Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Two Paid Hannah Frank graduate internships! Hannah Frank news Feb 2014

HANNAH FRANK NEWS FEBRUARY 2014

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES: TWO PAID GRADUATE INTERNSHIPS
These exciting opportunities come via the Scottish Government’s Adopt-an-Intern scheme under the auspices of the Centre for Scottish Public Policy.


Post One: Paid Graduate Internship – Assistant Curator and Researcher - with the Hannah Frank Art Project
The post is based in Glasgow and Ayr. The pay is £7.65 per hour, 20 hours a week over 12 weeks, with some flexibility and the potential for an extension (funding dependent). Immediate start. Closing date for applications: 3 March 2014, 5pm.


You can see the full job description here.


It is a wide-ranging role that will provide superb experience for the right applicant. The post is divided into three parts. The intern will work at the Maclaurin Gallery, Ayr, helping to locate Hannah Frank works that will go on display there between 26 July and 22 September 2014. There are other curatorship tasks too. This work will be invaluable to the Hannah Frank Project and could be continued in a future project.


Then there’s the work at the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre. The letters, scrapbooks and other documents in the Hannah Frank and Lionel Levy collection that remain uncatalogued need to be entered on an Excel sheet with a description of their contents.


And lastly, but, of course, importantly, the intern will work closely with me on the Hannah Frank Art Project. You’ll help develop and expand Hannah Frank's presence across different online platforms and help to increase sales from the online shop.


The post will be based at Garnethill Synagogue in Glasgow city centre and at the Maclaurin Gallery in Ayr.  You can do some of this work at home and there will also be a base at the Glasgow Women's Library in Glasgow city centre.


To see what sort of person we are looking for do click through on the link above. If you fit the bill, please apply!


Post Two: Paid Graduate Internship - Arts Events Intern with the Maclaurin Gallery, ‘Cultural Connections’ Summer Festival. Location: Ayr/Glasgow. £7.65 per hour, 240 hours (7 – 10 hours per week) between March and September. Closing date for applications is 3 March 2014, 5pm.

The Maclaurin Gallery, Ayr, is holding a summer festival of Jewish art and culture from 26 July to 22 September 2014. The focus is on the works of Benno Schotz, Joseph Herman and…Hannah Frank! An exhibition of new photographs of Jewish life in Scotland by photographer Judah Passow will also be on show.


The intern will help develop a programme of activities to accompany the exhibitions. These activities could include talks, guided tours, and arts and crafts workshops, for example, encouraging adults and children to create their own responses to the exhibition in various media, through drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry or dance. Along with other organisations the intern will work with the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, and Forestry Commission Scotland.

The post is based at the Maclaurin Gallery in Ayr but some of the work could be home based. The intern could also work at the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities office in Giffnock, South Glasgow.


To read a full job description and find out what sort of person is being sought click here. 


Please note all applications require the submission of a CV and brief covering letter through the Adopt an Intern online application form.


We think these opportunities are outstanding. Please pass them onto any suitable graduates you may know – or perhaps you are right for the role yourself!


GLASGOW UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PRESENTATION ON HANNAH FRANK
Four third year students from the University of Glasgow’s Theology and Religious Studies department will give a presentation on the life and work of Hannah Frank in March. This is part of their Modern Judaism course. In order to prepare the presentation the students visited the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre at Garnethill where they looked through the Hannah Frank and Lionel Levy collection, and I also took them to see the original art at Westacres, Newton Mearns, the care home where Hannah spent her last years. The students are also planning to update the Hannah Frank Wikipedia page.


HANNAH’S DRAWING ‘GARDEN’ FEATURES IN SHABBAT SERVICES PROGRAMME
Betsy Stein, from Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, contacted us. She is a member of Congregation Shearith Israel Sisterhood in Atlanta and her group led Shabbat services on February 22. The group used a reproduction of ‘Garden’ from 1932 on the front cover of its programme.
Betsy has promised to send me a hard copy of the programme. We look forward to seeing it.



