The mission of the Andrea Frank Foundation is to enhance the legacies of the artists Robert Frank and June Leaf through the preservation, scholarship and the distribution of their works. We provide support to artists, curators, educators, students and cultural institutions.
The Andrea Frank Foundation (AFF) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization by the photographer and filmmaker Robert Frank and the artist June Leaf in honor of the memory of Robert Frank’s daughter, Andrea. Robert Frank and June Leaf, with the help of four friends, 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.
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, archives and some funds. June Leaf continues her art practice, working across several mediums. The Andrea Frank Foundation trustees and staff are currently working to create a complete inventory of the inherited assets.
2021 GRANTS
On the birthday of the late artist Robert Frank, the Andrea Frank Foundation (AFF) announced grants totaling $2M to 15 organizations across the United States, in support of exhibitions, fellowships and residencies, education programs, and major publishing initiatives. AFF’s 2021 grant-making includes a $1 million matching grant to the photography nonprofit and publisher Aperture to establish its first-ever endowment, dedicated to continuing Aperture’s nearly 70- year history of landmark publications.
In addition to the matching grant to Aperture, AFF awarded grants to the following institutions and nonprofit organizations:
- Addison Gallery of American Art (Andover, MA)
- Allen Memorial Art Museum (Oberlin, OH)
- Anthology Film Archives (New York, NY)
- Blue Mountain Center (Blue Mountain, NY)
- The Brooklyn Rail (Brooklyn, NY)
- The Drawing Center (New York, NY)
- The Grey Art Gallery at New York University (New York, NY)
- Hope and Heroes, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (New York, NY)
- Institute of Art and Sciences, University of California at Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)
- The Library of America (New York, NY)
- The MacDowell Colony (Peterborough, NH)
- The Museum of the City of New York (New York, NY)
- The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (Houston, TX)
- The Ross Museum, Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)
COPYRIGHT
Inquiries for the proper use of Robert Frank’s copyright, which is owned by the Andrea 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@andreafrankfoundation.org
DON'T BLINK - ROBERT FRANK - A DOCUMENTARY BY LAURA ISRAEL
The Andrea Frank Foundation 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
© The Andrea Frank Foundation, 2022