EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. — Helen Harrison, director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center at Stony Brook University, is to say goodbye: The renowned art historian is retiring after 34 years of service to the university, officials said.
Credited with having the Pollock-Krasner House designated a National Historic Landmark, securing an endowment for the property, establishing the Study Center and more, Harrison is leaving behind a new university-endowed scholarship to study abstract expressionism, university officials said .
“This grant will help bring more scholars to use our resources and the resources that are available in this area,” she said, referring to eastern Long Island's vibrant artist community. “This is very important, because the first generation of scholars is dying off, and we need to keep this as an active field of study.”
So far, the House and Study Center has contributed five experts, four conferences and one publication to the field, Stony Brook officials said.
The Harrison Fellowship, an annual three-month program, will attract young scholars eager to make their own contribution. Harrison said she hopes the Study Center will continue to expand its archive and offerings.
Prior to her tenure at Stony Brook, Harrison served as curator at the Guild Hall Museum, visiting curator at the Queens Museum, and executive director of the Public Art Preservation Commission. She has also worked as an exhibition organizer and as an art columnist, commentator, critic and feature writer for several news outlets, including the New York Times.
Her career has earned Harrison dozens of honors, including multiple awards from the Long Island Press Club and a 2021 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service, Stony Brook officials said. Her love of art and writing inspired her to write a series of murder mystery novels, one of which won the 2019 Benjamin Franklin Gold Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association.
Harrison said she looks forward to publishing more in retirement and remains a resource for the Pollock-Krasner Center for Studies and Research if her expertise is needed.
“Helen Harrison's commitments to Stony Brook University and the Department of Art have extended beyond her duties as Director of the Pollock-Krasner Center for Homes and Studies,” said former interim president and professor, Affiliated Faculty for Art, Margaret Schedel. “She has served the department in every aspect of its entity and at the highest level. As she ends her service to the University, I would like to honor her years of dedication to our mission.”
