Frayda Feldman, co-founder and longtime director of Ronald Feldman Fine Arts and a leading authority on Andy Warhol prints, passed away peacefully at the age of 87.
Deeply respected for her intelligence and boundless curiosity, Frayda was beloved for her kindness, empathy, and lifelong devotion to family and friends. She had a remarkable ability to make others feel seen, valued, and cared for, always putting the needs of those around her before her own.
Born in Manhattan in 1938, Frayda grew up in a multigenerational household in Forest Hills before moving to Larchmont, New York. She graduated from Mamaroneck High School in 1955 and the University of Michigan in 1959, a school subsequently attended by two generations of her family.
After short stints in publishing and consulting, Frayda joined Ron in launching Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in 1970. As co-founder and director, she served as the operational glue of the gallery for close to 56 years. Over a fifty-year period, Ronald Feldman Fine Arts exhibited the work of more than 1,000 artists, presenting art that addressed the social, political, and cultural issues of its time.
More than anything, Frayda had a gift for building enduring relationships. Through her warmth, organizational, and unwavering commitment to others, she helped transform a young gallery into a lasting institution and made generations of artists, collectors, staff members, and visitors feel welcomed and valued.
Throughout the 1980s, Frayda and Ron collaborated with Andy Warhol to conceptualize and publish several of his most iconic portfolios of prints and paintings, including Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, Ads, Endangered Species, and Moonwalk.
In recent years, Frayda shared her expertise and institutional knowledge with the gallery's leadership team, which continues to honor and advance the legacy she and Ron built through more than five decades.
Drawing on her unparalleled expertise, Frayda served as editor of Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962–1987, the seminal reference used by museums, auction houses, dealers, and collectors around the globe. Her scholarship and firsthand knowledge helped establish standards for the study, authentication, and collection of Warhol's graphic work.
Frayda was a champion of progressive causes, working tirelessly to engage artists in raising funds for Democratic candidates, especially those advancing the arts. Her journey brought her to local artist studios, countless political and art events, Capitol Hill, and the White House.
Empathy was Frayda's superpower, and caring for family, friends, artists, and colleagues was her true passion. When in her presence, people felt her warmth, attention, unwavering support, and generosity. She possessed a remarkable ability to make people feel seen, valued, and supported, and her kindness left a lasting impression on generations of artists, collectors, and friends.
Ronald Feldman, her husband of 57 years and partner in life and work, predeceased her in 2022.She is survived by her brother Henry and sister-in-law Carol Futterman and their families; her son Mark Feldman and wife Nikki Feldman; son Andy Feldman and wife Lisa Feldman; daughter Julie Golovcsenko; grandchildren Ethan, Charlotte, Jonah, Sam, Nathan, Lucas, Warren, and Roxanne; and great-granddaughter Nora.
If you wish to make a donation in Frayda’s name, here are few of her favorite organizations: People for the American Way, Creative Capital, or Multiple Melanoma Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.
There will be a celebration of Frayda’s life and her impact on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 1-5 pm at Ronald Feldman Gallery.
