AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

When Glenstone opened to the public in 2006, it was a small private foundation in Potomac, Maryland. The process of interviewing artists began organically, as significant site-specific outdoor sculptures were being installed across the landscape. Glenstone’s founders had the forethought hire a film crew to document the installation process, which led to filming the artists when they visited for the installation. This in turn triggered the founders to pull the artists aside to speak to them in a more focused way about their work. The practice developed into a desire to approach interviews systematically, recording formal conversations with as many of the artists whose works are represented in the collection as possible. In 2009, a curatorial staff position was created with the intention of expanding the oral history program to include not just artists, but also those who could lend special insights into their work, such as collectors, estate directors, installers, family members, curators, etc. Glenstone established an in-house conservation department in 2014, which resulted in collaborative discussions merging curatorial and preservation perspectives to document a more holistic view of what it means to care for and exhibit works the way their creators intended. As Glenstone has matured from a small foundation to an expansive museum, much of the audio and video production has moved in-house and the pool of collections staff able to conduct interviews has grown and diversified. A curriculum is now being developed to train staff on oral history best practices. This has allowed for thoughtful pairing of interviewers and narrators and resulted in conversations that vary in formality. It is hoped that tailoring of the interview experience to each participant will foster meaningful dialogues and help build enduring relationships that are an essential component of being responsible stewards of an artist’s legacy.