Essay - Organizational Analysis of Aperture Foundation Section One: the Aperture Foundation...

Organizational Analysis of Aperture Foundation

***** One:

***** Aperture Foundation was founded as a not-for-profit arts institution in 1952 by six people who had a vision of photography as a ma*****stream medium. Among those six ***** were Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange, whose names have since become almost synonymous in the public mind with art photography. Also in the found*****g six were photographers Barbara Morgan and Minor White, plus historian Beaumont Newhall and writer/curator Nancy Newhall. At the time, it was possible to create a periodical with scant resources, and ***** six *****d Aperture magazine "to serve the medium, ***** photography users and fine art lovers worldwide" (***** Foundation Web site, 2005).

Over the past fifty-plus years, ***** Aperture Foundation has expanded its work to include *****ation of books, limited edition prints and portfolios, mounting of traveling exhibitions, and an initiation of ***** educational program that *****s lectures and panel discussions with artists, curators, and other key players in the field ***** photography, as well ***** internships.

It has also forged an alli*****ce with ***** International Photography Council for international ***** and ***** D.A.P./ Distributed Art Publishers, another organization ***** began on a shoestring but has grown to become a worldwide distributor of "books, special editi*****s and rare publications on art, photography, architecture, design and culture" (Aperture Foundation ***** site, 2005). In addition, the foundation ***** recently moved into new headquarters in ***** Chelsea section of Manhattan, long home to artists and writers.

***** the Aperture ***** has ga*****ed high praise for its independence ***** integrity in publishing the most innovative ***** in *****, that has required significant and generous support. Among donors have been the National Endowment ***** ***** *****s, the New York State ***** on ***** Arts, The Starr Foundation, ***** Turner Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation, ***** Lannan Foundation, Ford Mo*****r Company, Eastman Kodak Company, and other foundations" as well as individuals (Ablestable.com Web site).

The challenge now is to continue to promote photography and mount exhibitions while paying the expenses ***** the ***** space. ***** addition, *****re are pressures on the medium that ***** grown over the past decade because of advances in high-tech fields, from cameras to reproducti***** to the ubiqui*****usness of images ***** the difficulty of securing art*****ts' rights.

Section Two:

The organization's structural integrity was challenged during ***** past five years by the deaths in quick succession of two of its Executive Directors, Michael E. Hoffman in 2001 (after he ***** been at the helm for 36 *****) and Director Designate Paul Gottlieb in 2002. However, Ellen S. Harris has run the organization for more than a year ***** a half with a seasoned staff and a Board of Trustees. During that time, she has completed the exclusive agreement with DAP, and ***** moved the ***** into new headquarters at the heart of the New ***** arts scene.

In *****, the Web site has been redesigned, and a licensing di***** ***** launched early in 2004 to develop revenues to support both ***** foundation