The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the curators for its upcoming 2026 biennial exhibition: Marcela Guerrero, an expert in Latin American art, and Drew Sawyer, a photography curator who recently joined the Whitney after working at the Brooklyn Museum.
The Whitney Biennial, one of the most prominent exhibitions in the United States, has been held biennially at the Whitney Museum since its debut in 1973 (following an earlier annual format). It plays a significant role in shaping the contemporary art landscape both domestically and internationally, often generating considerable debate. Known for its high costs due to commissioned works and artists’ fees, the exhibition proves its worth with impressive attendance figures; the 2024 edition, which closes on August 11, has drawn nearly 400,000 visitors to the museum.
Guerrero was elevated from her role as assistant curator at the museum after the notable success of her exhibition *No existe un mundo poshuracán: Puerto Rican Art in the Wake of Hurricane Maria* (2022-23). This show, which made headlines as the first major scholarly exhibition on Puerto Rican art in the U.S. in 50 years, significantly contributed to her promotion. Sawyer made a notable impact at the Brooklyn Museum with his acclaimed exhibition *Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines* before joining the Whitney. His inaugural curatorial project there, *Mark Armijo McKnight: Decreation*, set to open on August 24, will showcase the emerging artist’s stark, corporeal black-and-white photography.
“I see the Biennial more and more as an engine that moves the whole museum forward,” Whitney director Scott Rothkopf told The New York Times. “They are both fantastic talent scouts who think broadly and are able to synthesise really interesting strands of contemporary art.”
Since its inception, the Biennial has featured over 3,600 artists and played a key role in advancing the careers of major art figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Glenn Ligon, and Julie Mehretu. Additionally, the exhibition has propelled the careers of curators, including New Museum director Lisa Phillips and Studio Museum in Harlem director Thelma Golden, who co-organized the 1993 Whitney Biennial.
As Guerrero and Sawyer begin planning for the 2026 edition, they are focusing on ambitious themes. “The institution has always been concerned with how we define America and American art,” Sawyer told The New York Times, “and how these definitions relate to the global context. With a presidential election on the horizon, a lot could change in the next two years. We’re all reflecting on this and considering what the future might bring.”
The 2026 Whitney Biennial will be the fourth time the exhibition is curated by a pair of in-house curators. The current edition was organized by Chrissie Iles, a museum curator, and Meg Onli, a Whitney curator-at-large who was based in Los Angeles at the time of her selection (Onli was an independent curator then). The 2022 edition was overseen by David Breslin, director of curatorial initiatives, and Adrienne Edwards, director of curatorial affairs. The tumultuous 2019 edition was curated by Whitney curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley.
