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Art and The Archive: A Conversation Series

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Art and The Archive
Art & The Archive is an online conversation series centered around role of the archive in the arts and cultural production.

PROGRAM TITLE, DATE, AND TIME (IN ALL TIME ZONES)

Art and the Archive: Canon vs. Archive

Oct 5, 2021, 90 minutes: 11am PT, 12pm MT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET USA

WHAT IS THE FORMAT/HOW DO PEOPLE REGISTER? 

Example: 1.5-hour conversation over Zoom. Register in advance: [link].

This 90-minute conversation will take place over Zoom. This event will be recorded and viewable after the event date. 

Register in advance: https://mica-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtduihrD0pHNcHBNX8kUOFMjcw0UHi3uQq

Short Link: https://bit.ly/canonvsarchive

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 

Art & The Archive, launched Fall 2020,  is a conversation series that will explore the role of the archive in the production of art and culture. Featured speakers will include writers, archivists, artists, and researchers who all engage with archives in meaningful ways. Attendees can expect a lively, expansive discussion of how archives unfold in our everyday lives.

This conversation is sponsored by Decker Library, in collaboration with the Art History Department. 

In this conversation, Josh T. Franco, National Collector at the Archives of American Art and Sarah-Neel Smith, Art History, Theory and Criticism at Maryland Institute College of Art will re-envision the notion of the art historical canon through a discussion of their work in and outside of archives. In his role, Franco works to identify, investigate, and acquire personal papers, institutional records and other primary sources that tell the stories of American art. Smith’s research focuses on modern and contemporary art, especially artistic exchanges and the Middle East.

 

SPEAKER NAMES AND BIOS 

Sarah-Neel Smith is a faculty member in the Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism, where her research focuses on modern and contemporary art, especially artistic exchanges and the Middle East. Her writing has appeared in Art Journal, ARTMargins, Third Text, Bidoun, and frieze, and her research has been supported by the ACLS, Terra Foundation for American Art, and the Fulbright scholar program. Her first book, Metrics of Modernity: Art and Development in Postwar Turkey (University of California) will be available for preorder in October.

As National Collector at the Archives of American Art, Josh T. Franco works to identify, investigate, and acquire personal papers, institutional records and other primary sources that tell the stories of American art. In addition to ensuring their preservation at the Smithsonian, Franco advises researchers working in the Archives, making them aware of materials relevant to their pursuits. Franco also advises early and mid-career artists on planning for the future of their personal papers. Previously, Franco served as Latino Collections Specialist at the Archives of American Art (2015 - 2017).

Our Most Recent Past Conversation

Flyer for Art & The Archive Conversation Series: Fashion & Textile Archives with Marvin-Alonzo Greer, Olivia Mueller, and Victoria Rose Pass. March 26, 2021, 90 minutes, 11am PT, 12pm MT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET USA. Please register in advance.

"Fashion and Textile Archives," March 26, 2pm ET USA

This panel featured three practitioners who approach fashion and textile archives from a variety of angles. Marvin-Alonzo Greer is a public historian and historical interpreter specializing in African American history; Olivia Mueller is the Archives Manager for Gap Inc. Heritage and Design Archive; and Victoria Rose Pass is an art and design historian whose research considers the history of fashion culture in the 20th century and focuses specifically on issues of gender and race. 

This conversation was sponsored by Decker Library, in collaboration with the Art History Department. 

Recording coming soon. 

Meet the Speakers

Headshot of Marvin-Alonzo Greer

Marvin-Alonzo Greer

Marvin-Alonzo Greer serves as the Lead Historic Interpretation and Community Engagement Officer for Prince George’s County Maryland. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, and has worked at numerous museums and historical institutions to develop inclusive and culturally relevant engagement strategies for visitors, including the Atlanta History Center, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Missouri Historical Society. Marvin-Alonzo was awarded the Emancipation Proclamation Award for Preserving African American History and Culture by the City ofAtlanta. In his free time Marvin-Alonzo is a mentor and big brother to Black youth that are interested in history. He founded the Sons and Daughters of Ham (civilian) and the Hannibal Guards (military), two living history organizations dedicated to interpreting the lives of Black people in the Civil War. Under his leadership, the Sons and Daughters of Ham were recognized by the National Park Service with the National Capital Region Hartzog Awards for Excellence in Group Volunteering.

Photo of Olivia Mueller holding a pair of jeans

Olivia Mueller

Olivia Mueller is a professionally trained archivist with a MLIS degree from Pratt Institute. She has been working in the field for over eight years, with an emphasis on garment, textile and print archiving specific to corporate retail archives. She is currently the Archives Manager for the Gap Inc. Heritage and Design Archive and the Gap Brand Print Library located in New York City.

Headshot of Victoria Rose Pass wearing glasses and a green top

Victoria Rose Pass

Victoria Rose Pass is a specialist in Visual Culture, particularly in areas of design and fashion. She is an Assistant Professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art where she teaches courses in Design History and Visual Culture. Her research considers the history of fashion culture in the 20th century and focuses specifically on issues of gender and race. Most recently her essay "Racial Masquerades in the Magazines: Defining White Femininity Between the Wars," as published in the Journal of Modern Periodical Studies. Her co-edited the book Design Beyond the Canon with Jennifer Kauffman-Buhler and Christopher Wilson was published by Bloomsbury in February 2019. This volume includes her essay, " The Mangbetu Coiffure: A Story of Cars, Hats, Branding, and Appropriation." She also co-edited the volume, Women's Magazines in Print and New Media with Noliwe Rooks and Ayana Weekley, which was published by Routledge in 2016. The volume included her essay, "Encountering Africa in Vogue: Irving Penn's African Essays." Her writing has also appeared in Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, Omenka Magazine, Design and Culture, caa.reviews, and BmoreArt. She received her BA in Art History from Boston University, her MA in Art History from the Art Institute of Chicago, and her PhD in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester.

Outreach & Engagement

About Art & The Archive

Art & The Archive, launched Fall 2020, is a conversation series that will explore the role of the archive in the production of art and culture. Featured speakers will include writers, archivists, artists, and researchers who all engage with archives in meaningful ways. Attendees can expect a lively, expansive discussion of how archives unfold in our everyday lives.

Past Conversations

"What Is the Archive?" October 19, 2020

Over the past fifty years, the archive has been unpacked, repositioned, and reimagined in contemporary art, literature, theory, and information science. In this conversation we invite two artists, a researcher, and a librarian to explore this very question through the lens of their practice.

This event featured Ashley Minner, Deyane Moses, Jennifer A. Ferretti, and Dr. Mel Lewis in conversation. It was sponsored by Decker Library and co-sponsored by the Art History Department, the Humanistic Studies Department, Strategic Initiatives, and The Space for Creative Black Imagination.

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