Artists Legacy Foundation

ARTISTS' LEGACY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHARON TANENBAUM

October 18, 2011, OAKLAND, CA—The Board of Directors of the Artists' Legacy Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Sharon Tanenbaum, a leader in the arts and nonprofit sectors, as the new executive director of the Artists' Legacy Foundation (ALF).

Artists Squeak Carnwath and Viola Frey incorporated the Foundation in 2000 to fulfill their vision of supporting and encouraging fellow painters and sculptors. Acclaimed for presenting its annual Artist Award to important artists, the Foundation also protects and promotes the legacy of deceased Foundation artists and supports the visual arts through a wide range of educational programs. Tanenbaum's appointment fills the position of outgoing executive director, Diane Frankel, who led the Foundation from 2005 to 2011 and inaugurated the Foundation's prestigious Artist Award program.

Board President Squeak Carnwath comments "We are fortunate to have found an individual as aligned with and deeply invested in the Artists' Legacy Foundation as Sharon Tanenbaum. With her visionary leadership, her experience in producing exhibitions, publications, and education programs, her long-term commitment to supporting a wide range of visual artists, and her tenacity, professionalism, and enthusiasm for the arts, she is the ideal steward and executive director for the Artists' Legacy Foundation. We are thrilled to welcome her as the new leader of the Foundation."

Working in the nonprofit arts sector since the early 1980's, most recently as executive director of the celebrated nonprofit gallery, SF Camerawork, Tanenbaum has developed a reputation as a groundbreaking and respected leader in the arts community. She is noted for her long-term passion for supporting the arts and artists--from her early years at Hospitality House, where she developed a unique open-door art studio for low-income painters and sculptors to her more recent initiatives at SF Camerawork, where she expanded the exhibitions and education programs, established resources and awards for artists, commissioned the creation of new works, and presented programs in partnership with notable foundations, including The San Francisco Foundation and the Andy Warhol Foundation.

Recognized for her leadership in the field, Tanenbaum has been a featured speaker at The Commonwealth Club and on National Public Radio, and she frequently serves as a grant review panelist for private foundations and public agencies, such as the Center for Cultural Innovation, the California Arts Council, and the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Commenting on her appointment, Tanenbaum notes, "Among the many reasons I am enthusiastic about serving as executive director of the Artists' Legacy Foundation is the organization's future growth potential. I'm eager to lead the Foundation into its next chapter and look forward to launching an array of educational programs and providing increased support to artists." Noting that the Foundation's programs were established with backing from Viola Frey's estate after her death in 2004, Tanenbaum adds, "I've long been a huge fan of Frey's work and I'm honored to be in a position to champion her legacy."

DIANE B. FRANKEL STEPPING DOWN; SUCCESSOR SOUGHT

Diane Frankel announced she will step down as Executive Director of the Artists' Legacy Foundation (ALF) at the end of August, 2011.

Squeak Carnwath, ALF's president, said "Since Diane accepted the position in 2005 she has done a spectacular job. Originally she promised to stay two years and we are grateful that she has stayed nearly six years. As ALF's founding Executive Director, Diane received the estate of sculptor Viola Frey; she created the annual Artist Award program; she worked with museums and galleries on exhibitions of Frey's work; she began an education program; she developed ALF's website; and she managed the day to day operations of the foundation. She will be a hard act to follow."

At this juncture, the ALF board has decided to make the Executive Director position full time, rather than half time, and has conducted a search for the right person to take the foundation to the next level.

Before coming to ALF, Frankel had twenty-five years of experience in the non-profit cultural arena, serving as the director of graduate programs in museum studies at John F. Kennedy University (1980-85) and the founding director of the Bay Area Discovery Museum (1986-93). As an appointee of President Clinton, she headed the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, DC (1993-99). Upon her return to San Francisco, Frankel directed the Children, Youth, and Families Program at the James Irvine Foundation (1999-2003). She has served as president of ArtTable (2003) and president of the di Rosa art preserve (2005). Currently Frankel serves on the board of the Alliance of Artists Communities and is chair of the board of the San Francisco Art Institute.

BIGGER, BETTER, MORE: THE ART OF VIOLA FREY

The Artists' Legacy Foundation is proud to offer the catalogue, "Bigger, Better, More: The Art of Viola Frey" for purchase. The catalogue was published in April 2009 in conjunction with the exhibition organized by the Racine Art Museum in Wisconsin and the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Ontario. It includes essays by Davira S. Taragin, curator of the exhibition, and Patterson Sims, former director of the Montclair Museum of Art. Both essays offer never-before-published facts and fresh interpretations of both Frey's life and her art. The book contextualizes her work within the San Francisco Bay Area art scene and within twentieth-century art and ceramics generally. A comprehensive chronology provides an overview of Frey's exhibition history, and a list of selected collections illustrates the breadth of interest in her work. The catalogue is available in both hard cover and soft cover, payable via PayPal.

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