2022 SGA Annual Meeting Session 4B: Asking for Help as Our Archive Evolves
Channel: Society of Georgia Archivists
Date: 2023-10-23

This was a combination of two presentations: 
Presentation 1: El Gran Muro: Care and Asset Relocation for Monumental Fiber Arts
Paige Adair, Portman Archives

Portman Archives will be presenting about two recent initiatives. First, the Archival team will discuss the recent restructuring of their archive, which included clarification of its mission, adjustment of workflows, and moving locations. Instead of relying solely on acquired knowledge and research, the team sought assistance from sister companies and the Archival community. This presentation will explore what happens when an archive dismantles its own intellectual silo and shows its vulnerability. In the second part of the presentation, Paige Adair will speak about the team’s task to deaccession material, including finding a new home for a large-scale fabric weaving, titled, ‘El Gran Muro’ by Columbian artist Olga De Amaral. This presentation will explore the artwork's journey as part of an archival collection, and how Portman strategized and worked collaboratively to ensure its historical legacy was preserved for a new audience.

Presentation 2: Dismantling our Intellectual Silo and Asking for Help as our Archive Evolves
Rebecca Brown, Portman Archives
Katie Twomey, Portman Archives
Paige Adair, Portman Archives

Portman Archives will be presenting about two recent initiatives. First, the Archival team will discuss the recent restructuring of their archive, which included clarification of its mission, adjustment of workflows, and moving locations. Instead of relying solely on acquired knowledge and research, the team sought assistance from sister companies and the Archival community. This presentation will explore what happens when an archive dismantles its own intellectual silo and shows its vulnerability. In the second part of the presentation, Paige Adair will speak about the team’s task to deaccession material, including finding a new home for a large-scale fabric weaving, titled, ‘El Gran Muro’ by Columbian artist Olga De Amaral. This presentation will explore the artwork's journey as part of an archival collection, and how Portman strategized and worked collaboratively to ensure its historical legacy was preserved for a new audience.