PROPOSAL TYPE
Traditional Panel
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
RELATED TOPICS
- Museums/Exhibits
- Public Engagement
- Social Justice
ABSTRACT
Artist-in-residence programs can provide historic sites with fresh perspectives on their mission and story while addressing social issues of the present. This session will include a summary of primary research undertaken by Ken Turino of Historic New England and Rebecca Beit-Aharon of UMass Boston; case studies of successful AiR programs, including one that addressed race by telling a formerly untold history through art and public programming; and a review of virtual sample documents/contracts that you can use when creating an AiR program. AiR programs can strengthen ties between historic houses, artists, and their communities—and thanks to this research, without anyone having to reinvent the wheel.
DESCRIPTION
Our goals are to share our research with as broad an audience as possible as AiR programs can help sites reimagine themselves in “ways we couldn’t even imagine,” in the words of one site administrator. Is there anything that comes to mind as something worth exploring that isn’t in our abstract?
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Rebecca Beit-Aharon, University of Massachusetts Boston, [email protected]
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 7, 2022. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
The National Park Service has what on the surface looks like a fairly robust arts the parks program (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/arts/index.htm). Are there resources there that might be relevant?
Hi Rebecca,
I think this panel will be a great addition to the NCPH conference. I’ve worked in this arena and think it’s worth not just focussing on a success story (though I’m eager to hear about it) but also bringing in the complexities of collaborating with artists and working with art as an interpretive/expressive tool. Will you be discussing how organizations/institutions can fund these programs as well? Best, Donna
I think this is a great idea. In my day job I’ve been working on storytelling around the work of the Historic Artists Homes and Studios program which I know has a number of sites with AIR programs, and more recently had a conversation with colleagues at Chesterwood about the growth of such programs at their sites.
Hi Rebecca,
This is a fantastic and growing topic, I would love to see it at the conference. I like that you are planning to make the topic concrete with examples and even contract samples.
I’m an artist and curator who’s been working with historic sites in Philadelphia for the last 10 years, and in my experience there is an inherent tension within most deeply engaged AIR’s at historic sites because the site wants the artist to bring a new perspective but doesn’t want the artist to stray too far from the sites’ dominant narratives. Many artists have a way of challenging an org’s growing edges!
I’d be happy to talk more about general AIR ideas or specific examples if you’d like to get in touch. I can’t wait to hear more about your research.
Best,
Aislinn
I would recommend talking to Colonial Williamsburg and Michael Twitty about his time in residence diving into the foodways of African Americans. I know many who liked the element and it opened some of their public to history that might have been hidden in plain sight.
This is a strong proposal and one that I believe could help many of us. As someone noted above, I like that you are looking to use concrete examples. Exploring the benefits and maybe some of the challenges will be helpful. Thank you.