Helen Frankenthaler’s ‘Provincetown Series’ Returns to Provincetown Art Association and Museum As New Additions to Permanent Collection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | PROVINCETOWN, MA | OCTOBER 21, 2022 

In 2018, Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) held the exhibition Abstract Climates: Helen Frankenthaler in Provincetown.

Curated by Lise Motherwell, a stepdaughter of the artist, PAAM Board President, and Chair of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, and Elizabeth Smith, Founding Executive Director of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the exhibition focused on the work Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011) created in Provincetown between 1950 and 1969, offering a new perspective on this aspect of her oeuvre.

Six years later, PAAM has secured five paintings that were included in the exhibition for its permanent collection, thanks to Lise Motherwell and The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. “As the curator [of Abstract Climates] the saddest moment for me was watching the show come down, knowing that I probably would never see these paintings again…I can’t tell you how happy I am to bring [these five paintings] home,” said Motherwell. 

The Provincetown Series is comprised of five watercolors: Provincetown Series, 1960; Provincetown Series #2, 1960; Provincetown Series II, 1960; Provincetown Series #3, 1960; and Provincetown Series, 1960. 

When the works were displayed at PAAM in 2018, some of them hadn’t been viewed publicly in nearly 40 years. In addition to being a major series, these are the first works by Frankenthaler to be included in PAAM’s permanent collection, where they can be regularly exhibited and used for Museum education. “The Provincetown Series belongs in Provincetown,” said PAAM CEO Christine McCarthy. 

Contact Chief Communications Officer Annie Longley for images: alongley@paam.org

THE PROVINCETOWN SERIES

Provincetown Series, 1960, watercolor on paper, 35 ⅛” x 35”, PAAM Collection, Gift of The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, 2022. © 2022 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc./Artists Right Society (ARS), New York.

Provincetown Series #2, 1960, watercolor and crayon on paper, 35 ⅛” x 35”, PAAM Collection, Gift of The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, 2022. © 2022 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc./Artists Right Society (ARS), New York.

Provincetown Series II, 1960, watercolor and crayon on paper, 19” x 23 ¾”, PAAM Collection, Gift of The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, 2022. © 2022 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc./Artists Right Society (ARS), New York.

Provincetown Series #3, 1960, watercolor on paper, 35” x 35”, PAAM Collection, Gift of The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, 2022. © 2022 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc./Artists Right Society (ARS), New York.

Provincetown Series, 1960, watercolor on paper, 35 ⅛” x 35”, PAAM Collection, Gift of The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, 2022. © 2022 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc./Artists Right Society (ARS), New York.

ABOUT HELEN FRANKENTHALER

Helen Frankenthaler was eminent among the second generation of postwar American abstract painters and is widely credited for playing a pivotal role in the transition from Abstract Expressionism to Color Field painting. Through her invention of the soak-stain technique, she expanded the possibilities of abstract painting, while at times referencing figuration and landscape in unique ways. She produced a body of work whose impact on contemporary art has been profound and continues to grow. Her work is represented in museum collections worldwide and has been the subject of numerous national and international exhibitions and substantial publications.

ABOUT THE HELEN FRANKENTHALER FOUNDATION

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, established and endowed by the artist during her lifetime, became active in 2013, on the closing of Frankenthaler’s estate. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts. It supports the artist’s legacy through a variety of initiatives, including exhibitions, loans of artworks, research and publications, conservation, grants, educational programs for the public and the scholarly community, and the publishing of a catalogue raisonné. As the principal beneficiary of Frankenthaler’s estate, its holdings include an extensive selection of her work in a variety of mediums, her collection of works by other artists, and original papers and materials pertaining to her life and work. For additional information: www.frankenthalerfoundation.org.

ABOUT PAAM

Provincetown Art Association and Museum was established in 1914 by a group of artists and townspeople to build a permanent collection of works by artists of outer Cape Cod, and to exhibit art that would allow for unification within the community. Through a comprehensive schedule of exhibitions of local and national significance and educational outreach, PAAM provides the public access to art, artists, and the creative process. The PAAM Membership is a vibrant community of over 2,000 individuals. Whether you’re an artist or you simply love the arts, a PAAM Membership opens the door to programs and events that enrich and inspire.

Located at 460 Commercial Street, PAAM is open year-round. Museum hours: from November 1-April 30 hours are Thursday-Sunday from 12-5pm, and from May 1-October 31 they are Wednesday-Monday (closed Tuesdays) from 11am-5pm and until 8pm on Fridays with free admission after 5pm.