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femmesfollesnebraska · 8 years ago

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Virginia Derryberry, artist

Virginia Derryberry is exhibiting in FABRICation, opening Jan. 19 at the Art Museum of West Virginia University. She shares with LFF about her current projects, feminism, advice for aspiring artists and more...

Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating? I’m originally from a small town in East Tennessee but have traveled to a number of states as a university professor of art. As a child, I always made things—paintings, drawings, books, houses. Making art is a part of my daily life and as necessary as eating, sleeping, etc.

Tell me about your current project and why it’s important to you. What do you hope people get out of your work? I have several series of art works I’m making. One involves large scaled figure narrative paintings on such themes as “Innocence and Experience”, “Voyage”. Another involves a combination of sewn and embroidered fabric combined with attached oil on canvas sections. Another involves very small ( 5” diameter) hand stitched, free form tapestries that also address wider themes. Most of this work will next be shown in my Private Domain solo exhibition at Penn College in Williamsport, PA, opening March 14, 2017. Some of the fabric pieces are currently in the FABRICation exhibition that will open this January at the West Virginia University Museum.

“Voyage”, oil on canvas, 48” x 60”, 2016.

Does collaboration play a role in your work—whether with your community, artists or others? How so and how does this impact your work? I don’t do much direct collaboration, except taking part in group exhibitions or workshops.

Considering the political climate, how do you think the temperature is for the arts right now, what/how do you hope it may change or make a difference? Being an artist in this country has never been easy. My students frequently ask me what the purpose of being a contemporary artist is and why do it if it is so difficult to make a living/life in this profession. My answer is this: Artists are fundamentally communicators, perhaps the best communicators about culture in that they don’t present easy, “message-oriented” answers. What they do communicate is complex and can be interpreted on many levels and in ways that are not a transitory as instagram or other forms of social media.

Artist Wanda Ewing, who curated and titled the original LFF exhibit, examined the perspective of femininity and race in her work, and spoke positively of feminism, saying “yes, it is still relevant” to have exhibits and forums for women in art; does feminism play a role in your work? Not directly, although I know that it has fueled much of the energy of my work and the self-promotion of my work. I’m also aware that even though there are many more women engaging in art making than there were 30 years ago, women still do not received the level of recognition that many men do. I believe this will change but slowly. Also, many people who see my exhibitions are well aware of the strength and self-possession of the women portrayed in the paintings.

Ewing’s advice to aspiring artists was “you’ve got to develop the skill of when to listen and when not to;” and “Leave. Gain perspective.” What is your favorite advice you have received or given?

It’s a mistake to wait and be “inspired” to make art. It’s hard work that is best accomplished on a daily basis. The gift is that, after awhile, the work begins to speak for itself through you. But you’ve got to be fully present and engaged to bring this about.

www.virginiaderryberry.com

FABRICation January 19 – March 19, 2017 McGee Gallery, Art Museum of WVU

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 19, 2017 6:00 p.m. Program with visiting artists Kristy Deetz, Virginia Derryberry and Reni Gower Grand Hall, Museum Education Center Reception to follow

http://artmuseum.wvu.edu/

Les Femmes Folles is a volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art from around the world with the online journal, print annuals, exhibitions and events; originally inspired by artist Wanda Ewing and her curated exhibit by the name Les Femmes Folles (Wild Women). LFF was created and is curated by Sally Deskins. LFF Books is a micro-feminist press that publishes 1-2 books per year by the creators of Les Femmes Folles including the award-winning Intimates & Fools (Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2014), The Hunger of the Cheeky Sisters: Ten Tales (Laura Madeline Wiseman/Lauren Rinaldi, 2015) and BARED: Contemporary Poetry & Art by Women (Edited by Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2017). Other titles include Les Femmes Folles: The Women 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 available on blurb.com, including art, poetry and interview excerpts from women artists. See the latest call for work on the Submissions page!

#fabrication #virginia derryberry #contemporary art #women in art #art museum of wvu

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greektravelblog · 2 years ago

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Day 2

Day 2 started off with the land line in our apartment ringing off the hook at 2am. That was easily ignored by me, since I turned around and promptly went to sleep. The next time I was alive was when my alarm went off at 7:15. We had a scheduled campus and neighborhood tour at 9am. I was up and ready before anyone else in my apartment, and spent the time on our porch and in our living room since it's lined with windows. We were meant to meet the Orientation Leaders in the lobby of the building R1 (I live in R3 right across the street,) at 8:45. My roommate didn't wake up in time, unfortunately, and neither did a bunch of the other girls that I live with. So, we walked the 12 minutes up to campus and luckily made it there in time. Today was very hot, but there was always a cool, shady spot or a nice breeze flowing, so it was bearable. We stood and talked with the orientation leaders and amongst ourselves until the tour started. The campus is tiny. And I mean tiny. For those of you following that know WVU, it could fit in less than half of Downtown's campus. It consists of three buildings, DC (Deree College), AC (Arts Center), and CN (Communications Building). Along with a gym, library, theatre, amphitheaters (yes, in the ground, yes, there's more than one, and yes, it is made of stone), pool, and track field. All-in-all it has everything needed in order to be a successful school, including the friendly people.

The tour was forty minutes at most, and the farthest building was like walking from the lair to high street at WVU- long but nothing compared to the hike that is Evansdale to Downtown. The library has a digital museum inside, and a whole fish tank. The buildings are pretty modern, yet simple, and the hallways are all open-air. Only the classrooms sit inside. There are several beautiful nooks and crannies outside in the shade for studying. The AC building is the same, except there is in fact a Starbucks. However, the drinks and pastries aren't the same as the US. Currently, they're featuring a banana split drink and a raspberry passion fruit drink.

I have not tried them yet, but the latter is on my list of things to try.

Once we returned, we went for ice-breakers and lunch. We gathered in a circle and took turns introducing ourself and saying 2 truths and 1 lie. So of course, I lent on my old reliables. (I've had to play this game way too many times because of theatre.) So mine consisted of: My parents work for NASA, I was in Paris when the Notre Dame burned, and I've been on the radio three times. Outrageous a bit? Maybe. But it's what I've used since middle school. (Well not the Paris one, that was in 2019, but I always choose what I think to be the most impressive experiences in my life, what has changed me the most, or what I'm most proud of.) The girl next to me picked out the lie, but thought I had been on the radio four times when I've only been twice, but what was the most hilarious was the girl next to my roommate (who knew the answer so I forbade her from saying anything). She looked at me and said: "You're parents don't work for NASA. I remembered you said you're from West Virginia." I had to force back a laugh at that. I'm not sure if she meant that as a vague insult, or just a simple "there's no NASA in WV." She didn't elaborate, and I didn't ask. Either way, I found it amusing to think that there was no possible way my parent's could work for such a high level government organization simply because of where I lived. Telecommuting is a thing now, no? Anyways, after we disbanded and went to grab some food, a Greek high school student who was on the tour stopped me and asked about your careers, mom and dad. I told her you were optical engineers and worked on GPS' and satellites and she responded by saying that her brother's dream was to work for NASA. She asked me about how he should look into a career there, so I informed her about the internship program and that it was a wonderful opportunity to segway into a career there. She thanked me and told me she'd pass along the info. So mom, dad, if you end up with a greek boy as an intern soon, you'll know where from.