The beautiful 'new' drawing 'Daffidowndillies” featured in our last newsletter went for £1200 – a nice little sum for the seller! Keep in touch as we hope to be able to offer prints at some stage.



Let me know if you'd like to discuss purchasing a sculpture; or if you'd like to take up a 'two for the price of one' signed print offer right through March - email me with details of the two prints you'd like; OR if you'd like a half price copy of the book Hannah Frank a Glasgow Artist: I gave away 10 copies last month and there are 15 copies to give away this month - £10.50 instead of £21, plus £4.50 p&p. Get in touch for details.


Best wishes
Fiona Frank
niece of the late Hannah Frank
Director, Hannah Frank Art
07778 737681
hannahfrankart@gmail.com
www.hannahfrank.org.uk




Thursday, December 19, 2013

Five years on: December 2013
FIVE YEARS ON
As I write this I reflect that it was five years ago today that I was privileged to be with my aunt when she died, at the age of 100, peacefully, at Westacres Care Home in Glasgow (18 December 2008). Since then her legacy has continued to grow. On this very day five years ago, a letter had arrived at my house in Lancaster offering my aunt the honorary doctorate in celebration of her services to art.  She never knew about the award, as I was in Glasgow with her – but eventually the university was persuaded to award the doctorate posthumously to her – the only posthumous doctorate that Glasgow University has ever awarded.  I went with my sister Lynn to collect the award and we were treated like royal guests for the whole occasion – and I get invited back to Glasgow University's Commemoration Day every year for the awards of more honorary doctorands, which always brings back the memories of that first occasion.
Since then my aunt was also awarded a posthumous Lord Provost’s award from Glasgow City Council.  And we have had two exhibitions in Shetland, one in Dalbeattie, three in Glasgow and two in Lancaster since her death... with more to come, it seems!  And we have met new friends and fans of her work from across the globe. The journey continues...
MACLAURIN GALLERY TO DEVOTE A ROOM TO HANNAH FRANK
I have just been approached by the Maclaurin Gallery in Ayr, Scotland. The gallery, which shows work by local, national and internationally acclaimed artists, is going to include a Hannah Frank room as part of an exhibition of art by Scottish Jewish Artists in summer 2013. Jewish cultural activities will accompany the exhibition. See http://www.themaclaurin.org.uk more about the gallery which is in Rozelle Park.
REPRISE FOR HANNAH IN DALBEATTIE
Due to the great success of the Hannah Frank retrospective exhibition at the Nail Factory in Dalbeattie this Summer her work is to return there in November 2014! We Will keep you informed of developments on that.
HANNAH FRANK BOOKS OFFER – SPECIAL OFFER
I have just taken delivery of more copies Hannah Frank, A Glasgow Artist – Drawings and Sculpture. This is the definitive book on my aunt’s art, featuring superb reproductions of most of her drawings and sculptures on high quality paper.

 The first 20 books ordered will now cost the buyer  £10, post free.  This is a tremendous saving as the books’ list price is £21.50. While I can’t guarantee delivery in time for Christmas these books do make wonderful presents. See http://hannahfrank.org.uk/pages/gallery/books_DVD/index.htm for more about the book
NOTELETS – SPECIAL OFFER
Sets of six Hannah Frank notelets are available for £5.00 per set, post-free. Normal price is £5.99.
For both book and notelet offers send me your name and address and either pay by Paypal to Hannah Frank Art Sales (fionafrank@googlemail.com) OR I'll send you the bank details to pay into. See http://hannahfrank.org.uk/pages/gallery/notelets/index.htm for details of the notelets.
Finally, thank you for all your interest, support and enthusiasm this year regarding my aunt’s life and her work throughout this year.
Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a healthy and joyful 2014.
Fiona Frank
Director, Hannah Frank art
www.hannahfrank.org.uk
hannahfrankart@gmail.com
(+44)(0)7778 737681

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Hannah Frank News June 2013: VOTE TODAY and AUCTION on THURSDAY!



