We at Fraenkel Gallery are heartbroken by the murder of Black people in this country, including the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade and so many others. This is a moment of dual crises: COVID-19 disproportionately impacting Black and under-served communities across the nation, and the continued oppression of movements working to end racial inequality and police brutality. We recognize the urgent need to speak up, to unequivocally state that Black Lives Matter, and to stand in solidarity with those working to fight racial injustice. ⁠
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We understand that these crises are not specific to this moment and are enmeshed within larger structures of racism and white supremacy. The art world is not disassociated from these structures and we are examining our role and how we must do better. We are listening. We are learning. And we are committed to supporting those on the front lines of the struggle to dismantle structural racism in tangible, material ways.

In 1979, Jeffrey Fraenkel opened Fraenkel Gallery with a mission statement that emphasized inclusiveness and an openness to change: “The doors at Fraenkel Gallery are open to all…The gallery will always remain responsive to experimentation and new ideas.”

With this in mind, we have begun to examine the internal practices that prevent and impede us from being truly inclusive. We acknowledge that the makeup of our staff does not reflect the diversity of the Bay Area, and therefore we’re re-evaluating our hiring practices. We’re committed to working to expand our programming and roster to include more Black artists and artists of color, as well as women and queer/gender non-conforming artists.

We want to be held accountable. The gallery will enlist an outside facilitator to help us navigate these important challenges by setting clear goals and meeting regularly to review our progress. We also plan to share that progress with you.

We know that our work doesn’t end here, and we invite our patrons and subscribers to help us identify more ways we can improve ourselves, our industry, and our community. In the meantime, we have gathered a list of resources for supporting Black lives below.

— Jeffrey Fraenkel, Frish Brandt and the Staff of Fraenkel Gallery