L to R: Betty Woodman. "Balustrade Relief Vase: 30," 1991, 55 x 38 x 8 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York | Installation view, "Drop, Cloth," Hollis Taggart Gallery, New York, 2025. Image courtesy Hollis Taggart Gallery | "Drop, Cloth." New York: Hollis Taggart, 2025
Betty Woodman. "Balustrade Relief Vase: 30," 1991, 55 x 38 x 8 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy Hollis Taggart Gallery.
ON VIEW: Betty Woodman in "Drop, Cloth," Hollis Taggart Gallery, New York, New York, 2025
Curated by Glenn Adamson and Severin Delfs, “Drop, Cloth” traces a 50-year lineage of draping in contemporary art. As Delfs explains, drapery is presented here "as a flexible visual language that connects perception to material form,” explored through approaches that are “diaphanous and ephemeral," "material and sculptural," and "pictorial and painterly.”
L to R: “Betty Woodman: Conversations on the Shore, Works from the 1990s.” Designed by Laura Coombs. Published by David Kordansky Gallery, 2024. Images 1, 5-8 courtesy of AIGA.
“Betty Woodman: Conversations on the Shore, Works from the 1990s.” Designed by Laura Coombs. Published by David Kordansky Gallery, 2024. Image courtesy of AIGA.
“Betty Woodman: Conversations on the Shore, Works from the 1990s” selected for awards
Thrilled to announce that “Betty Woodman: Conversations on the Shore, Works from the 1990s”—the exhibition catalogue designed by Laura Coombs for Woodman’s 2022 solo show at David Kordansky Gallery—has been named a Winner of AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2024.
WFF Housing Stability Grant Awarded
The first round of funds have officially been sent to recipients of the inaugural WFF Housing Stability Grant for Artists (WFF HSG)!
L to R: 1-3, 5, 6: Installation views, “The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler,” Museum of Arts and Design, 2025 | 4: Betty Woodman. “Indonesian Napkin Holder,” 1984, 18 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York | 7: Installation view, “The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler" © Museum of Arts and Design
Installation view, “The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler,” Museum of Arts and Design, 2025
ON VIEW: Betty Woodman in "The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler,” Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York, 2025
Curated by potter, interior designer, and author Jonathan Adler, this vibrant exhibition at MAD brings together over 60 works from the museum’s permanent collection, juxtaposed with Adler’s own iconic designs.
Betty Woodman. “Pillow Pitcher,” c. 1983, 17 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware. Promised Gift of David and Julianne Armstrong. Installation views from “Hot! & Ready to Serve: Celebrating Functional Ceramics,” American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California, 2025.
Installation view from “Hot! & Ready to Serve: Celebrating Functional Ceramics,” American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California, 2025.
ON VIEW: Betty Woodman in "Hot! & Ready to Serve: Celebrating Functional Ceramics," American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California, 2025
In honor of International Museum Day this past week, our Collections Coordinator Celia Lê visited AMOCA, where Betty Woodman’s "Pillow Pitcher" is on view alongside works by Ron Nagle, Paul Soldner, Peter Voulkos, among others in "Hot! & Ready to Serve."
L to R: 1: Betty Woodman, “Ceramic Pictures of Korean Paintings: Rose Lattice Tree Vase, Tiger Lily Tree Vase, Evergreen Tree Vase, Lotus Tree Vase, Camellia Tree Vase,” 2001/2002, 37.5 x 10 x 1 ft. Glazed earthenware, clay, canvas | 2: Installation view, “Betty Woodman,” Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri, 2002 | 3, Pair: Detail from Betty Woodman, “Cactus, Lotus, and Butterfly,” 2005 / Page from “Korean Art Book Vol. 6: Minhwa I” by Yoon Yeol-soo, Yekyung Publishing, Korea, 2000 | 4: Betty Woodman, “Cactus, Lotus, and Butterfly,” 2005, 120 x 90 x 12 in. Glazed earthenware, canvas | 5, Pair: Page from “Korean Art Book Vol. 6: Minhwa I” / Detail from Betty Woodman, “Cartoon of Roman Paintings: Santa Brigida,” 2005 | 6: Betty Woodman, “Cartoon of Roman Paintings: Santa Brigida,” 2005, 98 x 86 in. Terra sigillata, ink and wax on paper | 7, Pair: Detail from Betty Woodman, “Cartoon of Roman Paintings: Santa Brigida,” 2005 / Page from “Korean Art Book Vol 7: Minhwa II” by Yoon Yeol-soo, Yekyung Publishing, Korea, 2000 | 8: Spread from “Korean Art Book Vol 6: Minhwa I” with handwritten note by Betty Woodman | 9: Betty Woodman, “Siena: Ceramic Pictures of Korean Vases,” 2004, 96 x 84 x 9 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, clay, canvas | 10: “Korean Art Book” volumes 1, 2, 6, 7, from Betty Woodman’s collection. All Betty Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman, “Ceramic Pictures of Korean Paintings: Rose Lattice Tree Vase, Tiger Lily Tree Vase, Evergreen Tree Vase, Lotus Tree Vase, Camellia Tree Vase,” 2001/2002, 37.5 x 10 x 1 ft. Glazed earthenware, clay, canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman and works inspired by Korean folk painting
On a trip to South Korea in 2001, Betty Woodman was introduced to the Joseon Dynasty folk art (minhwa)—with motifs like vibrant scenes of peonies and lotuses. With these paintings in mind, she started a new series of wall-based works titled “Ceramic Pictures of Korean Paintings,” which she first showed at the Daum Museum in 2002 as a five-panel mural.
