Donald Russell
How do your two roles as the Executive Director of Provisions Library and as George Mason University curator differ?
Provisions’ strategic plan from 10 years ago called for the organization to form partnerships with a larger organization rather than become a large organization in itself. After shopping Provisions around, we met a very progressive Dean at Mason who offered Provisions a new home within the School of Art. This move aligned with another of our strategic objectives, that of serving young people. After a few years, Mason created a new position for University Curator, for which I was hired, allowing me to develop exhibitions aligned with Provisions’ overall approach. Basically, I see everything I do through the lens of Provisions, using the Meridians as a way of orienting research and developing exhibitions and public programs. Provisions has a curricular impact in the Foundations Program through research assignments and there is now a minor in Art & Social Change. Recently we started a campus mural arts program and have brought many socially engaged artists to the school. I have also been actively developing ideas for establishing a campus museum that would showcase art as a form of research relevant to all other university programs.
What inspired you to co-found Provisions Library? Who did you co-found it with and why?
Provisions grew out of conversations in 2000 with the philanthropist Gaylord Neely (Gaea Foundation) and opened to the public on September 1st, 2001. Together with other advisors and staff, we conceptualized the organization as a public research center/library providing space for and access to materials and programs that build bridges between art and social change.
How do you approach curating for Provisions versus George Mason University as a whole? What are the biggest differences or similarities in your approach?
There are degrees of similarity/difference, but all of the exhibitions have been influenced by Provisions’ values. We don’t administer MFA thesis and senior exhibitions, although most of the students have been exposed to or have been involved at some point with Provisions.
Would you consider yourself more of an artist or curator? Why?
I tend not to make strong distinctions between the two. I attended the Visual Studies Workshop studying photography and artists’ books, but soon became more involved as an arts administrator and I found it more interesting to pursue my ideas through curating exhibitions and related programs. The structure of the Meridians and how the books are housed on the shelves is strongly influenced by conceptual art, which I’m very interested in as well.
What drew you to the world of curation and social justice art?
Growing up in the 1960’s in Boston, I was particularly influenced by Vietnam war resistance as well as the civil rights, environmental and health food movements. By the 80’s, the Reagan period rekindled and expanded these interests and I was in a position to organize exhibitions around US Intervention in Central America, AIDS, Native American life, mass media, etc. This work prepared me to establish Provisions.
What influences your decision to be a part of a project?
Alignment with issues in Provisions’ Meridians, Evidence of past work and research, Evidence of understanding about the content and context of the project, Relevance of proposed context for the final work, Funding prospects
How does the Provisions Library go about finding more artist’s books for their collection?
We rely mostly on donations of books at this point, although I will purchase books relating to current or proposed projects.
Provisions Library has a set of 34 Meridians where art and social change work intersect. How do these Meridians inform your work as a curator?
They function a collections policy and framework for researching projects. The development of the Meridians was a lengthy process and would take a while to fully unpack the thinking behind each of them. Basically, they represent areas that we believed would be fruitful for artists to become involved with and to seek change through their work. Note that each Meridian has a short accompanying essay providing additional context.