THE FLOW CHART FOUNDATION HIRES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dedicated to Preserving the Legacy of American Poet John Ashbery,
The Flow Chart Foundation Hires New Executive Director and Launches Anew
Hudson, NY (3 September 2018)—On the one year anniversary of the passing of John Ashbery (1927 - 2017), one of the world’s greatest poets, The Flow Chart Foundation—a nonprofit organization dedicated to his legacy—launches anew, announcing the hiring of Jeffrey Lependorf, longtime Executive Director of the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, the national arts service organization for independent literary publishing, to become its Executive Director beginning this November. Lependorf currently also serves as Executive Director of Small Press Distribution, the world’s only nonprofit literary book distributor, and directs the Art Omi: Music residency program for collaborating international musicians. David Kermani, President of The Flow Chart Foundation and Ashbery’s longtime partner and husband, says “John’s work meant so much to so many and we’re ecstatic to have Jeffrey Lependorf take the helm at The Flow Chart Foundation.” Lependorf adds, “Ashbery’s work has given me endless joy and inspiration—it’s thrilling to to be able to share that love with others and ensure that his art can continue to inspire others and enhance our culture.”
Universally recognized as one of the greatest and most influential American poets of the 20th century, Ashbery received virtually every major award for poetry, including the Pulitzer Prize, Yale Younger Poets Prize, National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, National Humanities Medal, and MacArthur “Genius” Grant, among many others. Ashbery was also the first living poet to be included into the prestigious Library of America series. His work continues to inspire countless younger poets, artists and readers. The Flow Chart Foundation launched under Ashbery’s guidance in 1998 “to encourage the study of interrelationships among various art forms, as well as to facilitate awareness of the roles that an artist’s environment can play in the creative process.” That mission will continue while encouraging further scholarly and public exploration of Ashbery’s work. The Flow Chart Foundation maintains the Ashbery Resource Center, a physical archive and library located in Hudson, NY, that includes study and symposia spaces, a gallery space for presentations and exhibits, and virtual resources for Ashbery studies. As full activities commence in 2019, the Foundation will offer a roster of scholarly and public programs presented directly and in collaboration with a variety of strategic partners.
The organization will launch a new website, as well as announce a variety of public and scholarly programs and projects in early 2019. In related news, two shows of Ashbery’s collages open this month at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery and Pratt Manhattan Gallery, and the online translation magazine Words Without Borders will publish a special issue devoted to Ashbery’s influence around the globe.
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