In the Library: Announcements from the Vertical Files

Greetings ARLIS DMVers! The show I organized in the Library here at NGA will be closing at the end of next week, Friday, April 26. Please come and take a look–and maybe we can grab coffee or lunch, as well?

Please note that the exhibition is open only during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 10:00 am- 4:30 pm.

In the Library: Announcements from the Vertical Files

Often printed on simple postcards, museum and gallery announcements advertise upcoming exhibitions—conveying the who, what, when, and where. The objects in this show, however, do more than merely inform; they reflect the materiality of the art they promote. Through imaginative use of layout, color, form, and material they distill the spirit of the works of art into a handheld package. Crafted of paper, vinyl, plastic, and sand, they expand, light up, reflect, and decode.

This exhibition is culled from the vertical files of the National Gallery of Art Library, which houses an extensive collection of announcements, pamphlets and small exhibition catalogues.  Also on display here are installation views borrowed from the Library’s department of image collections. Together, this group of objects provides insight into the overall experience of  gallery-going and the material culture of the art world.

— Anne Simmons, Reference Librarian for Vertical Files and Microforms, National Gallery of Art Library