Cooper Union students have been making and exhibiting incredible work since the earliest days of the school. While live exhibits are ephemeral in nature, they leave a lasting record in the form of tickets, posters, show cards, slides, and photographs.
This year, for the first time ever, the Cooper Union Archives & Special Collections plans to showcase these materials alongside the annual End of Year Show, providing historical context for the culture of exhibitions and gatherings at The Cooper Union.
By sourcing items from various archival collections, this Show of Shows will contain material from all three schools and a wide variety of event types, from Founders Day celebrations to senior theses to the annual End of Year Show, which has been held under various names since 1860.
The show will run concurrently with End of Year Show, opening May 23rd, and is curated by Archives Assistant Anjanisari Ramadhani, A'22.
"Exploring these materials as a former student provides context for the conversation of art that I participate in," says Ramadhani, "and highlights the importance of what must be included in the collection moving forward."
Materials in the show are sourced from the following archival collections:
The Show of Shows is on view May 23 through June 11 in the Library atrium on the first floor of the Foundation Building, 7 East 7th Street, NY, NY.
Centennial Exhibition of Student Work, 1960.
End of Year Show slides by Joanne Savio,1986.
End of Year Show, 1959.
End of Year Show, 1958.
Annual Student Exhibition postcard, 1977.
22nd Annual Reception Ticket - Male Art Department, 1881.
