There must be something in the air because twice this week art and library related links appeared in my Facebook feed.
First there was this one.
It’s as if someone had tuned in to exactly the kind of project I have been imagining over the past few years. I even gave a paper at the last ARLIS conference about just such a thing. I especially appreciate that this project is not just about taking inspiration from a library or archive’s collection but something that is meant to engage both artist and institution in a dialog. I think that there will be plenty of institutions willing to participate. I am curious to see how the funding end of things comes together. It’s a big undertaking and perhaps the more of us who know about the project means that more people will be willing to fund it. As an artist AND and archivist – here’s hoping.
It will be a little while before we learn the outcome of Jer Thorp’s project, so in the meantime, we can imagine what some of those collaborations would look like if we take a look at the second link. This one was for an article in the Boston Globe about a new exhibit at MassMOCA called “Bibliotecaphilia.”
It’s clear that people are inspired by our collections – inspired enough to start web campaigns and curate museum shows. The question for those of us within these institutions is, how do we join the conversation in meaningful ways? How do we expand our idea of our collections to include more users. I, for one, am excited to be part of that conversation. I cannot wait to see where it takes us.