The food was wonderful, it was only a simple turkey sandwich but good Lord how I've missed European bread. I forgot just how amazing it is. But what surprised me the most was how delicious the orange juice was. I genuinely haven't tasted anything better, even in Florida, and I would bring it all back home with me if I could.

After that, they rest of the group went on a neighborhood tour. I stayed behind because I wanted to get a sticker I need for my ID to use the pool or gym saying that I was in good physical condition to use everything. However, I ended up not getting it and won't receive it until Monday. But hey, I'm still getting it. My roommate (M) said there wasn't anything important on the tour, nor was it that informative, so I relaxed some at that. Once I got the news back on the athletics sticker, I made my way back to the Bazaar from day 1 and that little fruit market. I wanted to pick up some eggs, milk, and after having those amazing kiwis last night, I wanted more. I got what I needed and made my way back home where I promptly fell asleep for a few hours. I was still reeling from my lack of sleep on the plane, and needed to do some catch-up after an exhausting half-day. I woke in time for a 5 minute orientation (literally only 5 minutes) and watched a bit of the Simpsons. My other roommate (R) messaged me and M, asking if we wanted to go out with her to grab some coffee before the pizza night the RA's were hosting at 7. M isn't a big coffee person, so R and I went alone to Lola's. It's a beautiful café/bar with good coffee and (what looks like) good grilled cheeses.

This is where I found out Roe V Wade was overturned.

A friend of R's messaged her during our outing, and her and I were stunned into silence. I won't get much into the politics of things here, but I will say that R and I both want to stay longer here than we did even before this happened.

Anyways,

Pizza night was a blast! Greek Domino's is the only Domino's I can tolerate. And the RA's were so sweet. R became close with the RA's since she's been here for both sessions, so she introduced me to everyone. They were a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the crowd.

Everyone that I have met that works at the college or is from Greece has been nothing but kind to me. There has been no awkward silence you get in the US once the basic pleasantries have been answered. They genuinely want to know about American culture and love to spend time with one another until late in the evening. We had to inform them that the reason no one was answering the landline in the apartment other than R was because no one in America answers their phones due to spam calls.

Needless to say, we'll be answering the phone from now on.

We talked for hours about cultural differences, personal interests, hometowns, and Greece itself. One of the RA's braided my hair and asked me about D&D. She's a theatre major herself so she suggested a book to me that's a retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Returning to my apartment, I feel fulfilled and more settled than I did yesterday. I was concerned about meeting friends and fitting in but R, M, and the RA's (and a few of the other students), proved to me that there were in fact people here who could have fun without needing to be consistently drunk. I also have a few built in guides to help me in getting familiar with the area.

Overall, day 2 was successful and very enjoyable.

Things I have taken away from today:

Both motorbikes AND cars park on sidewalks.

Turtles are everywhere here.

3 kiwi's will cost you 1.50 Euros.

Greeks give a head jerk (chin up) to say "no."

The juice here has crack in it- there is no other explanation for it to be so good. (This includes the lemonade).

Greeks never say opa as cheers. More so as an "oops." (And they don't even realize they say it, they'll deny they say it at all.)

There is no cheese pizza in Greece, it's called Margarita pizza.

Greeks will talk about anything and everything casually. Nothing is off-limits.

Eye-contact is huge here.

Greeks don't know that the American "Hi, how're you?" Is a greeting, not an invitation to describe every detail of your life, currently. (Same for "what's up.")

Greeks are appalled at the lack of rights Americans have.

#greece #museum #library #college #university #travel #culture

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mountainlanding · 8 years ago

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Very excited to announce my first poetry book, On Display, is out! This book is the culmination of a period of self reflection and discovery. As many of you know this passion project has been very close to my heart for a while, I hope you enjoy it. Follow the link in my bio get it! ☺ . . . . . #ondisplay #poetry #amazon #rupikaur #rhsin #passionproject #wvu #poems #art #love #life #heart #discovery #bolivia #anticuchos #blue #her #ocean #museum #emotions (at Planet Earth)

#heart #life #amazon #poetry #ondisplay #wvu #anticuchos #poems #art #her #rhsin #blue #ocean #emotions #bolivia #discovery #museum #rupikaur #love #passionproject

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kbarkhurst · 3 years ago

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WV Day Poster

Commemorating the WV Mine Wars 1912-1921

For WV Day 2021,we were commissioned to develop and design a custom illustration and poster depicting the largest armed labor uprising in U.S. history.

In addition to the poster, the illustration also served as the cover for the EX LIBRIS Fall 2021 magazine.

In 2022, we designed the EX LIBRIS annual magazine.

Of historical and visual significance, note the red bandanas. According to the WV Mine Wars Museum: "During this guerrilla war in the Appalachian coalfields, 10,000+ striking miners wore red bandanas around their necks to identify themselves on the battlefield against the white-armband-wearing, industry-funded opposition...It was originally used in the popular media to denigrate an Appalachian working class uprising as backwards, uneducated, and dangerous, and the stereotype and negative use of the term persists today. Reclaiming this word is part of our strategy for bringing this history into the present!"

Design and Art Direction by Kelly Barkhurst, 2021 Design and Illustration by Wes Casto, 2021 Firm: Barkhurst Creative, LLC Client: WVU Libraries Technology of Choice: Adobe Illustrator and Adobe PhotoShop

#print design

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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23 of the weirdest, funniest, creepiest, most surprising items found by archivists.

Ever wondered what goes on in a library’s dark corners, where you aren’t allowed to go?

Wonder no more, thanks to The Society of American Archivists’ Ask an Archivist Day.

On Oct. 4, university, corporate, and museum archivists around the world dug out the coolest, rarest, and weirdest items in their collections, photographed them, and put the results on Twitter.

They didn’t disappoint. Here’s just some of what they had in storage.

