Teiger Foundation Gift Advances AAP's Teiger Mentor in the Arts Program

Following more than a decade of support from late collector, museum patron, and Cornell alumnus David Teiger ('51) (1929–2014), the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning has received a $500,000 gift from Teiger Foundation to support the Teiger Mentor in the Arts program. This gift enables the college to continue welcoming a prominent artist to the Department of Art each semester for the next five years to teach classes and guide students in the development of their studio practice.

The Teiger Mentor in the Arts program was founded in 2012 with an initial gift from David Teiger, who graduated from the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration. In his lifetime, Teiger was an avid art collector and champion of curators working in contemporary visual art — a legacy that the foundation established in his name continues to honor through its grantmaking programs, which primarily support curatorial work in museums and smaller art organizations in the US.

"The college is incredibly fortunate to continue welcoming leading artists who bring a breadth of creative modes of inquiry around making, expression, society, and life in and outside of our studios," said AAP Gale and Ira Drukier Dean J. Meejin Yoon. "Connecting our students to mentors whose work advances contemporary artistic practice and critical discourse is central to our educational mission, and we are very grateful to be able to extend this invaluable program thanks to Teiger Foundation's support."

The foundation's recent gift supports a Teiger Mentor in the Arts faculty appointment and associated costs for the next ten semesters. Teiger mentors often teach the Art Department's graduate seminar — a cornerstone of the M.F.A. in Creative Visual Arts program — conduct studio visits with students, and give a public lecture at Cornell, providing sustained engagement and deeper learning that goes beyond traditional guest lecture models.

For more than a decade, the program has brought 25 practicing artists to AAP — including painter Erika Ranee, current Teiger Mentor in the Arts for Fall 2025 — and prior mentors including: Tamar Ettun, Pamela Sneed, Catherine Haggarty, EJ Hauser, Wells Chandler, Emilio Rojas, Emily Jacir, Miatta Kawinzi, Candice Lin, Jessi Reaves, Josh Tonsfeldt, Wendy White, Chitra Ganesh, Paul Pfeiffer, Sam Lewitt, Dana Hoey, Sean Landers, Craig Kalpakjian, Sam Durant, Sharon Hayes, Leslie Hewitt, Alejandro Cesarco, Shannon Ebner, and Josiah McElheny.

"In 2011, David Teiger approached Cornell to establish a program that would bring internationally acclaimed artists to his alma mater, creating an opportunity for direct engagement that fosters creative mentorship and growth," said Larissa Harris, Executive Director of Teiger Foundation. "While Teiger Foundation primarily supports contemporary art curators, this gift to Cornell AAP reflects our founder's belief in the power of artists to transform our understanding of the world, the responsibility of institutions to nurture their voices, and the unique opportunities offered by The Teiger Mentor in the Arts program. It embodies the vision and innovation that defined all of David Teiger's endeavors, and we are proud to ensure its lasting impact."

"As the Teiger Mentor in the Arts program demonstrates, mentorship continues to be one of the most profound and effective ways to transmit knowledge — from the inner workings of artistic practice to what it means to be an artist in the world," said Art Professor and Chair Paul Ramírez Jonas. "The program is about drawing connections and students learning, with strong supports, how to process complexity, find their voice, intervene in real space and time, and meaningfully engage the people around them with the work they make."

Cornell AAP's two-year M.F.A. in Creative Visual Arts is a supportive, studio-intensive program that encourages both interdisciplinary and medium-specific practices, complemented by access to a broad range of fields of study across the university. Please visit the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Visual Arts website for more information about the program and how to apply for Fall 2026.