HANNAH FRANK NEWS JUNE 2013
Some up to the minute news and actions for you to do THIS WEEK!
First – please vote for award winning filmmaker and 'Friend of Hannah Frank', Sarah Thomas, soon - before THIS MONDAY  24th June (tomorrow) at MIDNIGHT.
SARAH THOMAS SHORTLISTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS PENGUIN BOOK PRIZE
**Deadline for voting is midnight on Monday 24 June!
Sarah Thomas, an anthropological filmmaker with connections to Lancaster, Manchester, Iceland and Kenya, and who made the beautiful film ‘Hannah Frank: The Spark Divine’ for us in 2008, has been shortlisted for the Penguin Books Wayfarer Competition.  This is Sarah’s dream summer where she would travel the old ways and hedgerows of Britain during July and August, blogging about it and making videos along the way. The competition is inspired by Robert Macfarlane's new book, The Old Ways, which explores our relationship with the land through the paths we trace.
Sarah made a two minute video which you can see on the bottom row of the competition website.  Robert Macfarlane himself was on the judging panel and selected Sarah’s entry for the shortlist of 20.  When you've seen the video - on http://www.ajourneyonfoot.com/   please vote for it. Robert McFarlane will choose from the top ten films chosen by the public.  So please vote, tweet, facebook, and otherwise help Sarah’s campaign to continue to make beautiful films about things she cares about.  And see below for a chance to see Sarah’s film ‘The Spark Divine’ in Dalbeattie over the next few weeks.

AUCTION AT MCTEAR’S THIS THURSDAY 27 JUNE
An opportunity to acquire Hannah Frank’s 1928 original drawing ‘There Once Was a King’s Son – The Garden of Paradise’ has arisen. This is an original pen and ink drawing, signed by the artist and dated 1928. The estimate is £1500-£2500.

 The drawing is being auctioned as part of McTear’s Scottish Pictures Auction on Thursday 27 June in Glasgow. It is lot 1731. Size: 40cm x 25cm.
Viewing:
Monday 24 June 10am-5pm
Tuesday 25 June 9am-5pm
Wednesday 26 June 9am-5pm
Thursday 27 June 9am -start of sale, 6pm
If you can’t make it to the auction you can bid live online – or just watch the bidding process online till you get carried away and make your bid!
McTear’s, Meiklewood Gate, 31 Meiklewood Road, Glasgow, G51 4EU. Tel: 0141 810 2880. Email: Natasha Raskin  or Ceara Hughes 
Find out more here  





WALK AND EXHIBITION VISIT
The opening of the Hannah Frank and Daniel Fuller exhibition at the Nail Factory, Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, attracted lots of visitors. 

The exhibition has had such a positive response that the run has now been extended by a month to finish on Sunday 28 July 2013.
Sunday 28 July: on the last day of the exhibition join me, Fiona Frank, for a day out from Glasgow visiting the Hannah Frank and Daniel Fuller exhibition at The Nail Factory,Dalbeattiee. The exhibition has had such a positive response from the public that the run has now been extended by a month to finish on 28 July.  At the exhibition we will have a chance to watch the film ‘Hannah Frank:The Spark Divine', by Sarah Thomas. (It will be shown each Sunday at 2pm until the exhibition ends). We will return to Glasgow via the amazing GlenkilnSculpture Park where sculptures by Rodin, Epstein and Henry Moore – all influences on Hannah Frank’s later work – form part of the landscape.  Some can be seen from the road but to take in all six it’s necessary to be prepared to embark on a four mile walk, sometimes in muddy conditions.  Local writer Mary Smith, who has written a beautiful piece on Hannah Frank in the latest edition of Dumfries and Galloway Life,  will be our guide.  
 Bring walking boots and wet weather gear. Share petrol/minibus hire costs, depending how many people want to come.  Register your interest  by contacting Fiona Frank hannahfrankart@gmail.com