1. Small items. Very small items. Like a Bible so tiny that it has a magnifying glass with it for reading.

We have this New Testament from 1895 with its case and magnifying glass in our collection. #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/NbBsmD5mC5

— Rare N. Manuscripts (@CornellRMC) October 4, 2017

2. And a barely-bigger-than-a-quarter book about birds, published during the deadliest year of the Civil War.

Q: What’s one of the smallest items in our collection? A: This tiny book, “Bird Stories,” published in 1863! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchives http://pic.twitter.com/GmdbmCePwP

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

3. Amazing and rare photos. Like this one of unhappy men preparing a diver to check out the bottom of Loch Tay in 1890.

A very popular print from the #hesarchives @HistEnvScot A Victorian diver and his team https://t.co/lVU9OWVtZF #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/UPlV07guMA

— Niamh Crimmins (@NiamhNiChreimin) October 4, 2017

4. Or this one of three women in West Virginia, rocking the slickest hats of 1908.

We’re partial to hats. West Virginia History OnView | WVU Libraries https://t.co/VSMTWTQEpU #AskAnArchivist #WVRHC #ArchivesFashion http://pic.twitter.com/FxtyIV2eXJ

— WVU Libraries (@wvuLibraries) October 4, 2017

5. A folding chair used by Barack Obama.

Newest acquisition? That would be this folding chair that @BarackObama sat in during his #Rutgers250 commencement address. #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/FLN8C2yCbA

— Special Collections (@Rutgers_SCUA) October 4, 2017

6. Dirt from the grave of a well-known American writer.

Q:What’s a spooky item in your collections? A:Here’s a pine coffin owned by Katherine Anne porter & dirt from her grave site #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/7SLoCYBkl8

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

7. A Roman-era coin, depicting either a man in a helmet or a curious understanding of human anatomy.

What is our oldest item? A Didrachm coin minted between 280 B.C.E.-276 B.C.E.#AskAnArchivist #RomanCoins http://pic.twitter.com/yYZ3JDe4dP

— Special Collections (@Rutgers_SCUA) October 4, 2017

8. A photo of a sailor whose ship vanished in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918.

Hamilton Beggs is also part of the Gold Star Files. He was on the USS Cyclops when it disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. #askanarchivist http://pic.twitter.com/ABJQs07dtw

— Alabama Archives (@AlabamaArchives) October 4, 2017

9. And one of of other World War I sailors giddily posing on top of two ginormous battleship guns.

How many photographs are there in the archive and how can we find these? https://t.co/udBOw9b36d #AskAnArchivistWW1 #AskAnArchivist #WW1 http://pic.twitter.com/8YiLvMngDa

— Today’s Document (@TodaysDocument) October 4, 2017

10. A child’s sketch of a groundbreaking concept car — complete with a built-in kitchen and a 300 mph top speed.

This child’s car drawing sent t @ford from the 1960s has a stove, icebox, seat belts, and can go 300mph! #askanarchivist THF268169 http://pic.twitter.com/xH8b4D2CPf

— The Henry Ford (@thehenryford) October 4, 2017

11. A legal document drawn up in 14th century France.

Q: What’s the oldest item in our collection? A: This French legal document dated 1334. Check out that wax seal! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchives http://pic.twitter.com/obif4ulPCS

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

12. A pioneering, ultra-glittery work of feminist art.

What is the most glittery object in our collection? That would be this untitled drawing by Miriam Schapiro. #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/xUXZhKhdPl

— Special Collections (@Rutgers_SCUA) October 4, 2017

13. A photo of fashion designer Ann Lowe, the woman who designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress.

#ArchivesFashion #AskAnArchivist Did you know that Alabama native Ann Lowe designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress? http://pic.twitter.com/aeYHeCeU1c

— Alabama Archives (@AlabamaArchives) October 4, 2017

14. A script for a rarely heard “Empire Strikes Back” radio play.

Our #StarWars radio dramatization is an institutional favorite! #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/fWDjsZw5qC

— NPR RAD (@npr_rad) October 4, 2017

15. Campus activist fliers from the 1970s.

We also love the Student Activism materials (UARS 259, University Archives). Check these items distributed on campus in 1970 #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/gsaK8gq8zs

— UCLA Lib Spec Coll (@UCLALSC) October 4, 2017

16. And punk zines from the 1980s.

A new fav is our Punk Zines and Ephemera collection (Coll 2276). Pictured are some issues of 60 Miles North covering 1980s Ventura Punk http://pic.twitter.com/1jtZh2e6JY

— UCLA Lib Spec Coll (@UCLALSC) October 4, 2017

17. An image of rows and rows of classic radiator shells waiting to be installed at a Depression-era Pontiac plant.

Q: What are these? A: Pontiac radiator shells, circa 1937. Q: Where is this photo? A: @HBSBaker #AskAnArchivist https://t.co/UuOV1KJeH6 http://pic.twitter.com/JZGSjUrRc0

— Working Knowledge (@HBSWK) October 4, 2017

18. A handwritten letter from Sigmund Freud.

Cool KSHS collection: Menninger Foundation archives include Sigmund Freud letters. https://t.co/SgKrkCXYZh #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/a9Q12n88zP

— Kansas History (@kansashistory) October 4, 2017

19. Ancient technology.

Q: Do you have floppy discs in the archives? A: Yes! Our e-records archivist helps preserve data on lots of outdated formats #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/wHTUN8fK56

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

20. Proof that Queen Elizabeth II is apparently a secret football fan.

You voted & the results are in! Who’s #UMD‘s most famous visitor? Queen Elizabeth II – shown here at a football game in 1957 #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/Kg9SP0C09v

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

21. A memo warning campus police about an upcoming Ozzy Osborne concert, citing the singer’s involvement with “abuse of animals” and “alleged satanic groups.”

Q:What’s the coolest thing you found in the archives lately? A:How about a 1983 police memo when Ozzy Osborne played at UMD! #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/aFQIlJ3QYf

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

22. Perhaps most importantly, a visual reminder of the tedious, painstaking work archivists do to preserve these items for random humans to gawk at on the Internet.

What’s the most you’ve sleeved at one time? Mine is 998 trading cards but I’ve only been doing this 3 months! #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/CrsKD0ogl8

— Jenn (@j_vvsm) October 4, 2017

23. And why, if you want to see more, you’ll have to visit a library or archive in person.

#AskAnArchivist When people ask “so is everything digitized?” I usually reply with a photo of our caverns, which I hope answers the question http://pic.twitter.com/aYGyUKAjlL

— U of MN Libraries (@umnlib) October 4, 2017

You can happily scroll through dozens more like this using the #AskAnArchivist hashtag.

Q: Describe the role of an archivist in haiku form: Archivists connect us between the record of the past and present #AskAnArchivist

— M+ (@mplusmuseum) October 4, 2017

No appointment necessary.

Update 10/9/2017: The headline was changed to reflect that archivists and librarians differ, in part by the type of materials handled.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2kK8S0e

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2zCvm9d via Viral News HQ

#IFTTT #Viral News HQ

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vandaliabronze · 7 years ago

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#vandaliabronze #fieldtrip with special guest @_.phi._ #shepardfairey #clampdown #whatarewegonnadonow ? (at Art Museum Of WVU)

#vandaliabronze #shepardfairey #clampdown #fieldtrip #whatarewegonnadonow

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femmesfollesnebraska · 8 years ago

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Kristy Deetz & Reni Gower, artists/curators

Kristy Deetz (above) and Reni Gower (below), co-curators of FABRICation, a touring exhibit of seven textile artists, opening Jan. 19 at The Art Museum of West Virginia University, generously share with LFF about how they came to be artists, their artistic processes, feminism and collaboration and much more...

1. Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating?

