M.F.A. Students in NYC
department of art m.f.a. students travelled to new york with the frankenthaler foundation
Thanks to the generosity of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the UCLA Department of Art has a new fellowship for M.F.A. painting students. In October, six M.F.A. students led by faculty members Silke Otto-Knapp and Rebecca Morris had the opportunity to visit New York at the invitation of the Foundation to learn more about Frankenthaler and her work.
Through visits to foundation and an exhibition of Frankenthaler’s work at the Parrish Art Museum in the Hamptons students gained a more in-depth and up-close look at Frankenthaler’s work and legacy. “Since being a recipient of the grant,” said M.F.A. student Alex Heilbron. “I have found a connection to Frankenthaler’s paintings, especially in their honesty and simplicity. Her work is technically and formally almost the complete opposite of the work that I make, and I feel that there is a lot to learn from it.”
The trip to New York also afforded students the opportunity to visit the Pollock/Krasner house in the Springs, the home and studio of the artist Mary Heilmann, and the Dia Art Foundation’s Dan Flavin Art Institute in Bridgehampton. Another day was spent in New York City, visiting the newly expanded and reinstalled galleries at the Museum of Modern Art—that featured a painting by Professor Otto-Knapp, as well as the Met Breuer Museum where an exhibition of work by Vija Celmins ’65 is currently on view.
“Not only did our trip to New York provide the opportunity to learn about and experience great artwork together in a new setting, but it strengthened our community,” said Professor Silke Otto-Knapp. “The extended time together outside of the studio and classroom allowed us to engage in the kind of informal and spontaneous discussions that are critical to an artist’s practice and education.”