“Art, Justice, and Kinship”: The 2026 Abigail R. Cohen ’91 Art Lecture at GFS

The last time Carmen Winant ’01 and Paul Farber ’01 were on stage together in the Barbara & David Loeb Performing Arts Center, they were Upper Schoolers presenting the spring sports schedule. Twenty-five years later, they appeared on the Loeb stage together once more as the featured speakers of the 23rd Annual Abigail R. Cohen ’91 Art Lecture. Their joint artist talk was titled, “Art, Justice, and Kinship.” 

To honor what would have been the 35th reunion of Abigail Cohen, an alumna, talented photographer, and the namesake of both the lecture and the arts wing of the All School Commons, this year’s lecture was held during GFS’ Alumni Weekend on Friday, May 15. A framed selection of Abby’s black-and-white photographs from her book One Cycle of My Journey was also on display in the All School Commons. The Abigail Rebecca Cohen ’91 Art Fund, which supports the lecture, was established in 2002 by her brother Jonathan Cohen ’88 and his wife, Julia Pershan.

Farber and Winant opened the lecture with gratitude to the Cohen Family for funding this annual lecture.

“What an incredibly generous and imaginative act to establish this lecture series in service of other artists,” Winant said. “For those who haven't seen Abigail Cohen's photographs outside, I would really recommend it—they are incredibly moving, sophisticated, tender, and a little bit haunting for an artist of that age. It's really remarkable. We're so honored to be here in her legacy.”

Storied Careers

Both Winant and Farber are well-established in the art world. Carmen Winant is a visual artist, writer, and the Roy Lichtenstein Endowed Chair of Studio Art at Ohio State University. Her projects have been shown at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, ICA Boston, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, and others.

Paul Farber is the director and co-founder of Monument Lab, a non-profit reimagining monuments as places of learning, healing, and belonging. He is among the nation's thought leaders on monuments, memory, and public space and has authored and co-edited several publications, including A Wall of Our Own: An American History of the Berlin Wall and Monument Lab: Creative Speculations on Philadelphia. His current exhibit Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from April 25 through August 2, 2026. 

While their lecture did go into some detail about their various projects and highlights of their careers, it was their 30-year friendship at the heart of the presentation. Winant and Farber met in seventh grade and became fast friends. The bond formed at GFS has continued to grow and deepen in the decades since.

“One mantra that I've come to is ‘Find your people,’” Farber said. “I was really lucky that decades ago, Carmen entered my life. Whether it was here at GFS in classrooms or out on the fields, and then beyond that for many, many years, we found each other, which has also led us to so many other people. Our families, friends, and peers are intertwined.”

Friends Forever

Their connection blends the personal and the professional. They’ve been sounding boards, support systems, and cheerleaders for one another, starting in GFS on the cross country course and writing for Earthquake, and later in undergraduate and grad school, and as emerging leaders in their fields. Throughout the lecture, they shared tender details about their friendship and sang one another’s praises like only BFFs can do. 

"When I look back across the chapters of my life, whether as a professional or more so as a human being, Carmen is nearby,” Farber said. “To have people in your corner who all they want to do is see you shine, we do that for each other." 

Both spoke about the concept of “showing up” for one another and how much of a fortifying force that’s been as they’ve navigated their lives. 

“Needless to say, [showing up for each other] is something that GFS fosters,” Winant noted. “It's not an accident that our friendship was founded in these halls.”

Student Voices

Two Upper School art students, Charley Levin ’26 and Tin Tin Chen ’26, joined Farber and Winant on stage to ask questions. When asked if there are comparisons between a “runner’s high” and the feeling of creating art, both were quick to point out that it’s more the tenets of discipline and dedication that align the two practices.

“I spent a decade of my life in competitive long-distance running, and I don't know that I ever actually experienced a runner's high!” Carmen laughed. “But I did encounter the joys and pleasures of discipline, repetition, and return, which I certainly apply to my creative and professional life today.”  

After the lecture, Farber and Winant stayed on campus for lunch and an art critique with the Senior Studio art class. They urged the students, many of whom are attending art schools or majoring in art-related fields this fall, to look for mentors, commit to their own definitions of success, and stay open to the idea that their artist's journeys may zig and zag. 

By sharing their stories and advice, Winant and Farber passed a torch to the GFS Upper Schoolers, especially the graduating seniors. The artists reminded them that art is, in essence, an act of generosity—and that finding your people and continually showing up for one another are the greatest success stories of all.