Genealogy Commons^™

Making Then Meaning, Ben Denzer

Masters Theses

This is an artist talk contained within a book. It is 816 pages and 49 minutes long. Closed captions run across the spreads. A video of this talk can be watched on bendenzer.com/making-then-meaning

At RISD, I’ve been prompted to expand the scope and tools of my practice and to reflect on questions of meaning in my work.

I spend my days making things, but I’ve never really had good answers to questions of why I make the things I make, or what their meaning is. I don’t think there are simple answers to these questions.

I think meaning comes from …

Merino Wool In America: Migration, Economic Desire And Patriotism, Una R. Winn

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts and The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Kinstitution: A Topia Between Archive And Proposal, Christopher Lineberry

Theses and Dissertations

Situating Topher Lineberry's work, this paper offers a primer on institutional critique, preliminary developments of "kinstitutional critique," and the cultivation of family-derived art history through the work of the artist's grandmother, Helen Lineberry. Feeding into a working understanding of family-and-kin-as-institution, the paper ultimately locates Topher Lineberry's work between relations to place, historical archives, and speculative proposals.

With Kindest Regards To You And Miss Sparks, Claire E. Kelly

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

This work explores the life of a woman, Katherine Josephine Sparks, who lived in Nashville from 1910 to 1993. Vignettes of her life are revealed through the Katherine Sparks Collection at the Nashville Archives, in which over 18,000 items including letters, photographs, memorabilia, and legal documents house parts of her family’s story. Katherine lived an unassuming life, she never married, and she had no children. There is very little documentation of her life left other than what is held in this archival collection. Without the archive, this record would be lost—a small part of history that would go undiscovered and …

Embedded In These Walls, Trish J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Embedded In These Walls uses photographic imagery, archival ephemera, and written text to examine a specific history of generational trauma through the lens of a singular family of a southern tradition to point to a larger systemic breakdown of accountability and truthfulness regarding abuse

November 15, Usm Special Collections

Batchelder-Haley Letters

In this letter, dated to approximately 1916, Abbie writes to Mrs. Tibbets about several topics, including her teaching job, attending an exhibition, seeing the Emperor pass on the street, tea services, and describes in detail her accommodations. She says that she is very happy in Japan now that she is more used to the climate.

July 23, 1907, Usm Special Collections

Batchelder-Haley Letters

Cora writes to Mrs. Tibbets about her vacation trip from where she was staying in Tokyo to several different places around Japan. She writes of her stay in a Japanese style hotel. She also writes about the scenery around her, and about how long it takes her by rail to get to her travel destinations. She also writes of a traveling companion named George, and how she has invited Abbie to come and visit her and meet George.

April 11, 1907, Usm Special Collections

Batchelder-Haley Letters

In this letter, Cora writes to Mrs. Tibbets about life in Japan. She writes about the climate, and how she finds she cannot do as much due to the "enervating" nature of the climate there. She describes a "sword walking" ceremony, in which one climbs a ladder made of swords. She then writes of the beginnings of spring in Japan and how there is a fair coming to Japan, "the largest ever held in Japan."

January 18, 1907, Usm Special Collections

Batchelder-Haley Letters

In this letter, Abbie writes to Mrs. Tibbets about the "glorious" scenery where she is staying. She writes of the mountains, streams, tall oak trees, and blossoms as the season changes from winter to spring.

December 26, 1906, Usm Special Collections

Batchelder-Haley Letters

In this letter, Cora writes to Mrs. Tibbets to thank her for the Christmas gifts. She describes the table that they set for a traditional western-style Christmas. They invited a Japanese couple, who were described by Cora to be very fascinated with the Christmas decor. She also tells Mrs. Tibetts about her coming vacation with George to Oshima, as there is a volcano there that they are intending to climb.