We are pleased to announce the launch of the fall 2016 issue of VoCA Journal, which focuses on the inspirations and motivations of progressive artist-endowed foundations. Contributors to this issue include leaders from the Jay DeFeo, Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Noah Purifoy and Dedalus foundations, with an Editor’s Note from Robin Clark. While they vary in size and scope, each of these organizations is predicated on the belief that preserving the legacy of their founding artists is not limited to the care and promotion of individual bodies of work, but also involves supporting future generations of artists and the communities in which they live.
In “Charting a Course for the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation,” Elizabeth Smith reflects on what has been achieved in the three years since she took the helm of the organization; a conversation between Jack Flam and Katy Rogers highlights guiding principles and activities of the Dedalus Foundation, which are inspired by Robert Motherwell’s interests in modernist literature, music, and dance, in addition to the visual arts; a roundtable conversation amongst colleagues at the Joan Mitchell Foundation surfaced shared interests in supporting arts education and community development; two articles track the evolution of the Noah Purifoy Foundation, beginning with a personal reflection from founding director Richard Cándida Smith and culminating in a dialogue between Richard and the Foundation’s current director, Joe Lewis; finally, in an interview with Robin Clark, Leah Levy discusses the development of the Jay DeFeo Foundation and describes her strategy for building a richer historical context for DeFeo’s work.
VoCA Journal is a digital information-sharing platform for artists and their collaborators. Our contributors—including fabricators, curators, conservators, registrars, art handlers, collectors, gallerists, and those responsible for artist estates and foundations—are invited to discuss innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches to the research, display, and conservation of contemporary art. Published three times yearly (fall, winter, and spring) VoCA Journal highlights and archives progressive artist-centered projects, thereby creating a dynamic repository for these initiatives while also connecting members of our network both locally and across the globe.
For more information about VoCA and our various programs, or to subscribe to our newsletter, please visit our website at www.voca.network or reach out to our Program Manager, Margaret Graham, at [email protected].
VoCA Journal—fall 2016
“Through the Sieve and the Lens of Scholarship: The Jay DeFeo Foundation,” Robin Clark with Leah Levy
“Charting a Course for the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation,” Elizabeth Smith
“Intergenerational Dialogues at the Dedalus Foundation,” Jack Flam and Katy Rogers
“Cultivating a Lifetime of Creativity: Reflections from the Joan Mitchell Foundation’s CEO & Program Team”
“Art is a Confrontation with a ‘Me’ that Needs Improving: The Beginnings of the Noah Purifoy Foundation,” Richard Cándida Smith
“Multiple Theoretical Directions: The Noah Purifoy Foundation Today,” Richard Cándida Smith with Joe Lewis
