In the very midst of all the upheaval, uncertainty, and anxiety wrought by COVID-19 over these past few weeks, BMAC absorbed another momentous shock to our system on Monday, March 16, when we learned that our dear friend and longtime honorary trustee Wolf Kahn had died in the wee hours of the morning. BMAC has been in existence for nearly 50 years, and it is safe to say that no one has done more to nurture and care for this improbable small-town contemporary art museum than Wolf Kahn. As an exhibiting artist, trusted advisor, board member, and extraordinarily generous patron, Wolf played an indispensable role in shaping BMAC into the thriving institution it is today.

Much has already been written about the impressive legacy Wolf fashioned during the course of his 92 eventful and productive years on this earth. Wolf’s early acclaim as part of the second generation of New York-based abstract expressionists, his singular reputation as an artist who fused elements of realism and Color Field painting in his depictions of the landscape, and his recognition by the American Academy of Arts & Letters, the National Academy, and the U.S. State Department, among many others, have been amply documented.

What I wish to add to the record, on behalf of all of us who knew Wolf primarily through life in and around his adopted home of Brattleboro, Vermont, is that we were so proud to consider him our own. We didn’t mind sharing him with New York and Venice and the glamorous art world, but we knew Wolf not just as the masterful artist whose works are held in the collections of major museums and former Presidents. We knew him as a charming, irreverent, generous friend, who canned his own peaches, foraged for mushrooms, frequented our local Farmers’ Market, attended concerts at Marlboro Music Festival, sang tenor in the summer-ending Choral Fantasy, swam at South Pond, and watched softball games at Living Memorial Park.

Over the course of nearly 50 years, Wolf set up his portable studio in our fields and orchards and alongside winding roads throughout our community, creating artwork that casts our corner of New England in its finest light—light that most of us never even noticed until Wolf reflected it back to us. This time of year, in particular, when the slanting mountain ridges and pale sky are visible behind the bare-limbed trees, it’s hard not to see the southern Vermont landscape as a Wolf Kahn canvas. Through his own work and through the encouragement and inspiration he imparted to countless artists in our area, Wolf did as much if not more than anyone else to forge Brattleboro’s identity as a bastion of art and creativity.

And Wolf’s contributions to the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center cannot be overstated. His paintings were included in our very first exhibition in 1972 and in numerous ones to follow, including the 2005 retrospective Landscape of Light. Wolf served on our board in the late 80s, and he and his wife Emily Mason were our first honorary trustees. They were our “angel” benefactors, whose support we relied upon to launch virtually every new initiative and to make up our occasional budget shortfalls. And although Wolf and Emily are no longer with us, they will always have a presence in Brattleboro, because BMAC’s plans for the future include a gallery dedicated exclusively to their artwork, which is cherished by people from all walks of life.

The novel coronavirus has compelled BMAC and virtually every other museum around the country to take stock of our resources and programs, and to contemplate new ways of reaching our audiences and serving our community. It’s unnerving not to be able to call upon Wolf for guidance and support at this momentous juncture; instead, we can only express our deepest, most heartfelt gratitude for all he did to enable BMAC to weather this storm and continue to thrive in the years to come.

—Danny Lichtenfeld, Director
April 7, 2020

See more photos of Wolf Kahn here.