HELEN FRANK
Known for her etchings and other works of fine art like Night at the Met, Cherry Blossoms, A Glass of Guinness, The History of Art, and The Great Hall, Helen Frank's art captures the essence of New York‘s artistic and cultural life, and she has also gained recognition for her works depicting the merriment and carnival-like atmosphere of the New Jersey shore and boardwalks, before hurricane Sandy.
Born in the year 1930, Helen Frank is known for her work as a print-maker and painter. Helen is a New York and New Jersey artist, and her work often captures the day-to-day elements of this setting, many times as social or political commentary. In addition to watercolor and etchings, Helen Frank is a master print-maker and artist working in copperplate etching, oil on canvas, oil and pastel on paper, ink, and collage. She is also recognized for her work and commentary on the topics of women’s issues, cultural identity, daily life, travel, and sports, among many others.
Many of Helen Frank’s works are celebrated today, and she appears in the collections of the NYPL, Library of Congress, MOMA, Victoria and Albert Museum, American Museum of Immigration, and many other locations and galleries. Frank was educated at Yale, Cooper Union, the New York School for Social Research, and the Tyler School of Fine Arts at Temple. Her extensive travels and life experience have provided Helen with numerous subjects for her work, whether it be a baseball game, a woman and a bird at a railroad station, or a visit to a local place of worship. As an artist, she finds the sublime in everyday life and the extraordinary within the ordinary.
Frank’s Master Prints Collection was recently donated by Helen and her husband Sid Frank to Lafayette College, where it is showcased. The collection contains over 1,000 prints and 70 years of work, as well an incredible array of printmaking techniques. In addition to her watercolor work, the collection includes hundreds of monotypes and etchings that Frank made in her own home throughout the course of her career.
Helen Frank’s work is showcased at a number of galleries and exhibits, including but not limited to the following:
EXHIBITIONS
- American Watercolor Society, NYC
- National Academy Galleries, NYC
- Newark, NJ, Public Library
- New Jersey Through Artists’ Eyes
- Garden State Iconography
- New Jersey Printmakers National Exhibition
- Lever House, NYC
- Carnegie-Mellon University
- Pratt Institute
- International Miniature Print Exhibition
- Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ
- American Drawings
- Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
- National Museum of Dance, Saratoga Springs, NY
COLLECTIONS
- Library of Congress
- New Yok Public Library
- New-York Historical Society
- Museum of Modern Art
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- New Jersey State Museum
- Newark Public Library
- Newark Museum
- American Museum of Immigration
- UNICEF
- Lafayette College
- New Jersey Center for Visual Arts
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- New York Life Insurance Company
- New York Mets
- Habitat for Humanity
- NJ Governor’s Mansion, Drumthwacket
ARTIST’S BOOKS
- Seder
- Ironbound
- Menopause
- Boyfriends and Husbands
- Octogenarians
- Be Home Before the Street Lights Come On
- We’ve Struck Golden
- The Nuns’ Garden
- Monastery Fred
- The Painting and the Print
- The Road to Dublin
- My Life at the Met
- Helen’s Tales