The Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library at Yale University is pleased to announce the acquisition of the archives of Artspace, New Haven’s vibrant non-profit organization for contemporary art. Artspace is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, and the archive will preserve its legacy of connecting contemporary artists, local audiences, and community resources.
Artspace will deed to Yale all historical materials related to its founding and operations. These operations include robust exhibition and commissioning programs together with ongoing initiatives such as the Summer Apprenticeship for New Haven Public Schools students and the annual City-Wide Open Studios festival.
The archive contains a significant collection of exhibition documentation and related printed ephemera, administrative and financial records, correspondence, and documentation of the organization’s work with partner institutions and community members, including many Yale affiliates and alumni.
Artspace Executive Director Helen Kauder explained, “This partnership will preserve 30 years of materials documenting Artspace activities, and acknowledges the significance of the work by local artists, curators, graphic designers and the constellation of efforts to make New Haven a vital contemporary arts community.” Most recently, Arts Library Associate Director Jae Rossman was involved with the Artspace exhibition CT (un) Bound (November 7, 2014 - January 31, 2015), which featured new book arts commissions as well as a companion show at the Arts Library entitled Beyond the Codex. In conjunction with Artspace’s Library Science exhibition (November 12, 2011 - January 28, 2012), the Arts Library served as the site of an artist residency that produced an installation and artist’s book project.
“The Arts Library is very excited about this acquisition. We are looking forward to making accessible these important historical documents, which will further the dialogue between local arts communities and the arts disciplines at Yale,” said Jae Rossman. The materials will be held by the Arts Library Special Collections department and made available for research and display.
About the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library
Bridging Paul Rudolph Hall and the Jeffrey H. Loria Center for the History of Art, the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library serves many arts constituencies at Yale and is also open to the public. Arts Library collections and services support research, teaching, and learning needs at the schools of Art, Architecture, and Drama, as well as the Department of the History of Art and the Yale University Art Gallery.
The Arts Library Special Collections (ALSC) contain rare and unique materials about art, architecture, the book arts and graphic design, and drama. The Arts Library’s archival holdings have a strong focus on the work of 20th and 21st century artists and designers. ALSC showcases its collections on a regular basis in the William H. Wright Special Collections Exhibition Area on the lower level of the Arts Library. ALSC exhibitions and related programs are free and open to the public.
About Artspace
Artspace is a visionary and dynamic non-profit organization championing emerging artists and building new audiences for contemporary art. Its exhibition and commissioning programs encourage experimentation, discovery, and lively civic discourse, while fostering appreciation for the vital role that artists play in improving our community.
Located in downtown New Haven’s Ninth Square, Artspace occupies a 5,000-square-foot former civil-war era furniture factory and features a rotating set of thought-provoking exhibitions. Through an award-winning apprenticeship program, teams of teens from New Haven Public Schools collaborate with professional artists on the creation of artworks and installations. Through the popular City-Wide Open Studios festival, nearly 2 million square feet of underutilized or vacant space have been activated and showcased for the benefit of artists and their supporters.