Mission
The mission of The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation is to preserve, conserve and share the artistic legacies of June Leaf and Robert Frank. During their fifty years of marriage, June and Robert created art across the disciplines of painting, photography, sculpture and film. While the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, the board and its advisors are committed to gift, sell and loan works to both cultural and educational institutions. We will also be distributing monetary grants. The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation supports exhibitions, endowments, publications and internships.
History
The Foundation was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization by the artists June Leaf and Robert Frank. Together with the help of four friends, they began their philanthropic work by awarding grants to help support photographers, filmmakers, students, curators and cultural institutions. Among the recipients of these early grants were the photographer Judith Joy Ross and the filmmaker Miranda July. Institutions that received grants to support their endowments and programing included: The Studio Museum of Harlem, Visual Studies Workshop, Anthology Film Archives, Yale University School of Art and the New York City Public Schools. Grants were also awarded in support of publications, including a catalogue for the photographer Louis Faurer’s retrospective at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. More recently, support has been awarded to Aperture, The Drawing Center, The Institute of Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, The Grey Art Gallery and The Ross Art Museum at Ohio Wesleyan.
Robert Frank passed on September 9, 2019, leaving a bequest to the Foundation of his own artwork, artworks by many of his friends, his copyright, papers, and archives. June Leaf continues her art practice, working across several mediums.
Copyright
Inquiries for the proper use of Robert Frank’s copyright, which is owned by The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation, as well as requests for research access and the licensing of holdings and possible loans, may be requested. Inquiries may be addressed to info@leaffrankfoundation.org
Trustees
Jock Reynolds, President
Artist, curator, former director of Yale University Art Gallery
Clark Winter, Treasurer
Artist, global investment strategist
Alice Attie, Secretary
Artist, educator