Kristy: I grew up in a large family in eastern Ohio. We often spent time on family farms and hiking in the woods. The feeling of being connected to nature and examining it closely was an extremely pleasurable activity that encouraged me to find interconnecting patterns that echo through nature and our spiritual, emotional, and intellectual lives. My parents also encouraged all kinds of creative activities. We received music lessons and studied or took classes in whatever art form or athletic activity interested us. One holiday I received an acrylic paint set in my Easter basket. My parents instilled in us a love of learning. My mother is particularly creative, curious about all kinds of things, and interested in the arts. My father is interested in how things work, engaging the world with preparation and logic, and he values tenacity. Both my parents have an incredible work ethic. We also had lots of pets including a lamb, pheasants, chickens, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, birds, fish, turtles, salamanders, and rabbits. I had a large, white rabbit named Alexandria that grew to be twenty-five pounds and had many babies—some of which she ate. She ended up at a farm auction and finally as someone’s dinner.

Reni: While I have lived in Virginia for 35 years, I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and still consider the Midwest my home. I’ve always had the support of my family. No one ever tried to dissuade me from being an artist. Though both were naïve artists, my paternal grandmother painted as a young girl and my father painted after he retired. When I showed interest, I was always encouraged. My first grade teacher also informed my mother, I was a born teacher. What she saw in me, I have no idea. Nonetheless, teaching has proven to be a good career path. Whether in the classroom or alone in the studio, I have experienced many creative opportunities that continue to motivate and inspire me.

2. Tell me about your current work and why it’s important to you. What do you hope people get out of your work?

Kristy: I have several solo exhibitions coming up that will feature my recent Through the Veil and Holiday’s Unfolding series. www.kristydeetz.com

Holidays Unfolding, a new evolution of my Through the Veil series, investigates the trope of drapery and the idea of Still Life, not as Nature Morte (or “dead nature”) but as Nature Morte Vivante (vivante implying “fast moving action and a certainly lively quality”). The work also examines contradictory feelings that accompany loss, nostalgia, or ubi sunt to become a meditation on mortality and life’s transience. In this series I explore new possibilities between the interface of painting, textiles, and digital technology while producing an end product that maintains the nuance and richness of slow work made by hand.

The painted fabric, ellipses, and patterned fabric in these paintings act as limina or thresholds that, along with the accompanying images and forms, place the viewer into multiple, often conflicting, layers of space and meaning. In the series the Rabbit or environment may be stretched or manipulated through Photoshop to create a sense of instability, heightened emotion, or a digital sifting. The paintings good-humoredly deconstruct imagery from my own painting history, as well as pop, outsider, and high culture to create new “spaces” of meaning. The paintings use dark humor, visual puns, symbols and metaphors, moments of silence, art historical allusions, cultural collisions, and spiritual conundrums to play with style and pictorial/formal construction.

Valentine’s Day Exploding (below) presents an exploding pink still-life table suspended sideways on the right side of the painting. The soft, draped fabric on the table stretches and then explodes like glass as a result of some cataclysmic event. The framed image reveals the essence of the patterned fabric. Dying leaves rise upward behind three overly ripe pears that sit on a drapery-covered table in front of wood grain that is illuminated at the top right. Circled with symbolic light rays, one of the pears moves away from the others. The frame around the three pears comes from a Victorian Easter card to heighten the sense of nostalgia. The pink Rabbits have expressions of resignation as they are tossed around the painting and go in and out of rabbit holes. Embroidery highlights various movements within the painting including that of one Rabbit that jumps out of a hole and begins to break apart as it moves toward the explosion. Roses fly around in the explosion as well as play games of hide and seek in the drapery. Votive images of sacred, flaming hearts with crying eyes act as both stabilizing compositional elements and expressions of internalized sorrow.

Reni: My work will be featured in numerous one to three person exhibitions this spring. I also have several curatorial projects with catalogs traveling across the country. www.renigower.com

Mixed Media Paintings and Works on Paper: My mixed media artwork is a blend of painting and sculpture that has evolved from flat collages (91” x 26” or larger) to three-dimensional constructions (91” x 104” x 73” or smaller). Paint is applied to a variety of materials (canvas, cheesecloth, nylon and aluminum screens, plastic, rug-hold, wood) that are suspended in layers of various widths from wooden support structures. Alternatively, my works on paper and encaustic pieces are highly detailed and transparently or opaquely layered illusions. In all approaches, I blend fluid improvisational painting methods with repetitively structured and analytical ones to create complex images that counter visual skimming. I incorporate the circle as a repetitive decorative motif, as a metaphor for binary code, and as a cultural symbol of continuity and infinity.. Through intricate patterning, I combine these references to contrast passive technological consumption with the redemptive nuance of slow work made by hand. By creating a private space within a public one, my art quiets the mind and encourages contemplation.

Papercuts and Pulped Paintings: For these works, I create interlocking stencils based upon Celtic knotwork and Islamic ornamental tiles. For the papercuts, the stencils are traced and hand cut into single sheets of paper. For the pulped paintings, the stencils are used to create complex patterns in handmade paper with pulped painting techniques. Using only a box cutter or squirt bottle, I work slowly to create artwork that fosters mindfulness. Enticed through touch, repetition, and beauty, this work also encourages a physical and contemplative slowing down. By embracing the redemptive effect of highly focused methodical work made by hand, these works transform a shared encounter into a meditation that quiets the nonstop noise of our time.

3. Does collaboration play a role in your work—whether with your community, artists or others? How so and how does this impact your work?

Kristy: FABRICation is the longest collaborative project I have been involved with. I serve as co-curator with Reni Gower, Professor of Painting and Printmaking, at the Virginia Commonwealth University. FABRICation is a traveling exhibition that will be on display at the Art Museum of West Virginia University, Morgantown, from January 15-March 15, 2017. By the fall of 2017 the show will have traveled to 13 venues and is available November 2017 and beyond. FABRICation features the work of seven women artists (including work by Reni and me) that incorporates a textile sensibility through elements of fabric and fabrication.

Collaborative projects bring more people into the conversation. Collaborating makes me aware of new perspectives that I can bring to my teaching. I am a Professor at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay where I teach painting and drawing.

Reni: My traveling curatorial projects and mentoring activities come from a core belief in being generous and as such creating opportunities for others. Often co-curated with others, my projects are ultimately expansive collaborations with many artists, venues, and audiences. Projects currently traveling include the following:

FABRICation (co-curated with Kristy Deetz) brings together works that incorporate a textile sensibility through elements of fabric and fabrication.

With traditional hand papermaking at its core, Pulped Under Pressure (co-curated with Melissa Potter) underscores important contemporary issues steeped in history and craft. Enticed through touch, these works encourage a contemplative slowing down even as they urge acknowledgement of some of the most pressing issues (environmental crisis to global marginalization) facing civilization today.

By addressing the fundamental geometry embedded in two-dimensional art, Geometric Aljamia: A Cultural Transliteration (co-curated with Jorge Benitez) acknowledges ongoing hybrid connections between Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and the Middle East.

Heated Exchange / Contemporary Encaustic features the rich versatility of working with pigmented hot wax.