Before the opening of the Dalbeattie show, Mary Smith put us in touch with her friend Charlotte, who told us:
“In the early 70s, I was in Glasgow with my Ma; it was summer but I can't remember if it was just a visit or whether she had come up with me to prepare for the new term. I can't remember exactly which city centre square we were in but we noticed that Charles Frank [Hannah Frank’s father] had a retiral sale; his shop sold telescopes and all sorts of optical stuff. My Ma thought it would be interesting to have a rummage around and told me his sister, Hannah, was well known as an artist. From the way she spoke about her, I now wonder if she'd known her; they were the same age and must have been at Glasgow University at the same time.
The shop was almost empty but as well as optical things, there were various arty things still for sale. I remember a lovely, modernist chess set. Nearby, on the floor was  a tatty box containing prints by Hannah Frank; not many were left. I scrambled around on the floor to have a good rummle through them. Having selected one, I noticed another which had been signed by Hannah herself, albeit in pencil. So, I bought that one too.
My Ma suggested I kept them in my bottom drawer and, when we got married, these two prints were the first things I had framed and put on the wall. Then, I had them framed in a shop in Kirkcudbright. Recently, I had them reframed in Jessie's shop down in Wigtown. Apart from one being signed, both have that Aarif logo and I've always wondered what that meant".  The two drawings Charlotte bought were Moon Ballet and Wrap Thy Form in a Mantle Grey.
Do you have a story about your Hannah Frank prints?  Did you meet my aunt? Tell us your stories and I’ll write about them in future blogs.

Or send us a picture of your Hannah Frank drawing, print our sculpture and how fantastic it looks in your house and I’ll publish it on the blog and on our website. 





Prints of all of Hannah Frank's drawings are available for sale from our website gallery - unsigned prints from £25 to £75 and signed prints from £100 to £400 depending on availability.

Monday, May 06, 2013

Hannah Frank News May 2013 - Dalbeattie, Lerwick, dancing about the art, books, 2 for 1 prints and lots more


HANNAH FRANK NEWS MAY 2013

THE NAIL FACTORY – NEW EXHIBITION
An exhibition of Hannah's work will run from 2 - 30 June 2013 at The Nail Factory, Dalbeattie.
This refurbished Victorian workshop is at the heart of Dumfries and Galloway and is a multi-use
interactive art space. A selection of Hannah Frank’s prints and two original drawings will be on show in the stone building alongside 10 of her bronze sculptures - and there will be an opportunity to buy prints, cards and books. .
Rupinder Dulay, Curator at The Nail Factory, said: “We are proud to host a retrospective exhibition by Hannah Frank, organised by her niece, Fiona Frank, who has been instrumental in bringing
her aunt's work to life. The Nail Factory was a factory making cast iron nails 200 years ago, run by women, and Hannah Frank’s works will be exhibited next to those of Daniel Fuller, a Native American artist who rediscovered his roots and culture to inspire many young artists in their struggle to accept their heritage.”

The celebratory launch event with a wine reception and kosher buffet will take place on Sunday 2 June at 1pm. Hannah Frank was one of the first Jewish students to study at the Glasgow School of Art, and the buffet will be sponsored by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, in honour of the first showing of this Scottish Jewish artist’s work in Dumfriesshire, as part of its work to celebrate Jewish culture in Scotland.

Also at the launch there will be a screening of the film ‘Hannah Frank, The Spark Divine’, by award-winning filmmaker Sarah Thomas, which explores the life of the artist as a young woman through her diaries and her poetry as well as her art, and includes interviews filmed with Hannah when she was in her late 90s.

The Nail Factory, 56 Southwick Road, Dalbeattie, DG5 4EW Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
Open 11am – 6pm daily. 01556 611686. Email info@nailfactory.org.uk


FURTHER INTO THE DIGITAL AGE

This is the first of my newsletters for several years that I'm publishing directly as a blog - I had meant to do this years ago but it didn't happen and so far I have mostly just sent them out as emails - very shortsighted!   It makes lots of sense to put this info out on a blog so everyone who reads it can send a link directly to your contacts and networks, and so it will come up in searches. It's one of the ideas of my zappy new temporary Digital Media Assistant the fabulous
Elly Griffiths-Ward.

