Weitzman Fine Arts at the Whitney Biennial 2026

This year’s Whitney Biennial—the exhibition’s eighty-second edition—offers a powerful lens on the evolving currents of art in the United States. Bringing together an intergenerational and international group of fifty-six artists, duos, and collectives, the Biennial explores what it means to define something as “American,” while engaging themes of identity, ecology, technology, and global interconnectedness. 

We are proud to highlight the work and voices of Weitzman faculty and alumni featured in this year’s exhibition. The afternoon will conclude with an engaging artist talk featuring David L. Johnson (MFA’20), Michelle Lopez, associate professor of Fine Arts, and Emilio Martínez Poppe (MFA’22). 

This intimate gathering offers a unique opportunity to reconnect with fellow alumni, engage with contemporary artistic discourse, and celebrate the impact of the Weitzman Fine Arts community on a national stage. 

Free admission to the Whitney Biennial will be provided at check-in. Registration is required to attend as capacity is limited for this event.  Register by Friday, 4/17/2026 to reserve your spot!

This event is hosted by the Department of Fine Arts.   

About:  

David L. Johnson (MFA’20) has upcoming exhibitions at Theta, New York; Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin; and Storefront for Art and Architecture (Public Commission), New York. His work was included in recent group exhibitions at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris and Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago, and is held in the public collection of The Studio Museum in Harlem. Johnson is an adjunct professor at The Cooper Union. 

Michelle Lopez, associate professor of Fine Arts, is an interdisciplinary sculptor and installation artist. Her installations bring together precarious assemblages with materials such as steel rope, pulled glass, bent wood, and street rubble, and draw from the histories of industrialization, art movements, and the built environment. Earlier this fall, a major exhibition of Lopez’s work was on view at the Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design. Other recent solo exhibitions were mounted at Commonwealth & Council, Los Angeles, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia. Lopez holds a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts, New York, and a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College, Columbia University, New York. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Pew Fellowship. 

Emilio Martínez Poppe (MFA’22) is an artist and educator whose work is concerned with the right to the city and the struggle of public space. Earlier this year, Poppe’s Civic Views, a public art project celebrating Philadelphia’s municipal employees, was installed in the Philadelphia City Hall courtyard. Other recent exhibitions include the Queens Museum, CUE Art Foundation, and The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York. Poppe is a visiting assistant professor at the Pratt Institute 

If you have questions or need assistance, please e-mail weitzman-alumni@design.upenn.edu.