Welcome to Franklin Furnace
Franklin Furnace’s mission is to present, preserve, interpret, educate, and advocate on behalf of avant-garde art, especially forms that may be vulnerable due to institutional neglect, cultural bias, ephemerality, or politically unpopular content.
The organization provides physical and virtual venues for the presentation of time-based art, including artists’ books and periodicals, performance art, installation art, and unforeseen contemporary avant-garde artforms; and undertakes other activities related to these purposes.
Franklin Furnace is dedicated to serving early-career artists, cultivating appreciation of avant-garde art for all, and fostering artists’ zeal to circulate ideas.
Upcoming Events
Subscribe to our Goings On e-newsletter for the latest information on the local, national, and international activities of Franklin Furnace artists/alumni and members.
Goings On | 02/16/2026
Contents for February 16th, 2026 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Franklin Furnace’s LOFT program “Lettrism in America” now available online 2. Dynasty Handbag, FF Alumn, live online, March 10, 17, 24, 31 3. Grisha Coleman, Toni Dove, FF Alumns, receive Doris Duke Foundation Inaugural Performing Arts Technology Lab
Goings On | 02/9/2026
Contents for February 09th, 2026 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weekly Spotlight: Franklin Furnace relaunches the Franklin Furnace Events Database, access online at archives.franklinfurnace.org 1. Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo Ovalles Morel, FF Alumn, new publication 2. John Ahearn, Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, Asia Stewart,Krzysztof Wodiczko, Francesca Woodman, FF Alumns, now
“ICE(age): OCCUPIED STATE” Film Screening
[February 20, 2026. 6:00pm EST] Ice(age), a 35-minute video remediation of ICE depredations, garnered from entrenched reporters witnessing it live.
2026-27 Franklin Furnace FUND for Performance Art Application Information Session
February 4, 2026, 7-8pm EST – Learn what constitutes a well-prepared grant application and ask questions about Franklin Furnace FUND programs from our staff. The session was followed by a
Lettrism in America – An Avant-Garde’s Journey Overseas
[January 27, 2026. 6:00pm EST] A public lecture on the history of the American reception and impact of one of the most radical Parisian late avant-gardes: the Lettrist movement.
Random Excess: Linearity to Labyrinthian
[January 26, 2026. 6:00pm EST streamed live from Center for Book Arts, New York]
Click to access → past Events and past virtual LOFT records
Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc. gratefully acknowledges the government agencies, foundations, corporations and individuals whose support makes our programs possible:
Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc. programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Franklin Furnace has received support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Arison Arts Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, Marian Goodman Foundation, Teiger Foundation, and the Willem de Kooning Foundation through Coalition of Small Arts New York City (CoSA NYC).