Spelman College x AUC Collective

The Spelman College Department of Art & Visual Culture and the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective (AUC Art Collective) collaborated with the AABC in January of 2021 to develop a month-long virtual salon introducing the basics of blockchain technology to students and faculty. Through understanding these principals, salon participants explored how blockchain supports interdisciplinary pathways between art and technology, encourages innovation in education, aids in global efforts to repatriate objects of cultural heritage, and revolutionizes collections management practices at cultural institutions. 

Following the January salon, AABC participated in Dr Cheryl Finley’s Curatorial Practicum course.  Student explorations, realized as virtual exhibitions in the semester-long study, responded to African objects from the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art’s permanent collection and incorporated blockchain technology and contemporary African Diaspora art exhibitions. Students investigated opportunities to partner with arts, education, and community organizations in the greater Atlanta area, and to seek alternative exhibition designs and education initiatives both within and outside of traditional venues. Three of the students’ capstone projects received the honor of being selected for further development toward realization at the Spelman Museum of Art. AABC will provide guidance and expertise on all technology, legal, and cultural artifact elements.