Photos, L to R: Betty Woodman in her New York studio, c. 1983 | Francesca Woodman, c. 1979-80. Photo: George Woodman | George Woodman in front of his paper tile installation, 1979 Woodman Family Foundation Archives. Artwork and photo by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Graphic with text: "WFF Housing Stability Grant for Artists / 3-year rent subsidies for 5 visual artists in NYC"
Announcing the WFF Housing Stability Grant for NYC-based visual artists
In recognition of the increasing unaffordability of rental housing in New York City and the housing insecurity it creates for artists, WFF will award grants of $30,000—distributed over three years—to five visual artists with the goal of improving their housing stability.
L to R: Group, T to B: Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991, 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint / George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68, 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas / Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991, 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint | George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68, 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 1977. Gelatin silver prints | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “2,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print All artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Group, T to B: Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991 / George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68 / Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Acquisition by the Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2024
We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of a group of important works by Betty Woodman, Francesca Woodman, and George Woodman from the Foundation’s holdings by the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire.
L to R: 1: Betty Woodman, “Wallpaper,” 2013, 84 x 120 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint | 2, 9: Page from “The Cut-Outs of Henri Matisse” | 3: Betty Woodman, “Orange Rug with Clay Bones,” 2013, 105 1/4 x 47 x 1 in. Earthenware, canvas, acrylic paint | 4: Detail from Henri Matisse, “Oceania, the Sea,” 1948, 68 1/8 × 152 1/2 in. Linen, plain weave; screen printed. Produced by Zika Ascher, Ltd. Art Institute of Chicago. | 5: Detail from “Orange Rug with Clay Bones,” 2013 | 6: Betty Woodman, “Balustrade Relief Vase 05-1,” 2005, 55 x 48 x 9 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer | 7: Betty Woodman, "Outside and In," 2017, 75 1/2 x 120 x 10 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, wood | 8: Betty Woodman, “House of the South,” 1994-1996, 159 x 246 x 9 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint. Installation view from “The Art of Betty Woodman,” Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, 2006 | 10: "The Cut-Outs of Henri Matisse” by John Elderfield, New York: George Braziller, 1978, from Betty Woodman’s collection. All Betty Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. All Henri Matisse artworks © Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman, “Wallpaper,” 2013, 84 x 120 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman's works and Matisse's cut outs
Betty Woodman's eclecticism reflects a wide array of influences, including those from modernist French painters like Gauguin, Bonnard, and Matisse. Yet Woodman’s connection to Matisse transcends their shared use of vivid, exuberant colors. Both artists indulged in decorative impulses through their inventive use of positive and negative space.
L to R: 1: Betty Woodman. “Edo Fashion Ladies,” 2006, glazed earthenware, 34 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 7 in. | 2: Page from “Fashion of Edo: Women's Dress in Ukiyo-e Paintings 1989." Japan Institute of Arts and Crafts, 1989 | 3 & 7: Betty Woodman. “After the Bath,” 2011, glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, 35 x 37 1/2 x 8 in. | 4: Pair: Detail from Betty Woodman, “After the Bath” / Ippitsusai Bunchō, “Kagiya Osen,” from “Japanese Prints” by Gabriele Fahr-Becker, Barnes & Noble Inc., 2003 | 5: Detail from Betty Woodman, “After the Bath” | 6: Ishikawa Toyonobu, “After the Bath,” page from “Japanese Prints” by Gabriele Fahr-Becker | 8: Spread from “Edo Chiyogami” by Hirose Tatsugoro, Seigensha, 2002 | 9: “Fashion of Edo: Women's Dress in Ukiyo-e Paintings 1989." Japan Institute of Arts and Crafts, 1989, with torn page | 10: Selected publications on Japanese art from Betty Woodman’s collection All Betty Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Betty Woodman. “Edo Fashion Ladies,” 2006, glazed earthenware, 34 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 7 in. © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
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.
L to R: Pair: “Athens,” 1991 / “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010 | “Athens,” 1991, Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint. 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. | “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010, Soft-paste porcelain biscuit. © Sèvres - Manufacture et musée nationaux, 2013.D.8587.1 / 20013.D.8587.2. Photographer: Gerard Jonca. All works by Betty Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Pair: “Athens,” 1991 / “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010. Works by Betty Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
ON VIEW: 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.
L to R: All artworks by Betty Woodman. “Green Checks,” 2014. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, and wood. 60 1/2 x 43 x 10 1/4 in. Photo: Brian Forrest / “Tuesday Afternoon,” 2016. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, acrylic paint, and canvas. 84 x 38 x 13 in. Photo: Jeff McLane / “From Nina’s Room,” 2016. Acrylic paint, pencil, ink, and collage on paper. 29 x 36 in. Photo: Phoebe d’Heurle. All images Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery.
Betty Woodman. “Green Checks,” 2014. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, and wood. 60 1/2 x 43 x 10 1/4 in © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman at The ADAA Art Show
This solo presentation of wall-based works by Woodman focuses on the culminating phase of her 60-year career. The paintings on view--on canvas, ceramic, and paper--illuminate the artist's daring approach to materials and radical explorations of two- and three-dimensional form.