Kristy Deetz: Valentine’s Day Exploding, 2016, Acrylic Paint on Digital Pattern Printed on Silk Stretched over Canvas with Image Transfer and Embroidery, 36”x36”x1.5”, photo courtesy of the artist.

4. Considering the political climate, how do you think the temperature is for the arts right now, what/how do you hope it may change or make a difference?

Kristy: To be an artist is to be a free thinker. Free thinking leads one to consider the well fare of others or others as self.

Reni: Given our troubled times, it is more important than ever for an artist to speak out with a strong voice that inclusively recognizes our shared humanity despite perceived difference. My work is inspired by sacred geometry, which is thought to convey sacred and universal truths by reflecting the fractal interconnections of the natural world. By reiterating these patterns and ratios, my work unlocks the language of abstraction through the collective recognition of geometric perfection that is evident in ethnic patterns all around the world. This commonality creates connections. As such, my work is a perfect conduit for cross-cultural conversations that embrace and celebrate diversity.

Reni Gower: Fragments: Chapelle, 2015, Mixed Media: canvas, acrylic, cheesecloth, plastic, aluminum screen, rug-hold, wood, 64” x 63”, photo courtesy of the artist.

5. Artist Wanda Ewing, who curated and titled the original LFF exhibit, examined the perspective of femininity and race in her work, and spoke positively of feminism, saying “yes, it is still relevant” to have exhibits and forums for women in art; does feminism play a role in your work?

Kristy: Through the years, at different stages in the development of my artwork, or in specific pieces, I have used my own “voice” as a way of revising the painting canon. I am a strong believer that feminism should make us all humanists.

My Drapery Paintings on carved wood (from the early 2000’s) invoke and reinvent European canonical painting. A drapery may stand in for the body, free of specific gender connotations while still creating a human presence. The often-carved surfaces in the painting construction, along with the illusionistically painted drapery images, blend painting and sculpture, object and illusion, allowing the referents to resonate on multiple levels. These paintings operate as texts (and often include text) offering layers of meaning to those viewers who take the time to engage them.

I am also interested in eco-feminism. This concern has moved in and out of my current Through the Veil series and is also a component of an on-going “book” series. Earth Texts comprises a series of thirty-five wooden relief sculptures (carved, burned and painted with encaustic) that create visual metaphors of the book form as well as autobiographical explorations. Playing off concepts like frame narratives, in medias res, and earth digest, these pieces operate in one sense as visual puns and connect ideas of language to both earth and body.

Through interplay of forms each piece seeks to explore what we know or how we behave. Books embody text, and the "text” connects internal and external landscapes in a search for answers to human dilemmas. The plywood represents nature destroyed; construction of the art piece from the recycled plywood represents nature re-empowered or its pattern newly disclosed. The tactile paint surface, created through layers of encaustic (wax and pigment), serves as “skin,” unveiling greater complexity beneath.

Reni: While Feminism does not overtly play a role in my work, I would not be where I am in my career today without recognizing the many strong female shoulders I stand upon. As a highly active researcher, (artist / professor / curator), I also take my role as a visible role model for young artists (especially women) very seriously.

6. Ewing’s advice to aspiring artists was “you’ve got to develop the skill of when to listen and when not to;” and “Leave. Gain perspective.” What is your favorite advice you have received or given?

Kristy: “Operate from a position of strength.”

Reni: Having taught professional practices for many years, I can assure you there are many strategies that can help an artist sustain a creative life. My best advice recognizes there are no absolutes and that one’s personal definition of “success” will be the guide to the “right” questions for which there are no “wrong” answers.

Ten actions I often share with my students include:

Prepare: Learn your craft. Nurture your passion. Practice / Persevere: Success is 1% inspiration and 99% persistence. Seek clarity: Resist ambiguity for ambiguity’s sake. Know your precedents: Study history, so you understand the context of your work in light of its trajectory. Be present in the world: Listen carefully and engage with empathy. Know your facts and value disparate views, before you distort or distrust them. Cultivate networks: Construct bridges that foster reciprocal relationships rather than ladders that climb over others. Be Confident and Brave: Locate the strength to stand in your truth. Value Integrity: Never sacrifice your honor to achieve a goal. Get Started: Avoid excuses. Keep Working: Keep Working…Keep Working. -

KRISTY DEETZ www.kristydeetz.com

Reni Gower www.renigower.com

FABRICation January 19 – March 19, 2017 McGee Gallery, Art Museum of WVU

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 19, 2017 6:00 p.m. Program with visiting artists Kristy Deetz, Virginia Derryberry and Reni Gower Grand Hall, Museum Education Center Reception to follow

http://artmuseum.wvu.edu/

#FABRICation #art museum of wvu #reni gower #kristy deetz #textile art #contemporary art #feminist art #women in art

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femmesfollesnebraska · 8 years ago

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Susan Iverson, artist

Susan Iverson is exhibiting in FABRICation, open thru March 19, 2017, at the Art Museum of West Virginia University. She shares with LFF about how she got into art at a young age, her current project “The Color of No,” her artistic process, feminism and more...

Susan Iverson: Fleeting, side view 2015, wool, silk, mohair & linen, 24" x 7'10"; photo by Taylor Dabney.

Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating?

I grew up in Madison, WI which is a lovely college town surrounded by a beautiful landscape of rolling hills and farms. I went to college, at Colorado State University, to study art. During my first year I had to go past the weaving studio to get to my drawing class and the looms looked interesting so I decided to take that as an elective. I loved the process of weaving from the first and I was intrigued by the natural affinity between weaving and abstraction. Weaving involved color and structure and I was endlessly fascinated with the variations that could be investigated. Weaving could be flat or dimensional, tiny or immense, organic or geometrical and I liked the balance between object quality and image. So I selected Textiles as a concentration and then went to Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia for graduate study.

Architecture is the first thing I remember looking at with a critical eye for the aesthetic and the practical. The daughter of an architect/structural engineer, I was taught the importance of structural integrity and structural beauty at a tender age. I have spent much of my adulthood slowly learning that the early lessons are the longest lasting. These lessons are so deeply ingrained that it has taken me a long time to separate them out into conscious thought. I was also taught (by both parents) that the landscape, humble or magnificent, was the ideal for beauty and surpasses anything humans can construct. These two things, architecture and landscape, which I avoided as individual areas of study, eventually became the primary sources for much of my work. In a way I think of architecture as vertical and landscape as horizontal - much like weaving - two elements interlacing - building a whole out of the parts.

I feel compelled to express myself visually. I see the world as a series of compositions that need to be realized - to be made tangible.

Tell me about your current projects. What do you hope people get out of your work?

I am currently working on two large projects that at their core are both about the investigation of color. “The Color of NO” is about the meaning of color in contemporary society and how it relates to language. There are currently 32 tapestries in the project - I call it a project rather than a series since my intent is that they be shown together so that there is a large visual conversation about color and meaning. Each tapestry includes the word “NO” - in script, or a simple font, lower case or upper case. There is little information accept for the word and the colors. I am just now starting to show this work and I hope to travel the body of work.

