Artist Files/Vertical Files

What are they?

Artist files or vertical files are files or documentation associated with individual artists or institutions and can be comprised of ephemeral materials that range from "Everything from newspaper clippings to exhibition catalogues and photographs"[1]. These files are considered to be valuable historic resources since the documentation they contain information about both well-known and lesser known artists. Initially art librarians kept ephemeral materials related to artists who were associated with their institutions.  Authors Terrie Wilson and Erika Dowell explain that art libraries often refer to their vertical files as artist files and vice versa considering the plethora of information that these files can contain [2]. Although they can be used interchangeably, they will be referred to as artist files throughout this post.

• Material types found within artist files include:
• Announcements, architectural drawings, artist statements, artworks, auction;
• catalogs, brochures, checklists, commercial gallery catalogs, clippings, cultural;
• artifacts, diaries, digital files, exhibition catalogs, institutional publications;
• interviews, invitations, journals, mail art, manifestos, manuscripts, maps;
• memorabilia, microform, negatives, oral histories, pamphlets, photographs;
• postcards, posters, press releases, price lists, prints, private view cards, resumes;
• scripts, serials, slides, and transcripts [3].

According to Heather Slania in her 2013 article, "Online Art Ephemera: Web Archiving at the National Museum of Women in the Arts", the only defining "Criterion for artist files is that they contain ephemeral materials" [4].

Why are they important?

Besides featuring documentation associated with both known and lesser known artists, artist files can be useful for researchers in terms of assisting them with creating chronologies, exploring exhibition histories, reviews  of stylistic developments, and assessments of the critical reception of individual artists over time [5]. Through the creation and maintenance of artist files, art libraries are developing unique resources that provide insight into the history of art. While many of the contents of these files are ephemeral materials that were not initially intended to be saved, these artist files "Offer factual information on art and artists, by they can also have artifactual value, and as such may be displayed in exhibits"[6]. At the same time, artist files can be perceived as collections of ephemeral materials that can be used to "Serve as an important supplement to biographical dictionaries and other reference works, often continuing significant documentation on artists that is not easily found elsewhere" [7].

While initially considered to be one of the "Least accessible resources in research libraries", with the advent of digital information, more and more art libraries are migrating their artist file collections into their libraries OPAC to ensure further user access and usability [8]. 

Who are the primary users?

Primary users of artist files include: artists, art historians, museum docents and staff, museum curators, art students, and other researches.

Current issues?

While artist files are indeed an invaluable resource, these files "Are often overlooked or forgotten" [9]. The most prevalent issue associated with artist files is related to access and use. This issue can be broken down into two categories: 1). physical access and use and 2). digital access and use. 

In regards to the first category, access to these artist files is limited to one's physical proximity. While many art libraries have finding aid for their artist file collections, Kent Boese notes that different art libraries utilize different collecting and organizing tactics; there does not appear to be a set standard for collecting and organizing these files. Boese cites two libraries with different methods: one creates individuals folders for artists after at least five or more items have been collected. The other creates folders for every artist that is represented [10]. Without a standard for collecting and organizing, art libraries might not have a proper representation of the artists and institutions that they have features/exhibited. The Art Libraries Society of North America have drafted a suggested standard for the physical maintenance and processing of artist files.

• Steps cover the following areas:
• Determining Scope
• Classification of the Collection
• Creating  Files
• Assigning Locations
• Labeling
• Housing
• Filing
• Use and Circulation Policies
• Space Planning and Statistics

For the second category, art libraries are still trying to figure out how to expand access to their artist file collections outside of their institutions through the provision of digital access. Both Boese as well as Wilson and Dowell state that the best solution would be for art libraries to create MARC records to be included within their OPACs. This method of artist-level access enables a collation of all related items under one artist's name or subject. Other potential solutions include creating web-lists and databases. Item-level description that is accessible within a digital format like a database could "Allow access not only by an artist's name, but by gallery, time, period, or keywords" [11].

Example 1: Archives of American Art

The Archives of American Art has finding aids and additional research information available for their 6,000 collections. some these include detailed artist-level description for available artist files. Check out their description of William Henry Holmes Artist Files, 1879-1932

Sample from the Archives of American Art. 

Example 2: The New York Art Resources Consortium

The New York Art Resources Consortium OPAC, Arcade, combines the collections of the Frick Art Reference Library and the libraries of Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Users can search for artist files by searching either by author, keyword, title, or subject. These item records feature various bibliographic information and can be viewed in MARC. An example of an artist file record for Boris Aronson, 1900-1980 here

Example of an item record for Boris Aronson

MARC view of Boris Aronson record

Footnotes

[1]. ARLIS/NA Artist Files Working Group, "Artist Files Revealed: Documentation and Access," Art Libraries Society of North America (2009-2010): 44.

[2]. Terrie L. Wilson & Erika Dowell, "Today's Ephemera, Tomorrow's Historical Documentation: Access Options for Artists Files," Digital Images and Art Libraries in the Twenty-First Century 39, no. 2/3 (2003): 44.
[3]. ARLIS/NA, "Artist Files Revealed: Documentation and Access," 4.

[4]. Heather Slania, “Online Art Ephemera: Web Archiving at the National Museum of Women in the Arts,” Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America 32, (Spring 2013): 119.

[5]. ARLIS/NA, "Artist Files Revealed: Documentation and Access," 3.

[6]. Kent C. Boese, "Art Ephemera: Relics of the Past, or Treasures for Posterity?" Art Documentation 25, no. 1 (2006): 37.

[7]. Kent C. Boese, "Art Ephemera: Relics of the Past, or Treasures for Posterity?": 34.

[8]. Ibid., 34.

[9]. Ibid., 35.

[10]. ARLIS/NA, "Artist Files Revealed: Documentation and Access," 6.

[11]. Terrie L. Wilson & Erika Dowell, "Today's Ephemera, Tomorrow's Historical Documentation: Access Options for Artists Files," 56.

Bibliography

ARLIS/NA Artist Files Working Group, "Artist Files Revealed: Documentation and Access," Art Libraries Society of North America (2009-2010).

Boese, Kent C. “Art Ephemera: Relics of the Past, or Treasures for Posterity?” Art Documentation 25, no. 1 (2006): 34-7.

Slania, Heather. "Online Art Ephemera: Web Archiving at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.” Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America 32, (Spring 2013).

Wilson, Terrie & Dowell, Erika. "Today's Ephemera, Tomorrow's Historical Documentation: Access Options for Artists Files."Digital Images and Art Libraries in the Twenty-First Century 39, no. 2/3 (2003)