I knew my students could benefit from a collaboration, but I wanted
to make sure that the Creative Vision Factory would benefit, too, she
said. I asked what they needed, and they immediately asked for our help
in creating an archive that would organize the artists work and make
it accessible.
Students in the class were paired with CVF members and, throughout
fall semester, worked on developing biographies of the artists and
learning about the works they created. In their final presentations in
December, a crowd gathered at CVF to hear each student showcase a
particular artist.
David Kim, assistant professor of English and, with Kalmbach, a
principal investigator with the Wilmington Archives Project, then
developed the website for the content provided by the students and
artists.
I wanted to continue the kind of work I had done in New York and
Los Angeles to help preserve cultural heritage, Kim said. I saw
shoe-string operations there that didnt have the means to archive,
document and share their work with the public. Universities need to work
collaboratively with community groups, to share our work and
co-create.
The UD students described their experience as an opportunity to move
beyond the classroom and to try something that was both hands-on and
community-based. All said they were impressed by the quality of work the
CVF artists created and by their personal stories.
It was great to work with artists, even just as the middleman, said
Dillon DiGuglielmo, a senior majoring in criminal justice. And the
community aspect was a real eye-opener. I did an [earlier] internship
just up the street, working with Family Court, but this gave me a new
perspective of the community.
Benet Burton, an anthropology student who previously did some work
with archival material through the Colored Conventions Project at UD,
said she loved experiencing a different kind of archive.
With this class, I found that art and the interpretation of art is
still archival work, but its different from text-based and just as
fascinating, she said. And getting to know [CVF artist] Ken Carley was
great. Theres always something new to look at in his work.
The technology involved in creating a digital archive was a
learning experience in itself, said sociology doctoral student Joshua
Stout.
We really learned the nuts and bolts from David [Kim], he said. It was a crash course.
At CVF, whose mission is to provide individuals with opportunities
for self-expression, empowerment and recovery, its especially important
to have a showcase for the artists work, Bowler said.
Its a place where everyones creative potential is fostered and
nurtured, where theres a real sense of community, she said. Having a
digital, permanent record and catalog gives their work the recognition,
dignity and importance that it deserves.
Bowler, who plans to bring a new class back to CVF to add to the
archive in the fall, thanked all those who supported the venture,
including the College of Arts and Sciences, the colleges
Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center and the Universitys
Partnership for Arts and Culture. In addition, she said, Professional
and Continuing Studies at UD supported the inclusive nature of the class
by enrolling CVF artist Geraldo Gonzalez as a student.
The course, Sociology of Art and Culture, was cross-listed in Sociology and Criminal Justice and Material Culture Studies.
To view the CVF online archive, visit this website.
Article by Ann Manser; photos by Evan Krape