I am also working on a fairly new series that is about my reaction to atmospheric color. The transitory nature of atmospheric color and the strong emotions we connect to these fleeting moments of ocular pleasure inform the work. I am especially interested in dawn and dusk, when magical moments of intense color are experienced and remembered, but seldom in their fullness. By locking these visually seductive color memories into a tapestry I am intentionally producing an experience that is seemingly as impossible as the original moment.

In general I want people to be curious about my work, to spend a bit of time with each tapestry - to investigate the color interactions. I hope people find beauty in most of my work. And most of all I hope that each piece asks them more questions than are answered by what they initially see. Although my work is quite abstract it also has political elements and investigates the nature of human interaction with the environmental. The “Color of NO” project is a bit different because it also provokes a level of humor - and it asks the big question about color and meaning in a relentlessly polychromatic world where we see so, so many images every hour of the day. Of course the use of the word “NO” can be interpreted in many, many ways.

The exhibition FABRICations has been traveling for a couple of years and I am really pleased to be a part of it. The group of artists in the show investigate textiles as a material, as an image, or as a historical influence in so many different ways. It is a wonderful group of women with common influences and this exhibition sets up some terrific visual conversations.

Does collaboration play a role in your work—whether with your community, artists or others? How so and how does this impact your work?

My studio practice is quite solitary. I do ask people into my studio to react to the work and my years and years of teaching have shown me the value of this. I have very little interest in true collaboration for myself although I respect that way of working. And I must admit there are times when I wish that I had another voice in the studio - supporting, provoking, and broadening the conversation.

I do think that my long career as a professor, where I was surrounded by creative people all day allowed me to value the solitary nature of my studio practice.

Considering the political climate, how do you think the temperature is for the arts right now, what/how do you hope it may change or make a difference?

It seems to be a crazy time for politics and for the arts - but that might be said of most times. There are so many artists working today compared to when I was a young artist. That makes for a really good support system but the gallery scene is very competitive and it is extremely difficult for most artists to make a living on their art or to even support the cost of running their studio. It is a good time for artists who make work about political issues - I think if we look at history this is the norm not an exception.

Politics and education and the arts get very messy. I believe it is so important to the education process of young people to have experiences in the arts. It is where the mental and physical worlds can collide in terrific ways - where the hand and the brain are asked to work together to solve problems. When funding for the arts is cut, an important part of the education of the whole person is missing.

It is important for artists to be visible, to have a voice and to be supportive of arts organizations. This can be through volunteering, financial donations and just being present - it might also be through the content of their work.

This is an excellent question and also a hard question to answer. I do consider myself to be a feminist and have for over 40 years. It is what has informed many of the decisions I have made over the years in regard to my teaching career, professional interactions, and in the way I have taught and lived. I hope that I have been a positive role model to some of my students. What we believe in has to inform even the little decisions that we make on a day to day basis.

Is feminism visible in my work?? I don’t think so. The question of gender in art work does interest me and as a professor I brought up that question in many critiques and we had lively conversations about the issue.

The best advice I received as an undergraduate was from a professor who was just passing through the studio. He asked me a simple question about my use of color - I gave him an answer that was too easy - and he told me to really LOOK at what I was referencing and to be honest about it. Simple advise - but it stuck with me - so I really look at the world and I try to be honest with myself about the aesthetic decisions that I am making. Observation and honesty.

My best advice: Obsession can be a very good thing - make work about what you are passionate about.

Susan Iverson susaniversonart.com

FABRICation January 19 – March 19, 2017 McGee Gallery, Art Museum of WVU http://artmuseum.wvu.edu/ ~~~ Les Femmes Folles is a volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art from around the world with the online journal, print annuals, exhibitions and events; originally inspired by artist Wanda Ewing and her curated exhibit by the name Les Femmes Folles (Wild Women). LFF was created and is curated by Sally Deskins. LFF Books is a micro-feminist press that publishes 1-2 books per year by the creators of Les Femmes Folles including the award-winning Intimates & Fools (Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2014), The Hunger of the Cheeky Sisters: Ten Tales (Laura Madeline Wiseman/Lauren Rinaldi, 2015) and BARED: Contemporary Poetry & Art by Women (Edited by Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2017). Other titles include Les Femmes Folles: The Women 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 available on blurb.com, including art, poetry and interview excerpts from women artists. See the latest call for work on the Submissions page!

#susan iverson #fabrication #art museum of wvu #contemporary art #women in art #les femmes folles

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femmesfollesnebraska · 8 years ago

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Natalie Smith, artist

Natalie Smith is exhibiting in FABRICation, open thru March 19, 2017, at the Art Museum of West Virginia University. She shares with LFF about why she creates, her current projects, collaboration and community, feminism and more...

Image features LACMA's Agnes Martin retrospective from summer 2016.

Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating?

I am from Chicago. Both my parents are architects, and conversations about design were sort of the norm around the house growing up. Especially my mom would always encourage me to think about color relationships, form, scale just by what she would talk about or point out to me. That approach those was sort of passed onto my world view and why I found my way to painting. Making art is a way to process and make sense of what I see. Its a way to respond to and even cope with life. My impetus for creating comes from wanting that way to respond to the world and engage with it and also because I think making art and the artist path is a challenge of the highest order. The intense challenge of it is what is compelling.

Tell me about your current projects. What do you hope people get out of your work?

The works featured in Fabrication were made a few years ago while I was trying to find a deeper understanding of what painting meant to me. I realized that while making paintings I was acting as a designer in a sense. Choosing elements and images and colors, placing them, wanting to rearrange them. I made these works with that idea in mind. I was also consumed with a referenced form borrowed from the world of fashion and design: the inspiration or mood board. These works are sort of like mood boards for imagined paintings, or even an imagined space. Pinned and tacked together and to the wall they evoke ideas about process and the act of inventing something. I want my work to be very transparent, to debunk the myths about abstraction, to be approachable, humble. I think foregrounding process is a way to access that. I think about how abstract images can be alienating for people but I think they represent ideas that are available to everyone. This work was the beginning of how to approach those ideas. This work was the beginning of how to realize that approachability.

Does collaboration play a role in your work—whether with your community, artists or others? How so and how does this impact your work?

Since moving to Los Angeles, I think I have a new understanding of community and collaboration. In fact, I don't think I fully understood what the full potential for community meant until moving here and connecting with other young artists. I was kind of cynical about it actually--I think I thought of it as some gushy buzzword. But now I feel how real it is and how necessary it is for survival. I think that the obstacles of building an art career--exhibiting and looking for an audience--are best tackled together as a tribe. The artists that I've met in the past few years in LA have connected me with jobs, led to meaningful friendships, exhibitions, and important conversations in the studio. Community is the way to activate your life as an artist.

Considering the political climate, how do you think the temperature is for the arts right now, what/how do you hope it may change or make a difference?

