About The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation
Since 1955, The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation has provided support to young artists from around the world. Established by distinguished Montreal lawyer and amateur artist Charles Glass Greenshields in memory of his mother, Elizabeth, the Foundation has to date provided financial assistance to more than 2,000 students from 80 countries.
Each year, young artists from around the world working in painting, sculpture, drawing, or printmaking and demonstrating the talent and dedication to pursue a lifetime career in their practice apply for a grant.
This year, Maine College of Art & Design is proud to announce that two of our painting majors, Fran Woolson '25 and Jaden Kyung-Moon Bauch '25, have been selected as grant recipients. Professor and Chair of Painting at the College, Philip Brou, shares, “Having two of our painters compete on an international level and receive Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grants is, first and foremost, a testament to the exceptional work of Jaden Kyung-Moon Bauch and Fran Woolson. I believe it also says a lot about [Maine College of Art & Design] and our Painting program. It shows the great results that can happen in a small, supportive community of artists all pushing one another to grow.”
About Francesca Woolson '25
Francesca Woolson '25 is a painting major at Maine College of Art & Design whose early work was influenced by painters like Salvador Dali and Georgia O’Keefe and who now looks to contemporary surrealist artists like Edward Povey, Michael Taylor, and Denis Sarazhin for inspiration. On receiving the grant, Fran shares, “This grant has provided me with the opportunity to focus all my efforts on my art and college, so when I graduate I can continue this momentum in my art practice and not have to worry as much about outstanding loans.” Says Fran, “The painting professors at [the College] always push me to think differently about my work and where I want to take it next. I am seldom sure of the direction I want to grow my art. However, I do know that whatever direction my art goes, I want to expand upon my current skills while challenging myself to throw away my conceptions of my art.”
“When I first saw Fran Woolson’s work, I thought it was the work of a very accomplished artist in our master's Program. I did not realize it was the work of a first-year undergraduate student. Fran is a virtuoso. That said, she never rests on her laurels and is always taking risks, searching for the next question, and working hard. She has a background as both a ballet dancer and pugilist, and you can feel it in the visual rhythms and physicality of her typically large-scale and often psychologically dark figurative oil paintings.”
There's Flowers in My Room
This piece explores the separation from body and consciousness through surrealist depiction. It is a companion to a poem I wrote: “There’s Flowers in My Room.” Dissolving child-like hope is displayed in the use of oil pastel. Contortion of the figures shows a perpetual discomfort and motion through space – causing a subconscious discomfort in the viewer. I create dissonance by the use of oil pastel juxtaposed with oil paint. This use of pictorial space and subconscious empathy aims to cause affect in the viewer.
Aftermath
This piece is the third in my "Emergence" 3 painting series. "Aftermath" reflects on the emotional intensity of the series, how gravity can be portrayed in a painting, and the breaking apart of figure and gesture. Illness, recovery, and rest are investigated through forms associated with the internal and external.
The Farm
This piece is the first of my "Emergence" 3 painting series. "The Farm" depicts a fractured memory, based on half-forgotten instances from growing up on my Grandparents’ farm in New York State. It examines intense memories and the revisionist act of remembering. Ambiguity in emotion is used to show the merging of joy and sorrow, the convergence of the traumatic and innocent, and the comfortable and uncomfortable.
Sinking
This piece is part of a 5 part series which investigates feelings of isolation, desperation, and horror – through the use of material, color, and interaction of the subjects. These portraits dissolve the subject through the emotional atmosphere depicted in the ground. By painting a self-awareness in my portraits, through blending of figure and ground via drips, I emphasize their interaction with the viewer. Meaning that by confronting the viewer either by material or the gaze of the figure, it opens a connection between the real and the depicted.
About Jaden Kyung-Moon Bauch '25
Jaden Kyung-Moon Bauch '25 is a painting major at Maine College of Art & Design who also studies the securities industry and is interested in the intersection of finance and art. Jaden is inspired by painters of the Hudson River School and their use of color and atmospheric perspective, as well as ideas about the American Dream and what that means as a South Korean immigrant. On receiving the grant, Jaden shares, “Cost efficiency and budgeting have always been huge considerations in my practice as it often restricts the creature ventures I seek out and the materials I utilize. The Elizabeth Greenshield Grant, above all else, gives me time and creative freedom by lessening financial constraints. I plan to utilize the funds for tuition and fees payable to the College which allows me to budget more of my earned income towards materials and creative experiences.”
“Jaden is deeply involved in the histories and craft of representational painting. She is also inspired by financial literacy. In a critique of Jaden’s work, you might talk about a beautiful cerulean sky, but you might also talk about the S&P 500. She emphatically discusses -and enacts- the importance of hard work, empathy, financial literacy, and self-empowerment. She traces this inspiration to growing up in a single-parent household of modest means and developing her financial acumen right alongside her studio practice; both in steadfast pursuit of freedom and the American Dream.”
German Apple Pancake
In this painting, a plate of crisp apples and a warm German apple pancake evoke more than just culinary delight; they serve as a poignant tribute to the cherished memories and intimate bonds shared with a close friend, infusing the artwork with a sense of warmth, nostalgia, and the enduring richness of interpersonal connections.
My Top Holdings April 2024
This work presents an iconic landscape featuring mountains, clouds, and trees. Upon closer inspection, numerical annotations are visible along the canvas edges. This painting serves as a visual representation of my personal investment portfolio, with the zig-zagging contours depicting various holdings. The inclusion of numbers guides the viewer to understand the financial context behind what initially appears as a traditional landscape, transforming it into a representation of a financial landscape.
New York 1
This painting captures the essence of my partner's grandparents' home in upstate New York, a locale steeped in profound memories for their family. Situated within this expansive field, I discovered a sanctuary of peace and solace amidst the tranquil surroundings. The atmosphere exuded an ethereal quality, with the crispness of the air enveloping me in a sense of awe-inspiring beauty. In my endeavor to portray this atmosphere on canvas, I meticulously sought to encapsulate the breathtaking tranquility and serenity that pervaded the landscape. Every brushstroke aimed to evoke the profound stillness and quiet grandeur of the environment, ensuring that the viewer is transported to this sacred space of cherished memories and tranquility.