Space. Tools. A forum in which to develop one’s individual artistic practice. The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (EFA) is dedicated to providing artists across all disciplines with all of the above. A catalyst for cultural growth, stimulating new interactions between artists, creative communities, and the public, the EFA is a vital organization in the NYC arts community. Learn more about one of Fractured Atlas’s newest Open Arts Network partners right here, right now, in this interview with Francine K. Affourtit, EFA’s Director of Program Development.

Who are the artist communities that the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts serves?

The artist communities we serve are primarily artists of New York City and the surrounding areas. However, there are often occasions that bring national and international artists to EFA to participate with one of our three program and interact with our community.

What programs and services do you provide for artists?

The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts is a community that is comprised of three Programs: The Studio Program, The Project Space, and The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. All three programs are housed in our Midtown Manhattan location at 323 West 39th Street:

The EFA Studio Program was created to provide affordable studio space within a community of artists, facilitate career development, and promote public and critical exposure for our members. EFA Studios seeks to foster artistic community and open exchange between artists, curators, dealers and the public to promote the continued influence of artist communities inside Manhattan.

The Studio Program provides artists the rare opportunity to work in a professional arts community inside Manhattan and in close proximity to the city’s primary gallery districts. Unique among studio programs in New York City, EFA is one of the few remaining arts organizations still providing long-term workspace in Manhattan. Our member artists create work in wide range of media and artistic sensibilities creating a vibrant and diverse community of peers.

A multidisciplinary art venue re-imagined from the EFA Gallery, EFA Project Space was launched in September 2008 with a focus on the investigation of the creative process, aiming to provide dynamic exchanges between artists, cultural workers, and the public.

EFA Project Space presents a rigorous series of exhibitions and programs that expand the discourse beyond the gallery. We collaborate with a diverse range of organizations, curators and artists to provide a comprehensive and critical perspective on creative practices. Artistic merit is the first criteria, and a major aspect of the program’s development is ongoing outreach to the myriad individuals and institutions effectively shaping culture today.

The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (RBPMW) is a co-operative printmaking workspace that provides professional-quality printmaking facilities to artists and printmakers of every skill level. We are committed to inspiring and fostering a racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse artistic community dedicated to the making of fine art prints in an environment that embraces technical and aesthetic exploration, innovation and collaboration.

We seek to improve the overall quality of fine art printmaking by providing low cost, unfettered access to printers, equipment, and education. It is our belief that focusing on the art first, that happens to be a print, allows for more innovative printmaking and leads to greater exchange of ideas and cultures between members. Robert Blackburn created a welcoming and supportive creative environment with a spirit of openness that serves as the backbone of the workshop today.

Can you give us a brief history of the RBPMW?

The Printmaking Workshop (PMW) was founded in 1948 by Robert Blackburn for the purpose of providing printmaking facilities and collaborative opportunities to any artist. Blackburn pioneered new techniques in fine art lithography with artists Will Barnet, Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden among others in his workshop throughout the 50’s. In 1957, while still running PMW, Blackburn became the first Master Printer for Universal Limited Art Editions where he collaborated with and introduced printmaking to artists Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, and Robert Motherwell. Blackburn’s innovative spirit and generosity made him an excellent collaborator and teacher.

PMW incorporated as a not-for-profit in 1971 where Blackburn began expanding the reach and the goals of the workshop. Fellowship programs to bring in artists from around the globe changed the dynamic of the studio and helped to spread printmaking workshops to South Africa, Morocco, Ghana, and Australia. The workshop served as the training ground for many printers working in the premier publishing printshops and gave artists their first introduction into the New York City art scene.

In 2003 Robert Blackburn willed the Printmaking Workshop to the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts with the expressed purpose that the workshop would live on, continuing to support all artists regardless of race, gender, creed or socioeconomic background. It was through a mutual desire to help artists make their work that EFA Executive Director Jane Stephenson and Robert Blackburn came to an agreement that breathed new life into one of the most culturally important institutions in New York City. Banded together, RBPMW is now a program of EFA and reaches more than 7,000 people per year from countries all over the world.

What is one fact about your organization that you wish was more widely known?

The wealth of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts is the fact that it consists of these three unique and individual programs that bring together artists and cultural providers from different experiences and interests into a single community. While each program appeals to a different set of needs from our constituencies, together we create a rich community dedicated to fostering and developing artistic practice.

Have you seen an increase in demand for any of your many services in particular during these tough economic times?

We have had a steady increase in demand as the Foundation has become more well known by the greater the artist community.

When and how do you know that you are succeeding in your mission?

We succeed in our mission every day by keeping our programs and services running and available to the community.

How can people get involved with The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts?

We have several classes, events, exhibitions and opportunities for the public to utilize at EFA:

Short-Term Deviation: September 23- October 23, 2010. This collaboration with the print publication Showpaper — which crossbreeds music, art and D.I.Y. culture — will be a month-long exhibition, publication, video and music event. The gallery space will be transformed into a combination artist-crafted performance space, zine library, and video screening room.

Open Studios 2010 will be held October 14th - 16th.

The Fall Member Show at Blackburn 20|20 is an exhibition featuring the work of current RBPMW members and showcasing a variety of fine art printmaking techniques: lithographs, etchings, woodcuts, artist books and digital prints.

The RBPMW Fall Class Schedule is also available online.

In addition, artists who would like to apply for membership in the Studio Program can get more information about our application process on our website.

Any artist who would like to become a member of the printshop can visit the shop during open hours. More information about becoming a RBPMW member is available on our website.

* * * * *
If you are an arts organization based in the United States with 50 or more members, or if you have a defined constituency of 50+ artists who you support, you may be eligible to participate in Fractured Atlas’s Open Arts Network. Contact Adam Natale for more information: adam.natale@fracturedatlas.org, 212-277-8023.