News

Maya Cázares, the 2025 recipient of the CAA Archives and Archivists of Color (AAC) Travel Fund Award, shares her experience attending the Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN:

I’m so grateful that I was chosen to receive the Archivists of Color travel fund to attend MAC!  I am an emerging archivist, currently in graduate school, and this is the first professional conference I’ve ever attended.  I had such a fantastic time!  It was great to hear technical and theoretical concepts put into action, and I loved learning about social justice initiatives that various institutions are working on.  I also really enjoyed connecting with a range of archivists at diverse institutions that I would not have had the chance to interact with otherwise.  I appreciated how friendly everyone was (classic midwest hospitality!), and how willing people were to introduce me to other archivists that they thought I would benefit from knowing.  I was able to make some really wonderful connections both within Chicago and in the greater midwest region.  I hope to continue to nurture these relationships by visiting these archives and getting more involved with CAA!

In the politically turbulent times that we are living in today, it is inspiring to listen to archivists that are doing impactful work that tangibly improves their communities.  I especially enjoyed the panel “Collecting During Times of Institutional Conflict,” led by some of my old supervisors at Indiana University Archives!  I found it really inspiring to hear the steps that archivists are taking to protect and preserve important historical events.  I was also really moved by “Open Wide Our Archives: Introduction to CROSS and Archives Advocacy in the Catholic Church” and “Decolonizing Archives Outreach and Programming.”  I am very invested in the use of archives for social justice, and these panels really opened my eyes to the possibilities and projects that are being done.  They discussed the importance of collaboration, elevating the voices of marginalized groups, and the impact that access to history can have on descendant communities.  Sometimes we can get so caught up in our day to day tasks that we forget the bigger picture– why are we collecting and preserving this history in the first place?  These panels in particular really reminded me that we do this work to bring diverse histories to light and make it widely accessible. 

Attending MAC really solidified my belief that I am heading in the right direction with my career and my life.  I want to do work that is meaningful to my community, improves access to knowledge, preserves history, and upholds truth.  What became clear to me by the end of the conference is that archives are a form of resistance!  Access to information and history is crucial.  Like it said on the shirts that many attendees were wearing– America needs archivists!

Thank you again to the Archivists of Color interest group for choosing me for this opportunity!

On the evening of March 27, about fifteen CAA members and friends received a free tour of the Art Institute's exhibition Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica, which included a large selection of archival material as well as many art forms. The tour was given by Adom Getachew and Antawan Byrd, two of the exhibition's curators and contributors to its catalog. Dr. Byrd was interviewed about the exhibition and catalog on the Yale University Press podcast: https://soundcloud.com/yaleuniversity/the-visual-history-of-panafricanism

April 11, 2025--CAA members who were in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the 2025 Midwest Archives Conference gathered on Friday evening at The Local, an Irish pub just around the corner from the conference hotel. Eleven CAA members enjoyed a couple of hours of drinks, pub food, and lively discussions on all things archival. Among them was the winner of the Archives and Archivists of Color interest group’s Travel Fund Award, Maya Cázares (second from the right in the photo). Thanks to co-hosts Jerice Barrios and Kaitlyn Griffith for organizing this meet-up!

On April 4, 2025, the Curation & Exhibitions Interest Group visited the Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Library Center’s exhibition Akito Tsuda: Pilsen Days.

The exhibition tells the story of Akito Tsuda and showcases his photography. Arriving in Chicago from Japan in 1988 at the age of 21, Tsuda enrolled at Columbia College Chicago in 1990. For a class photography assignment, Tsuda encountered Pilsen, where he was accepted in the homes and lives of the residents. Despite knowing only some English and no Spanish, Tsuda developed relationships with the people he photographed and made over 500 striking and intimate images in collaboration with the community. Exhibition project manager Johanna Russ guided CAA guests through the exhibit and shared insights into CPL’s exhibition development process.

Curation & Exhibitions Interest Group moderator Patti Gibbons and nine attendees participated in the event.

Please join us in congratulating the CAA’s 2025 Member of the Year award winner Patti Gibbons! Award winners were announced at the CAA Annual Meeting on March 19.

Patti is currently the organizer of CAA’s Curating and Exhibitions Interest Group. Since she assumed leadership in 2022, she has been active in planning both in-person and virtual events for the group. Along with Carol Ng-He, Patti co-wrote the book Exhibits & Displays: A Practical Guide for Librarians, which came out in 2021. Recently, she launched a new initiative called "On View: Exhibition Announcement" in which she has encouraged CAA members to share information about current and upcoming exhibitions in libraries and archives to help increase the visibility of their work.

Patti is the Head of Collection Management and Exhibits at the University of Chicago's Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center. She’s been a member of CAA since 2020.

Please join us in congratulating the Chicago Area Archivists 2025 Janet Olson Award winner Stephanie Giordano! Award winners were announced at the CAA Annual Meeting on March 19.

Stephanie became the CAA webmaster in 2010 and has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for many years to keep our website operational and useful for both our members and the public. She has been creative and resourceful, and her work has helped CAA grow and stay relevant and accessible. Stephanie's fourteen year tenure as webmaster was an unprecedented length for CAA, and we have all benefited from her long service to the organization.

Stephanie is the Heritage Communications Manager at Rotary International, where she leads a dedicated team of archivists, asset managers, researchers, and content creators in preserving and celebrating Rotary's rich 120-year history. She has been with Rotary for 17 years, and prior to joining Rotary, she spent close to 10 years working at various cultural heritage institutions in the Chicago area.

A member of CAA since before 2008, Stephanie has also served on the Steering committee and the business archives group subcommittee.

