#ArtsTech: Digital Conservation and Archiving

  [Eyebeam Presents] #ArtsTech: Digital Conservation and Archiving Over the years, we at #ArtsTech have spent a lot of time discussing the benefits of going digital--getting projects, collections and catalogs up online so that they can better connect with audiences, become more accessible and discoverable, and perhaps even better contextualized in cross-institutional educational resources like Google Art Project. But digital is a temperamental mistress that is susceptible to the rapidly changing whims of technology, making formats and standards obsolete faster than they can become fully integrated. It's time we took a look at what digital means for conservation and archiving. What are we in danger of losing?  Is there a "best practices" approach?  And what are the unique challenges (and potential solutions) faced by conservators and archivists working in the digital space? SPEAKERS:

Desiree Leary

 is the Media Art Collection Manager at Electronic Arts Intermix where she manages the master tape collection and special preservation projects. She started her career in 2002 working in video preservation digitizing every Coca-Cola commercial ever made. Since then she has managed various digital collections including StoryCorps' digital born audio archive and the digital photo archive for the retouching studio Box. Desiree holds a BFA in studio art from Alfred University and an MLIS from Rutgers University. Her personal art practice in digital photography is informed by her professional practice in digital information and preservation, and vice versa.

Ben Fino-Radin

 is a New York-based researcher, digital preservation practitioner, and media archeologist. Currently he serves as Digital Conservator for Rhizome at the New Museum, managing the preservation and collection development of the ArtBase, one of the largest and oldest collections of net art and New Media.

Christiane Paul

 is the Director of Media Studies Graduate Programs and Associate Prof. of Media Studies at The New School, NY, and Adjunct Curator of New Media Arts at the Whitney Museum of American Art. She has written extensively on new media arts and lectured internationally on art and technology. Her recent books are Context Providers – Conditions of Meaning in Media Arts (Intellect, 2011), co-edited with Margot Lovejoy and Victoria Vesna; New Media in the White Cube and Beyond (UC Press, 2008); and Digital Art (Thames and Hudson 2003; expanded new edition 2008). She has curated dozens of new media shows, including “Cory Arcangel: Pro Tools” (May 2011) at the Whitney Museum.

Doug Reside

 became the first Digital Curator of the Performing Arts at New York Public Library in February of 2011 after serving for four and a half years on the directorial staff of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) at the University of Maryland in College Park.  He has led numerous Digital Humanities projects and is currently editing the Musical of the Month blog at NYPL which makes available one musical theater libretto each month in various ebook formats. #ArtsTech is a monthly meet-up event that brings together those working at the intersection of arts and technology to share ideas, strategies, successes, challenges and failures. $10 advance tickets; RSVP required on Meetup. On Twitter: #ArtsTech #ArtsTech is sponsored by Eyebeam and Tumblr, with livestream support from CultureHub.