Another Alumni moment! During one of our recent classes, we went to visit River Valadez ‘20 (MFT '19) at Urban Glass in Downtown Brooklyn, and did some experimenting with flameworking. We got a tour of the building, and a cup-making demonstration, and practiced making glass chains.
A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to meet with curator Rebecca Shaykin and Cleo's internship supervisor Jenna Weiss (Curator for Contemporary Programs/ Associate Director, Public Programs) at the Jewish Museum for a walk through of Joan Semmel: In the Flesh, before visiting the Paul Klee exhibition and the rest of the museum collections, and stopping by the Cooper Hewitt to experience Devon Turnbull's "HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3" and the Art of Noise exhibition.
What a treat! This past week we got the chance to visit Bennington faculty member Ann Pibal and (former visiting faculty member) Colin Brant at their studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It was so exciting to see some great figures from Bennington education outside of the classroom walls! After, we went to the Conductor Art Fair at Powerhouse Arts, and explored our first art fair together.
Hi! My name is Arielle and I am one of the current museum fellows this term.
I am working in the collections of the Museum of the Moving Image (@movingimagenyc ) in Queens where I am assisting with the collections management involved in MoMI’s exhibitions.
At Bennington, I study Art History, Visual Art, and Chemistry with the intended goal of pursuing painting conservation in the museum field.
My favorite part of museum fellows term is the ability to access a wide variety of arts experiences, including attending exhibition openings, exploring museums and galleries, and meeting with museum professionals.
The images above include my experiences with sculptural works at The Noguchi Museum, Agnus Questionmark’s silicone sculpture from the Overexposed exhibition at MoMI, Ovartaci’s works at the New Museum, a close up of one of Jessica Taylor Bellamy’s paintings at the Anat Egbi gallery, and my time spent with the other wonderful museum fellows.
The fellows (and special guest, Sophia Paez ‘23 (MFT ‘23)) were so delighted to stop by Another Space, and get a tour of their current exhibition, "Second Skin" with staff members Heber Argueta and Maya Ribeiro!
A few weeks ago, we gathered the MFT crew up and took a ferry to Red Hook, Brooklyn to visit Pioneer Works and Christie's Fine Art Storage warehouse. At Pioneer Works, we met with one of the artists in residence, Barnett Cohen, who talked to us about residencies and studio practices. Then, we saw Natalie Bates ‘20 (MFT ‘19) in action at the Christie's warehouse, where they work as an art handler in the books and manuscripts department, and got to take a small peek at their day-to-day work!
A day in the MFT Life :) After a couple of hours of seminar and a short lunch break, site visits began with a stop at the NYC AIDS Memorial's to experience Kinfolk's augmented reality exhibition "Portals of Remembrance." After, the fellows visited CARA (The Center for Art, Resources and Alliances) to see the current exhibition, "The Earth, the Fire, the Water, and the Winds: For a Museum of Errantry with Édouard Glissant" and spoke with the Curatorial Assistant, Marian Chudnovsky, and finally the group traveled to Bushwick for a studio visit and discussion with Louisa Owen ‘18, and ended the day with a visit to Amant.
Come with the fellows on our trek from the city to Dia Beacon!
We got to meet with the archivist (and Maxine's (MFT '26) intern supervisor), Amye McCarther, as well as (Bennington alum!) Meagan Mattingly, the director of Learning and Engagement. After, we explored their huge collection (including Renee Green, Richard Serra, and many more), and walked around the spring-ready cherry blossoms :)
You can take the fellow out of MFT, but not the MFT out of a fellow! We got to meet up at Artsy with the Senior Account executive, Georgianna Richer ‘17 (MFT ‘16), and discuss the many paths and opportunities post Bennington. It's so amazing to see MFT fellows out in the world.
We also stopped at a few Soho galleries before heading over to Cuchifritos Gallery in Essex Market to meet with Jodi Waynberg, the Director of Artists Alliance. At Cuchifritos, we were able to reflect on community-based art spaces, discuss the journeys of Artists Alliance, and hang out in their wonderful gallery.
Helen Frankenthaler x MFT 2026 Spot the Difference: Impossible Edition
Including -
Helen Frankenthaler, A Green Thought In A Green Shade (1981)
Helen Frankenthaler, Chairman of the Board
(1971)
Wow! We are approaching late March, and we are already halfway through the program! I thought I'd share a few snapshots of my amazing MFT so far.
From seeing the current Joan Semmel "In the Flesh" Show at the Jewish Museum ( where Cleo '27 is currently interning!) to eating homemade Costa-Rican breakfasts ( from the amazing chef + fellow, Rey '27!), MFT is an eye-opening and rewarding experience.
While working ( and sometimes making cheeseboards for events) at the Swiss Institute and classes twice a week at the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, I get the chance to explore more and more of NYC. I've also gotten to protest for immigrant rights in downtown Brooklyn, see talks and readings in the East Village, hang out at cafes with visiting Bennington friends in Williamsburg, and make delicious meals with the MFT family in Bedstuy.