The temperature is always right for the arts. It has been difficult to gulp down some of the dark realities that our country and our world are facing --and I have the sense from talking to other artists that I am not alone in feeling a kind of despair that makes being in the studio feel more difficult or futile. More than ever though, voices from the fringes need to be emboldened and galvanized. I have been thinking a lot about Dada, and how that group of artists was so linked to the brutality and nationalism that was spreading after WWI. For me, the widening disparity of wealth galvanizes my interest in how painting -and all art forms-can be a critique of capitalism, and I feel proud to be able to have that role to play in culture.

Artist Wanda Ewing, who curated and titled the original LFF exhibit, examined the perspective of femininity and race in her work, and spoke positively of feminism, saying “yes, it is still relevant” to have exhibits and forums for women in art; does feminism play a role in your work? In some ways yes, in some ways no. I am still figuring this out for myself, but I do have some thoughts on the subject. Because of my position historically as a woman, certain big ideas dealing with gender and equality have become accepted--but I think some of the most subversive effects of sexism run rampant in our culture. And I do want to have some path to talking about my stake in that issue through my work.

My generation of women/feminists (lets assume they are one in the same) have the privilege of operating in a very individualized way about gender and identity. Because I don't feel that I have to reject or accept traditional symbols of femininity in order to be a feminist. Just being a human should mean being a feminist. Some of elements in my work that are associated with women-textiles, things we associate with home, flowers, etc is a way to keep a foot in the conversation about gender, even if I don't have anything profound to say about it. I think there is some power in that for me--that I can decide that those forms are meaningless--reclaiming them as symbols of a more complex identity. After an artist talk that I gave recently, a friend who had been in the audience pointed out that every artist or maker that I mentioned had been a woman...from Charlotte Perriand and Sonia Delaunay to Charline von Heyl. My influences are primarily women. The artists that I talk to most are women. That works for me. Ewing’s advice to aspiring artists was “you’ve got to develop the skill of when to listen and when not to;” and “Leave. Gain perspective.” What is your favorite advice you have received or given?

Its not advice per sé, but is is something Tilda Swinton said that has been grounding and guiding for me:

"I don't have a career. I have a life"

