Floating Foundation of Photography
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Photography, Art gallery, Education |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | Maggie Sherwood |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Fate | Closed two years after founder's death |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | New York City and surrounding areas |
Key people | Maggie Sherwood |
| Products | Photography exhibitions, education programs, darkroom facilities |
The Floating Foundation of Photography served as a distinctive photography gallery, educational hub, and gathering spot in New York. It emerged as a significant center for renowned photographers including W. Eugene Smith, Arthur Tress, Mary Ellen Mark, Les Krims, Judy Dater, Lisette Model, and Lee Witkin. Notably, the Foundation pioneered photography instruction within underserved populations such as prisons, mental health facilities, and drug rehabilitation centers.
Established in 1970 by photographer Maggie Sherwood, the Foundation operated aboard a houseboat painted purple, which Sherwood acquired to function as both an exhibition space and photographic resource center. Over time, she expanded the facility by incorporating classrooms and darkroom facilities. The houseboat was initially docked at the 79th Street Boat Basin before navigating the Hudson River. Photography critic A. D. Coleman remarked on its emblematic significance, representing photography’s transition from the margins of culture to a more central role. The Foundation maintained its influence until two years following Sherwood’s passing in 1984.
In 2009, the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at the State University of New York at New Paltz organized a retrospective exhibit dedicated to the Floating Foundation, emphasizing its legacy and the photographers linked to it. The accompanying catalog, Taking a Different Tack: Maggie Sherwood and the Floating Foundation of Photography, contains photographs of both the artists involved and the houseboat venue itself.