How does archiving shape the story of an artist’s practice? How do artists decide what to keep, what to let go of, and how to preserve their legacy? Are archives a vital extension of a creative practice or can artists consciously decide not to build one? In this one hour, live Artist Lab, join collector at large at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art, Josh T Franco, and 2020 Creative Capital Awardee Cannupa Hanska Luger as they discuss practical strategies and create space for reflection on the meaning and purpose of archiving creative practices. They will also share best tips and practices for archiving and answer questions from the audience.

Live captioning (CART services), ASL, and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

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Josh T Franco is collector at large at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. He first joined the Archives as Latino collections specialist (2015-2017). Prior to joining the Smithsonian, he was an artist-guide at Judd Foundation, 101 Spring Street while completing his PhD in art history at Binghamton University, SUNY.

Cannupa Hanska Luger is a multidisciplinary artist creating monumental installations, sculpture and performance to communicate urgent stories of 21st Century Indigeneity. Born on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, USA, Luger is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold and is Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara and Lakota. Luger’s bold visual storytelling presents new ways of seeing our collective humanity while foregrounding an Indigenous worldview. His work has exhibited internationally including the Sharjah Biennial 16, United Arab Emirates, the 81st Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the 14th Shanghai Biennale at the Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Gardiner Museum, Toronto and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Georgia. Luger has been awarded fellowships from Guggenheim, United States Artists, Creative Capital, Smithsonian and Joan Mitchell Foundation, among others and his work is in numerous public collections including the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA.