Key Responsibilities:
● Archival Processing:
o Process and organize the Faith Ringgold archive, including diverse materials such as photographs, sketches, correspondence, exhibition files, and multimedia.
o Develop and implement workflows for cataloging, sorting, and preparing materials for preservation and access.
o Create descriptive metadata and records at the series and folder level, ensuring clarity and ease of navigation.
o Catalog Artist’s Library
● Preservation and Conservation:
o Identify conservation issues and apply best practices to preserve materials, including paper, textiles, and fragile objects.
o Implement preservation strategies such as re-housing, labeling, and stabilizing and digitizing items.
o Work with the Project Lead to prioritize conservation needs for long-term preservation.
o Identify and prioritize the most fragile photographic and audiovisual materials for digitization or preservation, following established best practices and standards for archival care.
● Access, Finding Aids and Stakeholder Support:
o Develop a comprehensive finding aid for the Faith Ringgold archive, ensuring it is complete, user-friendly, and accessible.
o Contribute to digitization efforts and data migration (e.g., via spreadsheets and/or archival management software).
o Facilitate access to materials for internal and external stakeholders, including researchers, galleries, museums, auction houses, and others involved in exhibitions, publications, reproduction, and sales.
o Maintain the integrity of the collection while ensuring that materials are used appropriately.
o Respond to research inquires and ensure that all usage aligns with established guidelines.
● Collaboration:
o Work closely with the Project Lead and team members to align archival work with strategic goals, project timelines, and priorities.
o Collaborate with the Project Lead, oral historians, researchers, scholars, and other cultural practitioners to explore future uses of the archive, ensuring its accessibility for academic, educational, and public programs.
o Contribute to strategies for integrating the archive into future exhibitions, publications, and related scholarly initiatives.
● Supervision and Mentorship:
o Participate in the potential hiring and supervising of an Assistant Archivist for determined as needed projects.
o Mentor and guide an intern involved in a program advancing next-generation leaders in the visual arts, providing training and professional development.
● General Task Scope:
o Tasks outlined above are a guide and not exhaustive. The Archivist may be assigned other related projects as needed to further the mission of the archive and the Foundation.
Holdings Include:
The Faith Ringgold archive consists of materials that have been carefully preserved and organized, offering a comprehensive view into the artist’s creative process and methods. These retained papers include her typed and manuscript “worksheets”, sketches, collages, and drawings; correspondence; photographs; and ephemera. The materials provide the sole insight into Ringgold’s craft and serve as a unique repository, with a wealth of untapped knowledge on one of the most celebrated African American artists of the 20th-21st centuries.
The collection was organized by Ringgold and is an invaluable resource for research, exhibitions, and scholarly endeavors.
Scope and Contents:
● Artwork (preliminary and unfinished)
● Manuscripts and drafts
● Research materials for artworks
● Business records
● Personal records
● Photographs
● Printed materials
● Ephemera and realia
● Audiovisual materials
● Correspondence
● Art materials
● Exhibition Catalogs
Dates: 1940s–2024
Extent: ~170 linear feet of archival materials
Library: ~60 linear feet of books, including art references, biographies, photography, exhibition and museum catalogues.
