By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MEATPACKING DISTRICT — The Whitney Museum of Art won't officially move downtown until 2015, but staffers will spend a little quality time getting to know the neighborhood with an array of community activities Saturday.
The Whitney's Community Day kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with an open house at the site of the future six-story building, near the Gansevoort Street entrance to the High Line. Freebies for passersby include a limited edition guide to the neighborhood by mapmaking artist Lize Mogel, who will also lead historical tours at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
For the Whitney, the mission for Saturday's schedule of events is two-fold — introducing residents to the museum's curatorial mix, and also giving back to a neighborhood that invited them in.
"The community has been unbelievably supportive of this new building project," said Rich Flood, marketing and communications officers for the museum. "One of our goals here is really to thank them for the warm welcome."
Family-friendly events run through the afternoon, including guided tours of the High Line (leaving from the Chelsea Market Passage from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.) and chak drawing sessions (noon to 4 p.m. at the Westbeth Artists' Housing Courtyard, 155 Bank Street).
The festivities will wrap up with a pair of evening events. The 21 and older crowd can hit a "Dance Party of the Future" hosted by artist collective "Cheryl" (7 p.m. to midnight at the Maritime Hotel).
Chelsea art lovers looking for a less frenetic Saturday night can watch Whitney Biennial artist Kate Gilmore's construction-themed video "Standing Here," projected onto the Standard Hotel (8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., view from the Standard's plaza or the High Line at 13th Street).
"We're really excited," Flood said of the Community Day programming slate. "We put a lot of work into it, and I hope we have a nice turnout."
