marry me

so, I'm planning a field study for the spring in new york city. it all started when a friend told me about StoryCorps and I decided that what I really need to do with my life is intern for them in brooklyn. because it's only a 20 hour per week internship, though, my field study needs some other things to bulk it up and make it count for an entire semester of Division II.

in my research, I came across an organization called REPOHistory. basically, it is exactly what I'm interested in, almost creepily so:

" REPOhistory began in Manhattan in 1989 as a study group of artists, scholars, teachers, and writers focused on the relationship of history to contemporary society. It grew into a forum for developing public art projects based on history and a platform for creating them. For the past ten years REPOhistory's goal has been "To retrieve and relocate absent historical narratives at specific locations in the New York City area through counter-monuments, actions, and events". The work is informed by a multicultural re-reading of history which focuses on issues of race, gender, class and sexuality. We choose to create public art because we wanted to expand the audience for art by going outside the confines of the museum and gallery structure. By choosing to create work with strong, alternative social commentary we are drawing on a tradition in art that is often ignored; the legacy of the Berlin Dadaists, Russian Constructivists, the New York Photo League and contemporary organizations like Political Art Documentation/Distribution (PAD/D), Group Material and Grand Fury.

Through 6 major public projects and many smaller events, REPOhistory has continued to pursue this goal as an artist/scholar cooperative, along the way adding to its goals "to raise questions about the construction of history, to provide multiple viewpoints that encourage viewers to think critically, to explore how histories and their interpretations affect us today, and to engage with specific communities in order to facilitate their efforts to construct their own public histories.""

clearly, I need to work with them. it's unfortunate that they are no longer functioning. their last project was in 2000, I believe, which is a cryin' shame.

however, one of their lapsed members is a professor at my college. holy moly. thanks to sketchydan, my housemate, for pointing me in her direction. he's a good guy who seems to know a little about everything. I e-mailed her and respectfully asked if I could pester her in the near future.

I'm so excited that I might wet myself. not gonna lie.