The Jenni Crain Foundation

Jenni Crain (1991–2021) was an esteemed artist and curator who passed away suddenly due to complications related to Covid-19. She was widely recognized for her original minimalist sculpture and curatorial projects that championed under-recognized women artists as well as for her rigorous scholarship and writing. Crain was a passionate and tireless advocate of artists and art. Throughout her life, she built a vast community of friends, collaborators, and colleagues whose work she drove forward with generosity, sensitivity, and the deep probing intelligence with which she considered the world.

The Foundation preserves her legacy by supporting transformative projects by artists, curators, and writers of any age at early or pivotal stages of their career.

In honor of her memory, The Jenni Crain Foundation provides grants in two areas:
1. Finishing funds toward the completion of a significant project ranging from an exhibition, arts publication, or work of art across disciplines and forms.
2. Support for original research which may include travel, accommodation, and any funds required for accessing or studying materials.

Donations may be mailed to the address below or made online by clicking here.

A fundraising bandana featuring Crain’s work may be purchased by clicking here. An image of the bandana can be viewed by clicking here.

The Jenni Crain Foundation
130 Third Avenue Brentwood, NY 11717
info@JenniCrainFoundation.org

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Jenni Crain

Camerado, this is no book
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Tyler Dobson, Jan Groover, Nancy Grossman, Gertrude Käsebier, Pope.L, Robert Mapplethorpe, Rose Marcus, Ryan Mrozowski, Marilyn Nance, Ken Tisa, Robert Wilson
October 7 – October 15, 2017

Pratt Institute is pleased to announce a survey exhibition presented in two parts. The exhibition, organized and curated by alumni Jenni Crain and Nick Fusaro, brings together the artworks of participants within Pratt Institute’s program over the course of the past 125-plus years. Through the artistically engaged motivations of these multigenerational artists, the two-part exhibition offers a unique overview of the evolving social and political histories since the institution’s founding in 1887.

Part one, Camerado, this is no book, curated by Jenni Crain, takes its title from Walt Whitman’s poem “So Long!” first published as the final poem in the third release of Leaves of Grass in 1860. The line continues, “/ Who touches this touches a man.” The poem in its totality addresses and possesses praise for and faith in authors of the past and of the future. It emphasizes the unification of a people, which transcends the singularity of a life span or the productions of an individual. It pivots towards the masses - towards a collective responsibility for progress. An artwork, like a book, is not a finite achievement of a single maker, but instead is a reflection on and message to the communal contributions of consecutive generations.

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09A-GertrudeKasebier-Serbonne

Gertrude Käsebier Serbonne, 1903. Vintage gum print / halftone. 7 x 5 1/2 inches. From Camera Work, January 1903, 1:27.

10A-pope-l-1-flat

(L) Pope.L Failure Drawing #127 I Have This Fear…, 2004. Ballpoint pen, acrylic, tape and yellow post-it on paper. 8 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches. (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #333 Rocket Fumble Palm Trees, 2006. Ballpoint pen, color marker, acrylic and magic marker on napkin. 4 ¾ x 6 ½ inches

11A-pope-l-2-flat

(L) Pope.L Failure Drawing #737 Landscape with Stain, 2004. Ballpoint pen and stains on paper. 2 3/5 x 5 ½ inches. (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #252 Green Sky Red Mountain, 2005-2006. Ink and colored marker on hotel stationary. 5 ½ x 4 ¼ inches

12A-pope-l-3-flat

(L) Pope.L, Failure Drawing #1314 Dance, 2003. Ink, ballpoint pen and stains on paper. 3 5/8 x 5 5/16 inches (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #1358 Aerial, 2003. Pencil, ink, acrylic and white-out on verso-printed paper. 5 ½ x 4 ¼ inches

13A-pope-l-4-flat

(L) Pope.L Failure Drawing #285 Let’s Have a Party, 2004-2006. Ballpoint pen, ink, acrylic and stains on ruled paper. 5 ¼ x 8 7/16 inches (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #960 Worm into Space, 2004. Black marker and ink on hotel stationary. 5 7/16 x 3 15/16 inches

14A-pope-l-5-flat

(L) Pope.L Failure Drawing #719 Grape Fall Mountain, 2004. Ballpoint pen and ink on graph paper. 7 x 4 ½ inches (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #291 Worm Thinks of Rocket and Rocket Thinks of Sea, 2003-2008. Ink and acrylic on paper. 6 x 4 5/16 inches

15A-pope-l-6-flat

(L) Pope.L Failure Drawing #273 Fresco Monitors Yellow, Green, Blue Coffee, 2004-2006. Ink, acrylic, stains, hair, glue and collage on printed paper. 6 ¾ x 8 ½ inches (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #1112 Green Spot, 2004-2006. Ink, acrylic, and torn paper collage on printed paper. 4 ¾ x 6 ½ inches

16A-pope-l-7-flat

(L) Pope.L Failure Drawing #312 Fall into Descent, 2004-2006. Ink, highlighter and acrylic on napkin. 7 5/8 x 4 1/2 inches (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #923 Snake on TV, 2004. Ink and ballpoint pen on hotel stationary. 4 1/8 x 5 ½ inches

17A-pope-l-8-flat

(L) Pope.L Failure Drawing #100 Bomb Mountain, 2004-2006. Ink, ballpoint pen, acrylic, and watercolor on printed page. 3 ½ x 5 inches (R) Pope.L Failure Drawing #107 The Night Laughs to See, 2004-2006. Ink and acrylic on hotel stationary. 5 ½ x 4 ¼ inches

18A-KenTisa-MorningRagas

Ken Tisa Morning Ragas, 2014. Watercolor, gouache on panel. 16 x 20 inches

19A-RobertMapplethorpe-Embrace

Robert Mapplethorpe Embrace, 1982. Silver gelatin print. 20 x 16 inches

20A-RobertWilson-ChairTableforAuthor

Robert Wilson A Chair and a Table for an Author (from White Raven), 1998. Brushed aluminum, distilled water, flowers. 30 x 55 x 13 inches (table), 61 x 16 x 16 inches (chair)

21-RobertWilson(Detail)
22A-RyanMrozowski-Untitled(Dot)

Ryan Mrozowski Untitled (Dot), 2017. Inlaid plywood and stain. 30 x 22 inches

23A-MarilynNance-ThreeWomen

Marilyn Nance Three Women, 1973. Digital print. 30 x 20 inches (print)

24A-JanGroover-Untitled

Jan Groover Untitled, 1989. Vintage chromogenic print, mounted, framed. 30 x 40 inches

25A-TylerDobson-Untitled

Tyler Dobson Untitled, 2016. Adirondack table, wooden birdhouse, acrylic paint. 39 x 18 x 18 inches

26A-NancyGrossman-RRL

Nancy Grossman R.R.L., 1968. Lithographers crayon on paper. 12 1/2 x 19 inches (sheet size)

27A-RoseMarcus-Met(Muse)

Rose Marcus Met (Muse with dream), 2016. Inkjet print on plexi with no white ink and aluminum frame. 49 ½ x 33 ½ inches

28A-GertrudeKasebier-MyNeighbors

Gertrude Käsebier My Neighbors, 1905. Photogravure. 6 1/2 x 8 3/8 inches. From Camera Work, April 1905, 10:13

29A-RoseMarcus-Head(lights)

Rose Marcus Head (lights), 2016. Car headlamps, converter, electricity. Dimensions vary

30A-RoseMarcus-Met(plinth)

Rose Marcus Met (plinth), 2016. Inkjet print on plexi with no white ink and aluminum frame. 33 ½ x 49 ½ inches