In memory of Josine Ianco-Starrels
JOSINE IANCO-STARRELS,
FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER
An appreciation
Wendy Van Haerlem, April, 2019
As the world heralds and says goodbye to Josine Ianco-Starrels, our foundation is profoundly affected by her loss.
We are grateful for Suzanne Muchnic’s obituary in the Los Angeles Times dated April 20th. Josine’s family, family of artists, friends and admirers are numberless.
Now I’d like to add what Josine’s vitality, passion, knowledge and caring meant to our foundation. All of our board members have Josine stories to tell and will miss her always. Some people are indispensable.
Josine was one of three founding members of our board in 1979 along with Helen Lundeberg and Monroe Price. After some organizational details were accomplished, Mr. Price moved abroad and Henry Hopkins agreed to join our uncompensated board. Much of Helen’s time was taken up with adminstrative details such as conducting an evaluation inventory of her work, Lorser’s work and their extensive art collection. She was also preparing for two major exhibitions. This Helen accomplished with expertise and chin up while suffering the crushing loss of Lorser.
That’s when Josine became the arms and legs of our board. Never one to stop at decisions by phone or mail she jumped in, sleeves rolled up and open-hearted.
Equally significant in my opinion, Josine agreed to act as the Feitelson’s successor trustee to their three trusts. The level of responsibility that was asked of her and to which she willingly agreed was enormous. This type of commitment reaps no rewards or accolades. It was an act of love and respect for Lorser and Helen. Wherever and however Helen needed her, Josine was there.
Josine intitated two significant programs in line with our foundation’s purpose of promoting art education. She set up a ongoing scholarship for minority art students at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery and an Artist-Mentor program that lasted several years.
When our board was expanded to five members in 1990, Helen nominated me.
By then Helen welcomed two pairs of arms and legs. Josine remained active on our board for many years, even after her move to Oregon. She shared her wisdom and made her opinions known. We are grateful to Josine’s daughter, Elissa Kline, for helping us keep tabs on Josine during the last several years since illness prevented Josine from continuing.
Josine could be demanding but also very nurturing; she had a way of letting people know what she expected. My most cherished memory of working with her involved Lorser’s library. Josine admiration for Lorser revolved around her respect for his intellect, deep knowledge of art, legendary teaching, and continuing study. Josine saw these qualitis in his library: the artist and his books.
When Helen had to vacate the studio she shared with Lorser, all those books became daunting. What to do? She and June Harwood agreed the volumes could be sold at a book fair at Valley College. Josine and I thought donating the library would fit our foundation’s purposes better. We spent a day loading up the books in 2 vehicles with the help of my husband Steve. The library was boxed under our piano until a destination was found.
Ultimately The University of California, San Diego accepted the foundation’s gift of the Feitelson library as a collection. As luck would have it, it was building its Art and Architecture library at the time.
Our current board members Tom Boles, Suzanne Muchnic, Marian Kovinick and I all knew Josine through her myriad art activities in Los Angeles as well as our fellow board member. Our foundation was very lucky that she made our foundation one of her many projects.
Thank you Josine.
Helen and Josine at a Lundeberg opening, c. 1977, © The Feitelson / Lundeberg Art Foundation
Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2019
Josine Ianco-Starrels, curator who helped shape L.A. art scene, dies at 92
by Suzanne Muchnic
Los Angeles Times, September 2, 1990
A Curator's Declaration of Independence : Josine Ianco-Starrels works to give a unified vision to the visual arts of L.A. Festival
by William Wilson
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-02-ca-2010-story.html