Category: Dissertation

Back in 2020, when I knew I wanted to visit the Walker Art Center but wasn’t sure when it would happen due to the pandemic, the head archivist sent me the finding aids for its WPA-era materials. Some of those aids included the folders for exhibitions staged in the early 1940s, when Walker was a… Continue reading Unpopular Art

As with last month, I’ve continued working my way through the Holger Cahill papers, perusing field reports, correspondence, memoranda, and other kinds of documents. Let’s take a look at some of the things I’ve learned. Although each of the art centers had their own unique issues in terms of local politics and logistical challenges, I’ve… Continue reading Dissertation Work, September Update

Like last month, my dissertation work of late has focused on processing archival documents. While my work in July concentrated on the Walker Art Center, this month I’ve been taking a broader look at the Community Art Center Project itself. I started the month by wrapping up the Walker Art Center archives. Since its first… Continue reading Dissertation Work, August Update

Last month I talked about my long-awaited research trip to Minneapolis. Today, I’ll share the work I’ve been doing with those documents since getting back to Williamsburg. The first thing I needed to do was get all my documents organized. Since I was allowed to take pictures, I had hundreds of reference photos on my… Continue reading Dissertation Work, July Update, Part II

Last week I talked about the initial reorganizations I’ve been doing for Chapter 2, and how I’ve been looking to other genres of writing to help me think the text. Today, we’ll pivot back to the research side of things and take a look at the research trip I recently completed at the Walker Art… Continue reading Dissertation Work, June Update, Part II