Photo: John Colombo

What would Warhol do? If you think we ask that question from time to time here at The Andy Warhol Museum, you’re right. Call it an occupational must.

Consider this, though: A great many contemporary artists wonder about the same thing, most without even knowing it, thanks to Andy Warhol’s infiltration of the art world—in all its mediums—throughout his decades of incredible productivity. So when the Metropolitan Museum of Art contacted us about collaborating on an exhibition featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary art whose works, in varying ways, are responses to or reflections of the Warhol aesthetic, we said “count us in.”

Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years provides a rare opportunity to see 100 works created by generations of artists hung alongside paintings, sculpture, and films created by their direct or indirect inspiration, Andy Warhol. And we didn’t skimp on the chance to add our own twist to the show, which includes plenty of additional works by Warhol.

Another occupational must and rare treat in guiding The Andy Warhol Museum is the chance to continually interact with so many living artists who can attest to the Warhol Effect: from Deborah Kass, who worked with us on her retrospective last year, to performance artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (coming this summer), to Japanese appropriation artist Yasumasa Morimura (coming this fall). These artists thoroughly enjoy visiting the house of Warhol, just as much as we enjoy traveling Warhol’s work worldwide and communicating with a half a million museum followers on Twitter. It’s a testament that the Warhol Effect extends far beyond artists and arts organizations.

That’s why, over the next two years, we’ll be making some changes at The Warhol that will more overtly celebrate our namesake and his impact on the world. Our goal is to make The Warhol the coolest museum in the world; a place where staff love to work and the masses clamor to visit. We know Andy would approve.

In the works for 2014 is a facelift that will put more Warhol on our walls, and for the first time in museum history provide a chronological look at Warhol’s career. And we’ll be moving the café upstairs to the main floor to make it a destination of its own.

But please don’t wait that long to visit us. Come channel your inner-Andy in our Factory, now open seven days a week, and see for yourself Andy’s lasting influence in Regarding Warhol.

Eric C. Shiner
Director, The Andy Warhol Museum