The MoMA PS1 Archives represents the comprehensive organizational records of MoMA PS1, starting with the very beginnings of the founding organization, the Institute for Art and Urban Resources (IAUR), in 1971. The records provide extensive documentary evidence of an institution that was in the vanguard of nonprofit spaces and at the heart of the 1970s and 1980s New York art world—and that continues to be a vital center for the exploration and exhibition of contemporary art today. Documentation of particular historical significance in the Archives includes records of the institution’s founding and growth in the early 1970s; exhibition and curatorial records for nearly 900 exhibitions and events over 35 years; materials documenting the National and International Studio Program and the publications program; and records of founder and former director Alanna Heiss.
A detailed description of the records can be found in the finding aid to the collection. Due to size constraints it has been split into three parts: Series I, curatorial and exhibition records; Series II and III, press records and publications records; and Series IV through IX, records of the studio program, the director’s office, development, and other activities. Use our online form to make appointments to view the materials in our Queens reading room or to ask us questions.
Additional resources have been assembled on these Web pages. A chronology provides details of significant events in MoMA PS1’s history. All known participants in the National and International Studio Program are listed by year, and a bibliography of MoMA PS1 publications is available.
In 2012 an exhibition of archival material detailing the first 10 years of MoMA PS1 was held in the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building. Visit the website for The Artist in Place: The First Ten Years of MoMA PS1.
Records and Resources
Funding for the processing and creation of a finding aid for the MoMA PS1 Archives was generously provided by the Leon Levy Foundation.