Though they lacked the precision of computerized analysis, the surveys of painting and sculpture staged by the Whitney Museum of American Art have long been considered the U.S. art world's Gallup poll. They attracted the whole spectrum of artistic talent, accurately forecast which schools and techniques were gaining popularity. But because the Whitney is a Manhattan museum with limited funds to comb the nation for prospects, critics have charged that the Annuals reflected the fast-changing Manhattan gallery scene but not the nation at large.
With this year's painting exhibit, no such complaint is heard. Helped by a $155,000, five-year Ford Foundation grant,...
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