The Whitney, which grew from the collections of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in the early 1930s, is dedicated to the advancement of contemporary artists and is known for its provocative exhibits as well as its invitation biennials, held since 1932, which attemplt to offer the public a representative cross section of the current American art scene. Its outstanding collection of 20C American art includes more than 18,000 works by such artists as Edward Hopper, Willem de Kooning, Louise Nevelson and Alexander Calder.