New York's Whitney Museum staged a smaller version of its influential annual show featuring up-and-coming American artists. Just 55 artists were showcased this year, a reduction due, in part, to the wobbly U.S. economy.

The curators didn't give the show a theme, but commented that "creepy" and "optimistic" described some of the submitted artworks. In the "creepy" category were James Casebere's photographs of too-perfect tract homes, images that bring to mind the neighborhoods hit hardest by the foreclosure epidemic.

Art incorporating audience interaction struck a chord of optimism while politically-themed works reflect "the collective frenzy" over the last presidential election.