http://nataliesmith.info/

FABRICation January 19 – March 19, 2017 McGee Gallery, Art Museum of WVU

http://artmuseum.wvu.edu/

~~~

#natalie smith #contemporary art #women in art #les femmes folles #art museum of wvu #fabrication

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femmesfollesnebraska · 7 years ago

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Meg Elizabeth Ward, photographer

West Virginia based photographer Meg Ward is exhibiting in A Knowing Intimacy: A photography exhibit by West Virginia Women curated by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, March 8-April 13, 2018, opening March 8, 6:30pm at the WVU Downtown Campus Library in Morgantown, WV with a screening of the exhibition’s curator, Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s, Oscar-nominated film Heroin(e) (watch tonight and cheer her on!), followed by a panel discussion with exhibiting artists Lisa Elmaleh and Rebecca Kiger (stay tuned for an interview with Kiger!), on being a photographer in WV, a woman photographer and documenting the lives of women, in celebration of women’s history month. Ward shares with LFF about gaining appreciation for the state she calls home, collaboration and feminism and much more...

Meg Ward: “Kaleidoscope” Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating? I am from the rural coalfields of the state, Though beautiful, there isn't a lot of Art or even expression for that matter. Given the nickname bloody Mingo, it was a location known for a history of violence, coal-wars and oppression. My parents, especially my mother; made it a point to take myself and my siblings hours and even states away to museums, musical events and art galleries. Always encouraging to be more than what surrounded us; yet maintaining empathy and understanding, while gaining appreciation for the beauty despite the thorns. That open-minded encouragement helped catapult and confirm my desire to be an Artist, Musician and Photographer. Tell me about your work in A Knowing Intimacy and why it’s important to you. What do you hope people get out of your work? I'm honored to share a space with these talented women. I'd hope that I can inspire people, especially mothers to continue to make time for their art and evolve as artists and humans.

What's your favorite thing about being an artist in WV? Montani semper liberi. Does collaboration play a role in your work—whether with your community, artists or others? How so and how does this impact your work? A large portion of my art and Photography these days is not only of my surroundings but of those dear to me. I have found a lot more emotion is present in my work than before now that I am a mother. Artist Wanda Ewing, who curated and titled the original LFF exhibit, examined the perspective of femininity and race in her work, and spoke positively of feminism, saying “yes, it is still relevant” to have exhibits and forums for women in art; does feminism play a role in your work? Am I a strong independent Female? Yes I believe so. But if I'm completely honest, it pisses me off that we even have to have a title for that, not that I'm against being a feminist. By all standards in how I live, believe and behave, I am.But, I do think it's important not to box myself into a category or label. Just be. Make art. It will speak for you.

Meg Ward: “Wren and Fiona” Ewing’s advice to aspiring artists was “you’ve got to develop the skill of when to listen and when not to;” and “Leave. Gain perspective.” What is your favorite advice you have received or given? I always swore that I would continue to create art and images no matter what. My most valued advice was from the talented Lisa Elmaleh, telling me to "keep going" which came at a time when I was struggling with finding a way to make that happen.

See more of Meg’s work here: https://megelizabethward.wordpress.com/.

A Knowing Intimacy opens March 8, 6:30pm at the WVU Downtown Campus Library in Morgantown, WV. Details here.

Les Femmes Folles is a volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art from around the world with the online journal, print annuals, exhibitions and events; originally inspired by artist Wanda Ewing and her curated exhibit by the name Les Femmes Folles (Wild Women). LFF was created and is curated by Sally Deskins. LFF Booksis a micro-feminist press that publishes 1-2 books per year by the creators of Les Femmes Folles including the award-winning Intimates & Fools (Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2014) , The Hunger of the Cheeky Sisters: Ten Tales (Laura Madeline Wiseman/Lauren Rinaldi, 2015 and Mes Predices (catalog of art/writing by Marie Peter Toltz, 2017).Other titles include Les Femmes Folles: The Women 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 available on blurb.com, including art, poetry and interview excerpts from women artists. A portion of the proceeds from LFF books and products benefit the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Wanda Ewing Scholarship Fund.https://www.facebook.com/femmesfolles/ instagram: @lesfemmesfollesart femmesfollesnebraska.tumblr.com lesfemmesfollesbooks.tumblr.com

#megelizabethward #lesfemmesfolles #wvulibraries #womenartists #elainesheldon #rebeccakiger

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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23 of the weirdest, funniest, creepiest, most surprising items found by archivists.

Ever wondered what goes on in a library’s dark corners, where you aren’t allowed to go?

Wonder no more, thanks to The Society of American Archivists’ Ask an Archivist Day.

On Oct. 4, university, corporate, and museum archivists around the world dug out the coolest, rarest, and weirdest items in their collections, photographed them, and put the results on Twitter.

They didn’t disappoint. Here’s just some of what they had in storage.

1. Small items. Very small items. Like a Bible so tiny that it has a magnifying glass with it for reading.

We have this New Testament from 1895 with its case and magnifying glass in our collection. #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/NbBsmD5mC5

— Rare N. Manuscripts (@CornellRMC) October 4, 2017

2. And a barely-bigger-than-a-quarter book about birds, published during the deadliest year of the Civil War.

Q: What’s one of the smallest items in our collection? A: This tiny book, “Bird Stories,” published in 1863! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchives http://pic.twitter.com/GmdbmCePwP

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

3. Amazing and rare photos. Like this one of unhappy men preparing a diver to check out the bottom of Loch Tay in 1890.

A very popular print from the #hesarchives @HistEnvScot A Victorian diver and his team https://t.co/lVU9OWVtZF #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/UPlV07guMA

— Niamh Crimmins (@NiamhNiChreimin) October 4, 2017

4. Or this one of three women in West Virginia, rocking the slickest hats of 1908.

We’re partial to hats. West Virginia History OnView | WVU Libraries https://t.co/VSMTWTQEpU #AskAnArchivist #WVRHC #ArchivesFashion http://pic.twitter.com/FxtyIV2eXJ

— WVU Libraries (@wvuLibraries) October 4, 2017

5. A folding chair used by Barack Obama.

Newest acquisition? That would be this folding chair that @BarackObama sat in during his #Rutgers250 commencement address. #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/FLN8C2yCbA

— Special Collections (@Rutgers_SCUA) October 4, 2017

6. Dirt from the grave of a well-known American writer.

Q:What’s a spooky item in your collections? A:Here’s a pine coffin owned by Katherine Anne porter & dirt from her grave site #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/7SLoCYBkl8

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

7. A Roman-era coin, depicting either a man in a helmet or a curious understanding of human anatomy.

What is our oldest item? A Didrachm coin minted between 280 B.C.E.-276 B.C.E.#AskAnArchivist #RomanCoins http://pic.twitter.com/yYZ3JDe4dP

— Special Collections (@Rutgers_SCUA) October 4, 2017

8. A photo of a sailor whose ship vanished in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918.

Hamilton Beggs is also part of the Gold Star Files. He was on the USS Cyclops when it disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. #askanarchivist http://pic.twitter.com/ABJQs07dtw

— Alabama Archives (@AlabamaArchives) October 4, 2017

9. And one of of other World War I sailors giddily posing on top of two ginormous battleship guns.

How many photographs are there in the archive and how can we find these? https://t.co/udBOw9b36d #AskAnArchivistWW1 #AskAnArchivist #WW1 http://pic.twitter.com/8YiLvMngDa

— Today’s Document (@TodaysDocument) October 4, 2017

10. A child’s sketch of a groundbreaking concept car — complete with a built-in kitchen and a 300 mph top speed.

This child’s car drawing sent t @ford from the 1960s has a stove, icebox, seat belts, and can go 300mph! #askanarchivist THF268169 http://pic.twitter.com/xH8b4D2CPf

— The Henry Ford (@thehenryford) October 4, 2017

11. A legal document drawn up in 14th century France.

Q: What’s the oldest item in our collection? A: This French legal document dated 1334. Check out that wax seal! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchives http://pic.twitter.com/obif4ulPCS

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

12. A pioneering, ultra-glittery work of feminist art.

What is the most glittery object in our collection? That would be this untitled drawing by Miriam Schapiro. #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/xUXZhKhdPl

— Special Collections (@Rutgers_SCUA) October 4, 2017

13. A photo of fashion designer Ann Lowe, the woman who designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress.

#ArchivesFashion #AskAnArchivist Did you know that Alabama native Ann Lowe designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress? http://pic.twitter.com/aeYHeCeU1c

— Alabama Archives (@AlabamaArchives) October 4, 2017

14. A script for a rarely heard “Empire Strikes Back” radio play.

Our #StarWars radio dramatization is an institutional favorite! #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/fWDjsZw5qC

— NPR RAD (@npr_rad) October 4, 2017

15. Campus activist fliers from the 1970s.

We also love the Student Activism materials (UARS 259, University Archives). Check these items distributed on campus in 1970 #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/gsaK8gq8zs

— UCLA Lib Spec Coll (@UCLALSC) October 4, 2017

16. And punk zines from the 1980s.

A new fav is our Punk Zines and Ephemera collection (Coll 2276). Pictured are some issues of 60 Miles North covering 1980s Ventura Punk http://pic.twitter.com/1jtZh2e6JY

— UCLA Lib Spec Coll (@UCLALSC) October 4, 2017

17. An image of rows and rows of classic radiator shells waiting to be installed at a Depression-era Pontiac plant.

Q: What are these? A: Pontiac radiator shells, circa 1937. Q: Where is this photo? A: @HBSBaker #AskAnArchivist https://t.co/UuOV1KJeH6 http://pic.twitter.com/JZGSjUrRc0

— Working Knowledge (@HBSWK) October 4, 2017

18. A handwritten letter from Sigmund Freud.

Cool KSHS collection: Menninger Foundation archives include Sigmund Freud letters. https://t.co/SgKrkCXYZh #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/a9Q12n88zP

— Kansas History (@kansashistory) October 4, 2017

19. Ancient technology.

Q: Do you have floppy discs in the archives? A: Yes! Our e-records archivist helps preserve data on lots of outdated formats #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/wHTUN8fK56

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

20. Proof that Queen Elizabeth II is apparently a secret football fan.

You voted & the results are in! Who’s #UMD‘s most famous visitor? Queen Elizabeth II – shown here at a football game in 1957 #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/Kg9SP0C09v

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

21. A memo warning campus police about an upcoming Ozzy Osborne concert, citing the singer’s involvement with “abuse of animals” and “alleged satanic groups.”

Q:What’s the coolest thing you found in the archives lately? A:How about a 1983 police memo when Ozzy Osborne played at UMD! #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/aFQIlJ3QYf

— UMD SpecColl (@HornbakeLibrary) October 4, 2017

22. Perhaps most importantly, a visual reminder of the tedious, painstaking work archivists do to preserve these items for random humans to gawk at on the Internet.

What’s the most you’ve sleeved at one time? Mine is 998 trading cards but I’ve only been doing this 3 months! #AskAnArchivist http://pic.twitter.com/CrsKD0ogl8

— Jenn (@j_vvsm) October 4, 2017

23. And why, if you want to see more, you’ll have to visit a library or archive in person.

#AskAnArchivist When people ask “so is everything digitized?” I usually reply with a photo of our caverns, which I hope answers the question http://pic.twitter.com/aYGyUKAjlL

— U of MN Libraries (@umnlib) October 4, 2017

You can happily scroll through dozens more like this using the #AskAnArchivist hashtag.

Q: Describe the role of an archivist in haiku form: Archivists connect us between the record of the past and present #AskAnArchivist

— M+ (@mplusmuseum) October 4, 2017

No appointment necessary.

Update 10/9/2017: The headline was changed to reflect that archivists and librarians differ, in part by the type of materials handled.