whitney-museum-mcp-server

Search Whitney events

whitney_search_events

Read-onlyIdempotent

Find Whitney Museum events by title, date range, or custom filters to locate talks, tours, and public programs from 2008 onward.

Instructions

Search Museum events — talks, tours, public programmes and so on — going back to 2008. This list is largely comprehensive.

Args:

title (string, optional): substring match
filters (object, optional): raw Ransack predicates
sort (string, optional): e.g. 'start_time desc'
starts_on_or_after / starts_on_or_before (string, optional): ISO dates (YYYY-MM-DD) filtering on start_time
page (number, default 1), limit (number, 1-30, default 10)
response_format ('markdown' | 'json', default 'markdown')

Returns: { total, count, page, has_more, next_page?, results[] }

As with exhibitions, fields are passed through generically. Sort by 'start_time desc' for the most recent programming.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`page`	No	1-based page number; the API returns 30 records per page
`sort`	No	Ransack sort string, e.g. 'start_time desc', 'title asc', or 'random'
`limit`	No	Maximum records to return from the fetched page (1-30). Keep this low unless you need the detail — Whitney records are verbose.
`title`	No	Words appearing in the title
`filters`	No	Raw Ransack predicates, e.g. { "title_cont": "moon", "classification_eq": "Paintings" }. Matchers: _eq, _not_eq, _cont, _not_cont, _cont_all_split, _true, _false, _gt, _gteq, _lt, _lteq.
`response_format`	No	Output format: 'markdown' for reading, 'json' for machine processing	markdown
`starts_on_or_after`	No	ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD); keep records starting on or after this date
`starts_on_or_before`	No	ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD); keep records starting on or before this date

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`note`	No	Advisory note about trimming or pagination
`page`	Yes	Page that was fetched
`count`	Yes	Records returned in this response
`total`	Yes	Total matching records across all pages
`source`	Yes	Attribution for the data, as the Whitney's terms ask for
`results`	Yes	The records
`has_more`	Yes	Whether further pages exist
`next_page`	No	Page number to request next

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Aug 26, 2026

TDQS

A3.9/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already establish read-only, idempotent, non-destructive behavior, so the bar is lower. The description adds meaningful behavioral context: coverage back to 2008, generic field passthrough ('As with exhibitions'), pagination semantics via the Returns block, and the effect of response_format. It does not contradict the annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is about 120 words and front-loads the core purpose in the first sentence. The Args and Returns blocks are compact and avoid redundancy, though the phrase 'As with exhibitions' is a reference that may require cross-tool knowledge. Overall it is appropriately sized for an 8-parameter tool.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a read-only search tool with an output schema, full parameter descriptions, and strong annotations, the description is nearly complete: it states the resource, temporal coverage, filtering dimensions, pagination fields, and a sorting recommendation. The only gap is reliance on an unspecified sibling ('As with exhibitions') and absence of explicit use-case boundaries, but these are minor against the schema and output schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%: every parameter already has a precise description, defaults, and constraints in the input schema. The description's Args section mostly restates these (e.g., 'ISO dates (YYYY-MM-DD)', '1-30, default 10') with only small additions like 'substring match' for title. Therefore it adds marginal value beyond the schema, warranting the baseline 3.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Description opens with 'Search Museum events' — a specific verb and resource — and elaborates with examples ('talks, tours, public programmes') and temporal scope ('going back to 2008'). This clearly distinguishes it from sibling tools like whitney_search_exhibitions and whitney_search_artworks, which target different resources. The resource and purpose are unambiguous.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description gives operational advice ('Sort by start_time desc for the most recent programming') and notes the list is 'largely comprehensive', but it does not explicitly say when to choose events over exhibitions, artworks, or guides, nor when not to use it. Alternative tools are only implied via 'As with exhibitions'. No exclusionary usage guidance is provided.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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