Deputy Director, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation

THE FOUNDATION

Mission

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports the artist’s legacy through a variety of initiatives including exhibitions, loans of artworks, research and publications, conservation, grants, educational programs for the public and the scholarly community, and the publishing of a catalogue raisonné. It is dedicated to promoting greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts.

Established and endowed by the artist during her lifetime (1928-2011), the Foundation became active in 2013 on the closing of Frankenthaler’s estate. As the principal beneficiary of Frankenthaler’s estate, the Foundation maintains an extensive collection of her work in a variety of mediums as well as her collection of works by other artists and original papers and materials pertaining to her life and work.

Exhibitions and the Collection

Since becoming active, the Foundation has participated in numerous exhibitions in the United States and Europe with loans of work by Frankenthaler from its collection of her paintings, works on paper, prints, and sculpture and her collection of work by other artists. Several additional exhibitions are currently in the planning stages between now and 2028. The Foundation is also selectively placing works from the collection as long-term loans or gifts to museums.

Publications and Scholarship

The Foundation maintains and is in the process of cataloguing an extensive collection of archives and papers. It assists scholars, curators, and writers with research and fact-checking on Frankenthaler and her work. It also holds Frankenthaler’s copyright and provides images and information for publications as requested.

Educational Programs

The Foundation began to generate education programs early in its life as an active entity. It has held programs on-site, off-site, and online, often in collaboration with museum, gallery, and/or university partners. It also helps support programs at partner or grantee institutions; foremost among them is Bennington College’s Visual Arts Program and its Museum Fellows Term.

Catalogue Raisonné

The Foundation established the Helen Frankenthaler Catalogue Raisonné LLC to undertake documentation of Frankenthaler’s complete body of work in paintings and works on paper, as well as to update the existing catalogue raisonné of her prints (published in 1994).

Grants

Between 2014 and 2021, the Foundation gave more than $25 million in grants to organizations, including through special initiatives such as the Frankenthaler Prints Initiative, Frankenthaler Scholarships for MFA and PhD students, COVID-19 Relief, Equity and Justice, and the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative. Several of these are ongoing programs.

For more information about the Foundation, visit https://www.frankenthalerfoundation.org and its Instagram page: @helenfrankenthalerfoundation.

THE POSITION

Celebrating an exciting first decade of ambitious growth, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation is happy to announce the creation of a Deputy Director position to enable the Foundation and its Executive Director to continue and expand the Foundation’s efforts.

An intelligent, energetic, and engaging team player with substantial art world experience and a strong managerial track record, the Deputy Director will help execute the priorities of, and work closely with, the Executive Director and staff to advance exhibitions and publications, philanthropy and programs, and the gifting and loan of artworks to museums and other institutions. They will provide critical administrative and operational support, managerial acumen, and counsel to the Executive Director to help identify opportunities that align with Foundation goals, refine areas of programmatic interest, and develop policies and procedures to uphold and promote the Foundation’s mission and objectives.

The Deputy Director will be accountable for the following ongoing areas of responsibility.

Overview

As a member of the senior team, work in close partnership with the Executive Director to fulfill the mission of the Foundation and to execute the goals and plans of the Foundation leadership.

Provide administrative and follow-up support to the Executive Director to advance and expand the activities of the Foundation.

Work collaboratively with other team members at the Foundation to fulfill its mission and goals.

Develop and nurture ongoing and future partner relationships through effective oral and written communication.

Work with the Executive Director to develop and execute new programs and to expand the reach of exhibitions, publications, and philanthropy.

Management and Administration

Develop and monitor agreements, timelines, and workflow to ensure the successful and timely outcome of exhibitions and projects related to the Foundation’s artistic mission, supporting the efforts of the Executive Director and staff. Assist as needed with exhibition and project execution.

In partnership with the Executive Director, assume administrative responsibility for internal operations and contribute informed solutions to operational and programmatic challenges and demands.

Continually assess the efficiency of management systems; effectively maximize use of the Executive Director’s limited time; likewise, assess and advocate for necessary human and financial resources to serve the Foundation’s constituents efficiently and with impact.

Help develop and administer the annual budget.

In collaboration with the Executive Director, develop and ensure the sound management of ongoing philanthropic and programmatic initiatives and assume administrative responsibility for these; collaborate with the Foundation leadership and team to develop new philanthropic and programmatic strategies, program goals, initiatives, and metrics to evaluative success.

Propose and manage a slate of public educational programs to be realized in partnership with museums and/or institutions connected to Foundation exhibitions, publications, or philanthropic initiatives (in-person or online), as well as standalone events.

Oversee compliance with all local, state, and federal requirements, assuring that the Foundation maintains its tax-exempt status and good standing as a charitable organization.

Development and Communications

Assist the Executive Director and the Foundation’s communications team to guide and grow the Foundation’s public presence using both traditional media and innovative technologies, and through appropriate and consistent promotion of its programs and grants through press placement and via the Foundation’s existing communication channels.

Lead a website update for the Foundation in collaboration with staff and consultants (website designer and communications team); edit at least one issue of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation newsletter annually.

Research and implement a Helen Frankenthaler Foundation internship program; assume leadership for a staff task force for DEIA learning and one for sustainability issues in the workplace, aligning each with ongoing Foundation strategic and philanthropic objectives.

Requirements

IDEAL EXPERIENCE

The Deputy Director should be or have the following experience and qualifications.

Credibility and substantial experience in the art world and with its institutions; able to make informed and current contributions to conversations and strategic discussions pertinent to the Foundation’s efforts and the field overall.

An understanding of the strategies and mechanics of grantmaking (a plus).

A proven, pragmatic, and personable facilitator and multitasker with experience successfully managing operations and the fiscal affairs of a program; ability to create and follow budgets; detail-oriented and organized.

A demonstrated commitment to the core values and philanthropic philosophy of the Foundation; strong analytical skills and knowledge of current issues, principal theories and strategies, leading thinkers, and major concerns in arts and culture.

Culturally competent with a professional record of foregrounding values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Strong oral and written communications skills as a foundation representative with existing networks and a reputation in good standing within the visual arts.

Excellent social skills; personable, with an ability to cultivate and nurture partnerships with a wide variety of constituents; collaborative and yet also able to work well independently.

Comfortable and enthusiastic about working in a small, informal, and highly collaborative office culture characterized by equity, transparency, creativity, and excellence.

Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, which is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.