Who’s Going to Tell Your Story?
Who decides what gets remembered in art history? Is it the museum, the collector, the critic, or the artist themselves. These were the questions that sparked the convergence of Visual Arts of Minnesota Legacy Archiving. We were curious to know what would happen if institutions, archivists, historians, and artists worked together to ensure that today’s creative voices were not lost, but rather preserved, contextualized, and made accessible for future generations. -Roundtable Committee
On Thursday, September 18th, a group of cultural heritage professionals, artists, librarians, archivists, and nonprofit workers gathered for a round-table discussion organized by the board of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. The meeting brought together representatives from a range of institutions, including the Minnesota Historical Society, Bethel University, University of Minnesota, Collegeville’s Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, Minnesota Digital Library, Hennepin History Museum, and Minnesota Media Arts. The shared goal: to explore how Minnesota’s visual arts history can be better preserved, documented, and made accessible for future generations.
This inaugural gathering served as an environmental scan of current projects, challenges, and potential strategic interventions. Participants reflected on the informal nature of much of the existing preservation work—many best practices have been passed on verbally, but little has been formally documented. This lack of guidance has left many artists unsure of where to go with their materials or how to ensure their work and its context are preserved for the long term.
Among the key concerns raised was the need for clearer pathways and tools to help artists navigate the preservation process. Michele Pollard of the Hennepin History Museum suggested developing a decision tree to support artists in making informed archival decisions. The idea of creating a shared roadmap, along with practical guidelines and resources, emerged as a clear priority.
Digital tools have become a fundamental resource for documenting artists’ work, providing users with easy access. The discussion focused on various apps, hardware, and software involved in the digitalization process, as well as the resources needed to access these tools. Participants agreed that preservation efforts should include both analog and digital methods, with distinct strategies for each. Cultural heritage workers stressed the importance of representation and inclusivity in preserving the Twin Cities’ visual arts scene. Building and maintaining relationships with artists from diverse communities was identified as essential to telling a fuller, more accurate story of Minnesota’s creative legacy.
The round-table concluded with a shared understanding of the need for collaboration, better resource sharing, increased visibility of existing tools, and continued dialogue. Tentative plans were made to reconvene and invite more artists to the table, ensuring their voices and perspectives shape the evolving efforts.
How Minnesota artists are remembered will depend on the strength of the partnerships between creators, archivists, curators, and the broader community. Thoughtful coordination today will ensure that the state’s vibrant visual arts history is preserved, understood, and accessible for generations to come.
Written by: Amy Gabbert – Montag
Institution Links:
Minnesota Historical Society https://www.mnhs.org/
Bethel University https://www.bethel.edu/
University of Minnesota https://twin-cities.umn.edu/
Collegeville’s Hill Museum and Manuscript Library https://hmml.org/
Minnesota Digital Library https://mndigital.org/
Hennepin History Museum https://hennepinhistory.org/
Minnesota Media Arts https://mnmediaarts.org/
A second Roundtable is planned for mid-November.