The Joan Mitchell Foundation cultivates the study and appreciation of artist Joan Mitchell’s life and work, while fulfilling her wish to provide resources and opportunities for visual artists. Through its work, the Foundation affirms and amplifies artists’ essential contributions to society.
As stewards of Joan Mitchell’s legacy, the Foundation manages a collection of Mitchell’s artwork and archives containing her personal papers, photographs, and sketchbooks. Staff are dedicated to assisting researchers, sharing information, and fostering dialogue and scholarship on Mitchell’s life and work. The Foundation regularly partners with institutions to ensure that a wide and diverse audience has access to Mitchell’s artworks through exhibitions, educational activities, and public programming. The Foundation also administers copyright and reproduction requests related to Mitchell’s artwork, and supports the Joan Mitchell Catalogue Raisonné project, which is currently researching Mitchell’s paintings for a future publication.
Fulfilling Mitchell’s mandate to “aid and assist” living artists, over the past 33 years the Foundation has evolved a range of initiatives that have directly supported more than 1,350 visual artists at varying stages of their careers. The Joan Mitchell Fellowship gives unrestricted awards of $60,000 directly to 15 artists annually, with funds distributed over a five-year period alongside learning, peer engagement, and network-building opportunities. The New Orleans-based Joan Mitchell Center hosts residencies for national and local artists, complemented by professional development offerings, open studio events, and other public programs that encourage dialogue and exchange with the local community. The Creating a Living Legacy (CALL) initiative provides free and essential resources to help artists of all ages organize, document, and manage their artworks and careers. Together, these programs actively engage with working artists as they develop and expand their practices. For more information, visit joanmitchellfoundation.org.
