David Whitney, 66; Collector Had Key Role in N.Y. Art Community

David Whitney, 66, a curator and collector of contemporary art and the longtime companion of the late architect Philip Johnson, died Sunday of cancer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

A leading figure in the New York art scene, Whitney organized exhibitions of the work of Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and David Salle. Along the way, he amassed a collection of work by Johns, Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Frank Stella.

Whitney grew up in Worcester, Mass., and studied architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. He met Johnson in 1960 when the architect was giving a lecture at nearby Brown University. Their relationship soon began, and they remained together until Johnson’s death earlier this year at 98.