Of the work we do in the library, one of the most enjoyable is collection development… A.K.A buying books! Materials purchased for the library’s collection primarily support research on the DMA’s encyclopedic collection and exhibitions. One of the most significant areas in which the library collects is exhibition catalogues published by museums and galleries from all over the world. Exhibition catalogues provide current research, photographs, and documentation of works of art, and function as primary sources of historical information for scholars.
A great example of this is the recent purchase of over 20 catalogues from the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA exhibition program. Pacific Standard Time (PST) is a collaborative program established in 2011 that brings Southern California arts institutions together to present exhibitions on a particular theme connected to the Los Angeles region. Previous iterations were Art in L.A. 1945-1980 and Modern Architecture in L.A. The 2017-2018 PST iteration, LA/LA, explored Latin American and Latino art, featuring art from ancient times to the present across a variety of disciplines.
Golden Kingdoms: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas. Pillsbury, Joanne, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter, eds. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum; The Getty Research Institute, 2017. Held at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, September 16, 2017-January 28, 2018; and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, February 26-May 28, 2018.
Black-and-white checkerboard tunic. Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc. in honor of Carol Robbins
The catalogues from this series of exhibitions will serve as authoritative resources for the study of Latin American art at the DMA. For example, the exhibition Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas featured the DMA’s Incan checkboard tunic, which is also discussed in the catalogue (page 172, catalog no. 73).
And there were two career survey exhibitions for artists in the DMA collection: Valeska Soares and Adriana Varejão.
Valeska Soares: Any Moment Now. Joyce, Julie, and Vanessa Davidson. Santa Barbara, CA; Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Art Museum, 2017. Held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, September 17-December 31, 2017, and the Phoenix Art Museum, March 24-July 15, 2018.
Here are a few more highlights:
Mundos Alternos: Art and Science Fiction in the Americas. Hernandez, Robb, et al. Riverside, CA: UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside, 2017. Held at UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside, September 16, 2017-February 3, 2018
Painted in Mexico, 1700-1790 / Pinxit Mexici. Katzew, Ilona. Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Mexico City: Fomento Cultural Banamex, A.C.; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017. Held at Fomento Cultural Banamex, Mexico City, June 29-October 15, 2107; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, November 19, 2017-March 18, 2018; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, April 24-July 22, 2018.
Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915-1985. Caplan, Wendy, ed. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017. Held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, September 17, 2017-April 1, 2018.
Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985. Fajardo-Hill, Cecilia and Andrea Giunta. Los Angeles: Hammer Museum, University of California, Los Angeles; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017. Held at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, September 15-December 31, 2017; and at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y., April 13-July 22, 2018
You can see a list of all the Pacific Standard Time catalogues held by the Mayer Library here.
The Mayer Library is open to the public. Check the library’s page on DMA.org for current hours.
Jenny Stone is the Librarian at the DMA.
