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The Woodman Family Foundation was established by Betty Woodman (1930-2018) and George Woodman (1932-2017) during their lifetimes. Love of beauty was at the heart of their lives and art. In this spirit, the Foundation is dedicated to stewarding the artistic legacies of Betty, George, and their daughter, Francesca Woodman (1958-1981).

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NOW ON VIEW: Francesca Woodman in “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” and “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography,” 2024
NOW ON VIEW: Francesca Woodman in “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” and “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography,” 2024
This fall, check out two group exhibitions showcasing works by Francesca Woodman. Known for her performative approach to photography, Woodman stages the female body and intervenes in the environment to create narratives rich in metaphor.
Tools used by Betty Woodman and George Woodman: FROM THE ARCHIVES
Tools used by Betty Woodman and George Woodman: FROM THE ARCHIVES
October is American Archives Month and we are celebrating by looking at some of the tools of the trade used by George Woodman and Betty Woodman in our collection.
George Woodman's essay and photographs in The Ohio Review, No. 60, 1999: READING ROOM
George Woodman's essay and photographs in The Ohio Review, No. 60, 1999: READING ROOM
In 1999, The Ohio Review—a long-running literary journal published by the English Department at Ohio University—included a portfolio of thirteen photographs and an accompanying essay by George Woodman, appearing among pages of poetry, prose and fiction.
OPENING October 11: "OCEAN," Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark, 2024
OPENING October 11: "OCEAN," Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark, 2024
This exhibition delves into the depths where imagination meets reality, considering ways the sea has been a source of adventure and destruction throughout history.
Betty Woodman’s books on Japanese textiles and woodblock prints
Betty Woodman’s books on Japanese textiles and woodblock prints
Over the past few months, the Foundation delved into Betty Woodman's and George Woodman’s personal library as part of our ongoing work to build a study center. Betty Woodman’s books on Japanese textiles and woodblock prints, in particular, are extensively bookmarked, with pages cut and ripped away by the artist. She often amassed many of these books on her travels regardless of whether she could read the language, choosing instead to let the images weave themselves into her visual lexicon.
New Betty Woodman exhibitions, September 2024
New Betty Woodman exhibitions, September 2024
This month, explore two group exhibitions in New York showcasing diverse works by Betty Woodman from the 1990s and 2000s.
Rehan Miscki, The Woodman Family Foundation's Digital Imaging and Photography Manager: STAFF PICKS
Rehan Miscki, The Woodman Family Foundation's Digital Imaging and Photography Manager: STAFF PICKS
Hello, this is Rehan Miskci. I recently joined The Woodman Foundation as their Digital Imaging and Photography Manager. I’m lucky to be involved with Francesca, Betty and George Woodman’s works on a daily basis and oversee any image-based needs.
The Woodmans at the 1964 New York World's Fair: FROM THE ARCHIVES...
The Woodmans at the 1964 New York World's Fair: FROM THE ARCHIVES...
Sixty years ago, before they had traveled much of the world together, the Woodman family visited the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Micaela Walker, The Woodman Family Foundation's Archivist: STAFF PICKS
Micaela Walker, The Woodman Family Foundation's Archivist: STAFF PICKS
Becoming the archivist at the Woodman Family Foundation sometimes feels oddly inevitable to me. I was introduced to Francesca Woodman’s images as a photography major at RISD twenty years after her time there and remember being both besotted with and intimidated by her work.
Mallory O'Donoghue, The Woodman Family Foundation's Collections Researcher: STAFF PICKS
Mallory O'Donoghue, The Woodman Family Foundation's Collections Researcher: STAFF PICKS
As the Woodman Family Foundation’s Collections Researcher, I spend a good amount of my working hours digging around libraries and special collections scattered throughout New York City. I believe the artists of the Woodman Family Foundation were equally as inspired by this bustling and beautiful metropolis as I am.
Jennifer DiCocco, The Woodman Family Foundation's Registrar: STAFF PICKS
Jennifer DiCocco, The Woodman Family Foundation's Registrar: STAFF PICKS
As the Foundation’s registrar, I have the privilege of managing Betty, George, and Francesca Woodman’s artwork inventories. Though impossible to select a favorite object from such a prolific inventory, one of my favorite groups of works are Betty’s paintings on sketch paper.
Our archives intern Molly McBride Jacobson digs into unsorted family photographs from our archives: From the Archives...
Our archives intern Molly McBride Jacobson digs into unsorted family photographs from our archives: From the Archives...
The Woodman Family Foundation archives include boxes and boxes of family photographs, spanning the early days George and Betty spent in Albuquerque where they welcomed their son Charlie into the world; to their move to a modernist home in Boulder—the site of many birthday parties, pottery sales, impromptu installations of paintings and Francesca’s earliest experiments with “dress up;” until just a few years ago enjoying breakfast with their grandson Alexander in both New York and Antella.