HANNAH FRANK on PINTEREST

Elly has put together a series of  Pinterest thematic exhibitions for my aunt which we hope will get lots of interest and may help to trace some 'missing' originals.  Have a look - they're wonderful!  We will share curation of the online exhibitions with other Pinterest members and we hope to collect varied and inspiring collections of images from lots of artists exploring different interpretations of similar themes. So visit the boards, and if you are so inclined you can start adding your favourite art to the pages. Also if you have any other ideas for collaborative boards do let us know. This project is really open and we are excited to see where it will go!

We are alsplanning to tweet a 'picture of the week' and put drawings on Facebook as well to get a conversation going.  (If you haven't 'liked' the Hannah Frank facebook page  yet please do so if you're a Facebook person, a nice conversation this week followed the posting of 'Night' on the Facebook page - and follow me,  @northernfiona on twitter... .)


HANNAH FRANK IN LERWICK SHETLAND

The Hannah Frank exhibition at The Shetland Museum and Archives, Lerwick, ended on Monday 
4 March. It was a great success. The show began just four days after Up Helly Aa, (as featured in the recent BBC drama ‘Shetland’) and I brought a little party of 8 people over from England, Scotland, and Iceland (!) to experience Shetland's amazing fire festival and stay on for the exhibition opening.  Filmmaker Sarah Thomas who now lives in Iceland gave a talk at the opening reception, and showed her film ‘Hannah Frank - The Spark Divine’.  I gave a personal tour of the exhibition, which included self-portraits of the artist as well as her trademark black and white drawings and her later bronze sculptures.
Sarah Thomas speaking at the Shetland Museum and Archive

I went back to Shetland in April to collect the art works - no excuse needed to drop back to this beautiful place, with ever-changing light, lovely people and places, and LOTS OF WIND AND RAIN to keep you on your toes.

LADIES OF ILLUMINATED LETTERS
Glasgow Women's Library (GWL) launched its illuminated letter project on 8 March, International Women’s Day. The Library invited women to write an illuminated letter to a heroine of their choice. We were delighted when Fiona Doubleday, who lives on the Isle of Arran, contacted us to say that she has chosen Hannah Frank as her heroine.
She wrote on her blog about  her illuminated letter artwork: “It’s a mixed media piece that attempts to celebrate two aspects of Hannah Frank’s work – flow and stillness. As a former dancer and choreographer I see flow and stillness in all she created. Stillness in dance acts as a pause and, used properly, can be a highlight. Hannah's work reminds me that life is full of beautiful pauses. But it is flow that dominates her work. Using pastels as the primary media I have taken sections from her drawings and recreated them as small studies. I have added colour but kept the pallet limited in tribute to her simplicity. I then added small details such as Liberty fabric, which is dominated by flowing lines, and wax resistant watercolour organic shapes. The next step will be to create the letter before putting the finishing touches to the whole piece.”
Fiona Doubleday’s blog is here and is well worth following.
Part of Fiona Doubleday's
 illuminated letter 

The Glasgow Women’s Library will be exhibiting the letters in due course – we will keep you posted.

DANCE PIECE INSPIRED BY HANNAH’S ART
Fiona Doubleday isn't stopping at an illuminated letter: she is now writing a dance piece inspired by Hannah’s work!
She is looking for six women, preferably ones who have never danced before. The piece will be created over around three days in the autumn on the Isle of Arran - and there may be some accommodation available too.  Fiona is also seeking someone to write the score – a soundscape with melodic moments. And she also wants someone to film both the rehearsals and the performance and edit this to form part of the body of work around Hannah Frank. The locations for the dance piece will be Brodick Castle’s nature garden, set against the backdrop of Goatfell Mountain, and also a moonlit beach. Contact me if you're interested and I'll pass on your details to Fiona.

