Dear Friends,
Now more than ever, it is important that we stay connected as a community. Those members of our staff who can are working from home, striving to maintain the Frick’s characteristic intimacy by creating dynamic online programming that brings the collection to you. We invite you to discover curated content in our weekly email The Frick at Your Fingertips, which every Tuesday highlights new and engaging digital resources for your enjoyment.
This month, we launched Cocktails with a Curator, weekly video chats with Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon and Curator Aimee Ng, who offer timely reflections on beloved works of art from the permanent collection, along with a recipe for a complementary libation. Tune in Fridays at 5:00 p.m. to discover new works and revisit old favorites.
On Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m., members can enjoy priority access to Travels with a Curator, exciting virtual journeys to cultural and historic sites relevant to the Frick; episodes are available to the public the following week. Watch these and other talks and lectures at your leisure on our YouTube channel.
We are also proud to introduce Frick Connections, an online series that includes “Voices of the City,” an inspiring look at collaborations with our education partners, among them Columbia University’s Narrative Medicine Program and the East Harlem School. “Get Creative” offers writing and art-making activities to spark your imagination. We are also supporting remote learning with virtual school tours; to schedule a session, visit frick.org/schools.
While the Frick Art Reference Library is temporarily closed, it continues to provide online access to its important holdings, and staff members are hard at work on future projects. To that end, the library recently received a $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to complete digitization of 1.2 million photographs and accompanying documentation from the Photoarchive. Once digitized, these materials will be a vital free resource for students, scholars, and art history professionals worldwide.
Our thoughts are with the City’s selfless healthcare and emergency response workers, and I am pleased to report that members of our Conservation and Operations departments have donated gloves, masks, and other protective gear to help support their efforts. It is highly gratifying that the Frick was able to contribute in this small way.
Even as we remain distant, we are never disconnected. We will continue to keep you informed of museum and library news, and I encourage you to visit our website often as we publish new content regularly. Please reach out with any questions to info@frick.org. During these strange and stressful days, we are holding on to the important role that art plays in our lives. We remain committed as ever to our mission, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.
Stay well,
Ian Wardropper
Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director
