Sponsored by The Diebenkorn Foundation
In the Studio: Arranging and Describing, a Work in Progress - Ava Jancar, Registrar/Archivist, Mark Grotjahn Studios
Imposing Functional Archival Standards on Artworks and Art Professionals that Instinctually Defy Them - Ben Handler, Archivist, Gagosian Gallery
Museums and the Art of Digital Collections: Confessions of an Itinerate Archivist - Shaula Stephenson, Digital Project Archivist, Hammer Museum
Moderators:
Lynda Bunting, Director of Publications and Communication, Blum & Poe
Virginia Allison, Archivist, LA Louver
The session will discuss current and emerging trends in archival work, particularly how they relate to contemporary art. Contemporary museums, galleries and artist studios have begun to recognize the need for library/archive professionals, but traditionally had interns and studio art majors organize their archival records which are invaluable to the production and exhibition of artwork, as well as commercial sales. The work was often done on a short-term and ad hoc basis which is antithetical to future retrieval and preservation needs. As digital media has become the norm in the workplace, institutions and artists with bigger budgets have turned to professionally trained archivists with MLIS degrees to organize and preserve images, videos, press, catalogs and periodicals in a methodical way. The presenters will discuss their archival settings and how they deviate from traditional workplaces in terms of materials, software systems, standards, or more to the point, the lack thereof. They will also briefly touch upon how they ended up in their current position and what they think the future holds.