Archiving at the Neuberger
Summary
As the first archivist hired at the Neuberger Museum of Art, I have spent the past four years sifting through the Museum’s institutional records to document our history. Many of the materials I have found have been featured in the backstories and exhibitions celebrating our fiftieth anniversary.
Background
This has been an exciting adventure and a unique opportunity to build an information architecture from scratch. Supported by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the work is vital to supporting the Museum and preserving its history.
I’m often asked what the “coolest” thing I’ve found is, and to be honest, the work is not about the materials but more about the memories and experiences people have at the NEU. So many artists, scholars, musicians, dancers, and others have had an enormous influence on the Museum and campus life at Purchase College. Uncovering these stories is what truly makes the work worthwhile.
For the past fifty years, the bulk of our records have been from the many exhibitions (over 760!), performances, and events the Museum has diligently arranged for the community. We have had a powerhouse of passionate staff members who activate the collection and bring in artists to discuss the contemporary moment. Evidence of their work is present in the documentation through materials like performance videos, exhibition plans, images of temporary installations on campus, correspondence between scholars, and so much more.
A team of student workers strongly supports the work by inventorying, digitizing, preserving, arranging, and describing. A huge shout out to El, Maverick, Everett, Esther, Kate, Aubrey, Gawain, and Maria, who all took part in the behind-the-scenes projects for the anniversary year. You all have done amazing work!
An archivist’s primary role is to share our findings with the community and make it available for research. It has been rewarding to make connections between the artworks in the collection, their histories, and the many ways we see them. I look forward to sharing more as the project progresses. Cheers to the next 50!
Samantha (Sam) Bogner
Archivist
Neuberger Museum of Art