART: First Friday's are so over, tonight come to Williamsburg for Every 2nd Friday. Pick up a copy of "the only comprehensive guide... more ›

COMEDY: This weekend marks the 9th Annual Del Close Marathon. Del Close, if you don't know by now, "was the driving force behind improvisational comedy in Chicago for over 30 years influencing Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Mike Myers, John Belushi, Chris Farley and the Upright Citizens Brigade to name a few." The annual weekend began after Del's passing in 1999. more ›

MUSIC: If you haven't checked out the Summer of Love exhibit at the Whitney, head over there after work and get a double dose of rock while you're at it. Tonight Dirty Projectors and Lucky Dragons take the stage at Whitney Live. Get there early to get in. Check out this "Take Away Show" in New York featuring the Dirty Projectors. more ›

EVENT: If you haven't taken a trip back to the Summer of Love yet, head over to the Whitney tonight for the exhibit and enjoy their Whitney Live event. DJ Scientific and Dana Leong will be providing the tunes. more ›

Videographer Kelly Loudenberg headed to the Whitney Museum for its Summer of Love exhibit opening party. She writes:

"Last night I attended the opening party for The Whitney's new exhibition, Summer of Love, Art of the Psychadelic Era. It was like a big reunion for the artists of this time. You could feel the LOVE. The exhibit includes film, photography, design, interactive media, underground magazines and press, and much more."

The Summer of Love is back, and taking over New York for a 40th anniversary celebration spanning museums, theaters and screens. The NY Times takes a look at what to expect during this retrospective celebration: more ›

SALE: Our recent interviewees at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are having a plant sale today and tomorrow. With .50 cent plants for kids and "new and exclusive varieties [of plants] from Monrovia Growers" for adults. Tomorrow at 10am there's a "Houseplants for Sun or Shade: guided shopping trip," so that may be a good time to go! more ›

"Good artists copy, great artists steal," quipped Pablo Picasso. Seemingly taking direction from the famous painter, two of the most prestigious art museums in New York have ironically similar exhibits featuring Picasso's works: The Whitney Museum of American Art has Picasso and American Art, while the Guggenheim Museum has Spanish Painting from El Greco to Picasso. Although the focus on place and the consortium of artists are different, both museums are strikingly similar in that they hang Picasso's works side-by-side with other artists' paintings to explore their similarities. more ›

Port Authority 9:45am, by Travis Ruse. more ›

The Whitney's third expansion plan in 20 years may be abandoned if it moves its addition to a site at the southern tip of the High Line. The space opened up after the Dia Art Foundation announced last week that it was not building a museum there. more ›

Happy Cinco de Mayo...while you're not eating guacamole, sipping on frozen margs and taking a whack at a Sparks filled pinata...you may want to do one of the following this weekend: more ›

Earth art is just one of those art movements that drives museums to drink. After all, how is one supposed to display or preserve often large scale natural works based on the concept of organic decay? For this reason, many earth artists sometimes seem to be neglected by major museums, in favor of their more easily exhibited contemporaries. However, this summer the Whitney is bucking that trend by presenting the first comprehensive American retrospective of the work of Robert Smithson. more ›

Upper East Side residents near the Whitney Museum are opposed to the proposed demoliton of townhouses on East 74th Street. The NY Post says that city officials are looking at a petition that suggests that razing the buildings "is irresponsible and unnecessary." The problem: The Whitney does own the buildings, but they are in a landmark district. You'd think that someone on Renzo Piano's team would have checked that out! Anyway, the main complaint from residents is that the nine-story addition is "out of proportion." Read: "We want our views back." After so many years of failed expansion projects, thanks to holdout tenants and funding issues, Gothamist imagines that the Whitney will prevail. At some point. more ›