CAA’s 2024-2025 Annual Meeting was held March 19th at the Chicago Symphony Center. There was a robust turnout with 25 in-person attendees and another 10 joining us over Zoom. Updates were given by the Steering Committee and our subcommittees and interest groups. The Steering Committee candidates for this year gave statements in advance of the election. And, the Member of the Year and Janet Olson Award winners were announced.

We wrapped up the evening with a chance for members to meet with the various subcommittee chairs and interest group leaders.

Meeting minutes can be accessed here.

It was a great celebration of all CAA has accomplished in 2024-2025!

On View: Exhibition Announcement

The Black Alchemists
The Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, Chicago Public Library
George Cleveland Hall Branch, Chicago Public Library, 4801 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60615

Opened March 20, 2025

The Black Alchemists highlights a pivotal group of 20th-century African American visual artists who harnessed the power of creativity to bring about positive transformation within their community and society. From the 1930s to the 1950s, these visual artists of the Black Renaissance played a critical role in empowering communities and individuals on Chicago’s South Side at a time when the city and society was insistent on doing the opposite.

Delving into the legacy of four of the era’s visionaries – William Edouard Scott, Marion Perkins, Gordon Parks, and Margaret Burroughs, The Black Alchemists provides insight into the social challenges artists of the era faced, informs of the preservation of the historical materials that tell their stories, and demonstrate how these artists empowered and transformed their community through their artistic practice, which many continue to benefit from today. The exhibit’s historical narrative conveys the impact of African American artistic alchemy and its lasting impact on art and culture in Chicago.

The Black Alchemists is the inaugural program offering of “Magnitude and Bond: Linking and Building Relationships Across Chicago’s Black Visual Art Collections" project at the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection. The project aims to increase awareness and discoverability of Chicago Public Library’s rich archives and historical resources related to African American art history, while also supporting emerging scholars of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color heritage. The project and exhibit are made possible with generous support from the Getty Foundation and the Chicago Public Library Foundation.

Information for Your Visit:
The Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, Chicago Public Library
George Cleveland Hall Branch, Chicago Public Library, 4801 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60615
Monday and Wednesday, 10am-6pm | Tuesday and Thursday, 12am-8pm | Friday and Saturday, 9am -5pm | Sunday 1pm to 5pm
Free and open to all
https://www.chipublib.org/

Special Event Information:

Opening event, Saturday March 29th, 2025 at 3pm

On Saturday, March 29th at 3pm, please join us at the George Cleveland Hall Branch for The Power of Black Art in Archives, the opening event for The Black Alchemists exhibit. This in-person presentation with Getty Fellow and exhibit curator, April Chambers, will explore the artwork, careers, and impact of visual artists of the Chicago Black Renaissance. Chambers will also delve into the establishment of Black art institutions, a testament to the power of art in shaping communities. More information available via this link.

For more information, contact: Harsh Research Collection; harshcollection@chipublib.org

Are you launching a new exhibit?

CAA members are welcome to share news of exhibits on view at their institutions. Please tell us more on this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesaDrz5BstR9CMUtLNlVVl-uiwUSr_sbE6L1TK7BY2ehbV1w/viewform

On View: Exhibition Announcement

Archivos Vivos by Adrián 'Viajero' Roman
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
March 8, 2025 through January 17, 2026

An immersive exhibition that delves into the themes of memory, loss, survival, and cultural preservation, offering a poignant reflection on the ongoing journey of Puerto Rican communities both on the island and throughout the diaspora. As viewers traverse the exhibit, they are guided through the complex layers of migration, grappling with the tensions between belonging and displacement, the pervasive impact of colonialism, and the emotional toll of economic instability.

A central element of the exhibition is the integration of archival materials, including vintage photographs, historical documents, and found objects—each imbued with deep resonance for the Puerto Rican experience. The archival elements not only anchor the artwork in history but also heighten the significance of memory in the face of displacement and change. Through these objects, the exhibition emphasizes the vital role of preserving the past to better understand the present and future.

Information for Your Visit:
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
3015 W Division St.
Chicago, IL 60622
Tuesday-Thursday 10a-5p; Fridays 10a-4p; and Saturdays 10a-2p
Free and open to all
www.nmprac.org
For more information, contact: info@nmprac.com

Are you launching a new exhibit?
CAA members are welcome to share news of exhibits on view at their institutions. Please tell us more on this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesaDrz5BstR9CMUtLNlVVl-uiwUSr_sbE6L1TK7BY2ehbV1w/viewform

On View: Exhibition Announcement

Digital exhibit

Wendy Clarke: Love Is All Around

Video Data Bank

February 12, 2025 through April 15, 2025  

Video Data Bank is pleased to celebrate Valentine's Day (and beyond) with Wendy Clarke's "Love Tapes" (2011) in a new VDB TV program! VDB's Archive and Collection Manager, Kristin MacDonough, has curated a selection of five excerpts from Clarke's iconic series “Love Tapes,” a collection of video recordings of 2,500 people from diverse backgrounds who share their personal feelings about love. This winter, Kristin spoke with the artist at length about the "Love Tapes," and the interview is available to read alongside the program.

Love, as described throughout the tapes, is not defined by any one singular meaning, but is instead contextualized by the variety of personal perspectives and experiences within this collection. These interpretations of love explore lust, friendship, first love, and familial love. The "Love Tapes" project consists of dozens of edited tapes from 1977-2011 and is ongoing. This VDB TV program highlights "Love Tapes" recently remastered for preservation by Clarke and the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Digital exhibit: https://www.vdb.org/vdb-tv

For more information, contact:

Kristin Mac Donough kristin@vdb.org

Video Data Bank

www.vdb.org  

Are you launching a new exhibit?

CAA members are welcome to share news of exhibits on view at their institutions. Please tell us more on this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesaDrz5BstR9CMUtLNlVVl-uiwUSr_sbE6L1TK7BY2ehbV1w/viewform