Hauser & Wirth Establishes Non-Profit Institute for Artist Archives and Research

Hauser & Wirth has launched a non-profit institute focused on preserving artists' archives and advancing art-historical scholarship. Executive director Jennifer Gross, previously at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, will lead the organization. Based primarily in New York, the institute will collaborate with artists' estates to catalog, digitize, and provide free online access to primary research materials. An independent advisory board of artists, estate advisors, scholars, and archivists will guide the institute's governance. First projects include creating an online portal for Jason Rhoades's extensive archive and producing a print publication dedicated to Franz Kline's paintings from 1950 to 1962. A fellowship program developed with artists' estates, universities, and foundations will offer financial support for archival research. Postdoctoral and senior fellows can receive stipends up to $50,000 for nine to twelve months, while predoctoral scholars may get up to $10,000 for two months. A public program launches on March 22, 2010, with a symposium addressing challenges in managing artists' archives. This announcement follows recent news of a new gallery in St Moritz and the quarterly magazine Ursula, both debuting in December.