BOOKS SIGNED BY HANNAH FRANK OFFERED FOR SALE
Most of you will know that my aunt was a great lover of literature: her books were like members of
the family. We now have a number of her own signed books which we are offering for sale to give you a chance to own something that Hannah Frank owned and loved as a young woman.  We'll give half the proceeds to Glasgow Women's Library.  The books are:
 Sir Walter Scott - The Abbot;
Charles Kingsley - Hypatia; Fables de la Fontaine (1922);
Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure Island; now sold
Joseph Conrad - Lord Jim (1923).  These are all signed ‘Hannah Frank’.



Then there are two books signed ‘Hannah and Lionel Levy’ or ‘ex libris Levy’. They are:
Kenneth Grahame - The Golden Age;
John Ruskin - The Seven Lamps of Architecture;
And lastly there is one book signed ‘Hannah Frank May 1932’ with her own bookplate: :
Kenneth Grahame - The Wind in the Willows (37th edition)(that one is now sold)
Price: £10 each plus £3.00 p and p. (£5.00 p and p for The Golden Age).  Let me know if you'd like any of these - first come first served - and I'll let you know where to send a cheque or bank transfer.

HANNAH FRANK TO FEATURE IN GARNETHILL HERITAGE MAP PROJECT
Three Hannah Frank images (including Woman with Bird 1955, left) will be used in Glasgow Women's Library's Women Make History map and guide to the Garnethill area. The map will be distributed free to promote the heritage and history of Glasgow. The project is funded by Glasgow City Council.   The project has previously produced similar Glasgow heritage maps for the East End, the Necropolis, the West End and the Merchant City. (And there's still time to go on the next Women Make History walk, to the Necropolis, on Sunday 19th May at 1 p.m. - you can see the map here and find out how to book here .)



NEW BOOK CELEBRATING HANNAH FRANK'S LIFE
In 2008 a conference took place at the University of Glasgow, 'Art Religion Identity', organised by Julie Clague from the University's Department of Theology in honour of Hannah Frank's 100th birthday.  Some lectures took place at the University Chapel surrounded by Hannah Frank's 100th Birthday Art Exhibition, and in the evening of the first day of the conference coaches took delegates to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh for a reception in honour of Hannah Frank herself.  Now, a book edited by Shulamit Reinharz and Julie Clague, a collection of the conference papers, is about to come out (Reinharz, Shulamit T and Julie Clague, ed. Art, Religion and Identity. Indiana University Press, 2013.) and you can read Shulamit's chapter online here  - an examination of ten Jewish women artists, one for each of the decades of Hannah Frank's life.  


CHILDREN INSPIRED BY HANNAH FRANK ART IN LOS ANGELES

I've been writing newsletters about my aunt since 2003 and every time I sit down to write a newsletter I realise that there are three or four new things to report in the world of Hannah Frank, someone else contacts me, or another hundred schoolchildren in the USA draw Hannah Frank themed drawings....  Penny Richards, who regular readers will remember attended the poetry prize-giving in Glasgow back in 2010 and then designed a lesson plan about Hannah's art which is now being delivered to thousands of children across California, writes:
"Just back from the opening reception for the student art show at the Palos Verdes Art Center. There are many, many Hannah Frank-inspired pieces by young children on display! I took some photos for you. The show is up till May 26, if any fans are in the LA area and want to see more."



PRINTS OFFER
In celebration of this new digital age - and also the forthcoming Dalbeattie exhibition, we'll be selling signed and unsigned prints throughout May and June as 'buy one get one free' (with the cheapest free, of course).  Please have a look at the website www.hannahfrank.org.uk and the gallery pages to see prices etc.  (nb the ones with the asterisks are signed!)  When ordering, just pay for one print through the site and put a note in the 'notes' or email me (fionafrank@gmail.com) saying which second print you'd like.

best wishes,

Fiona  (Niece of the late Hannah Frank and Director, Hannah Frank Art)
fionafrank 'at' gmail.com
www.hannahfrank.org.uk