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Bard Establishes Barbara Ess Fund in Photography
13 August 2024
Bard College has announced the creation of The Barbara Ess Fund for Artistic Expression in Photography after a generous endowment from the Schwartz Family to honor their sister, Barbara Ess, a beloved teacher, colleague, mentor, artist, friend and much-loved family member.
Hair. Barbara Ess (2018). Courtesy of the Estate of Barbara Ess and Magenta Plains, New York.
Born in Brooklyn in 1944, Ess received her BA in Philosophy and English Literature from the University of Michigan in 1969. She has had several solo exhibitions, including at The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New Yorkm(1985); High Museum of Art, Atlanta (1992); and Moore College of Art, Philadelphia (2003).
She also participated in many group exhibitions, including Currents, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (1985); Postmodern Prints, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England (1991); Bowery Tribute, The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York (2010); and Who You Staring At: Culture visuelle de la scène no wave des années 1970 et 1980, Centre Pompidou, Paris (2023). Ess died in 2021 in Elizaville, NY.
Ess joined the faculty at Bard in 1997 as a professor in the photography department where she shared her unique perspective and approach to photography and art with her students, demanding only that the work be honest, authentic and thoughtful.
The Barbara Ess Fund for Artistic Expression in Photography will allow students on financial aid to fully participate in photography classes.
Donations to the fund may be made on Bard's Web site. For more information see the news release below.
Bard College Announces the Creation of the Barbara Ess Fund for Artistic Expression in Photography
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- Bard College announces the creation of The Barbara Ess Fund for Artistic Expression in Photography. This fund is made possible through a generous endowment from the Schwartz Family to honor their sister, Barbara Ess, a beloved teacher, colleague, mentor, artist, friend and much-loved family member. The Barbara Ess Fund for Artistic Expression in Photography is an annual award that will cover the cost of course-related materials for a limited number of Bard College photography students on financial aid.
After taking some time to process the loss, Barbara's sisters, Janet and Ellen, have decided to honor Barbara by creating a special endowment fund at Bard College, The Barbara Ess Fund for Artistic Expression in Photography. This fund will allow students on financial aid to fully participate in photography classes. They believe Barbara would have loved that.
After joining the faculty at Bard in 1997 as a professor in the photography department, Barbara Ess committed herself to inspiring and encouraging her students to be the most interesting artists they could be. She shared her unique perspective and approach to photography and art in a way that connected with her students, demanding only that the work be honest, authentic and thoughtful. Her students loved and respected her. Many of them have gone on to make impressive art and enjoy successful careers.
According to former student and Co-Chair in Photography at Bard MFA, Megan Plunkett, MFA '17, "Barbara Ess was an artist of immense power and I continue to be amazed by all that she accomplished in her work. As a teacher, she was abuzz with ideas, energy and experiments. She gave us the gift of being seen as artists and the freedom to be ourselves in our studios. She changed so many of her student's lives, mine very much included. It is my absolute pleasure to speak on behalf of the Barbara Ess Fund for Artistic Expression. In funding materials for photo students with financial need, Barbara's frenetic, infectious joy for making will continue to thrive in new generations of Bard artists, something I know would bring her immense joy in return."
To donate to the fund via Bard's secure Web site, please click here. For other ways to give to the fund, please click here. Note all contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. We encourage you to check with your employer to ask if your donation can be matched.
About Barbara Ess
Barbara Ess was born in 1944 in Brooklyn, NY. In 1969 she received her BA in Philosophy and English Literature from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. Ess has been the subject of several solo exhibitions, including at The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY (1985); High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA (1992); and Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA (2003). She has also participated in many group exhibitions, including Currents, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA (1985); Postmodern Prints, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England, UK (1991); Bowery Tribute, The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY (2010); and Who You Staring At: Culture visuelle de la scène no wave des années 1970 et 1980, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2023). Ess died in 2021 in Elizaville, NY.