The Whitney Museum of American Art is the world's leading museum of 20th-century and contemporary art of the United States. Focusing particularly on works by living artists, the Whitney is celebrated for presenting important exhibitions and for its renowned collection, which comprises over 21,000 works by more than 3,000 artists. With a history of exhibiting the most promising and influential artists and provoking intense debate, the Whitney Biennial, the museum's signature exhibition, has become the most important survey of the state of contemporary art in the United States.