User:Cshauper/Randolph Street Gallery Archives

Special collections are among the SAIC's most unusual and engaging assets, providing researchers with intimate access to original archival materials, works of art, and supporting documentation. Our collections include traditional library and archival collections along with non-traditional, interdisciplinary, multi-media and site-specific resources.

SAIC's John M Flaxman Library is the repository for the Randolph Street Gallery Archives. From 1979 until its closing in 1998, Randolph Street Gallery (RSG) was a vital force in the development of contemporary art in Chicago, serving as a laboratory for new art forms and creative ways to bring art to the world.

The comprehensive archives of the gallery were received in 1999 in an unprocessed state. Grants from the Illinois State Library and the Illinois Arts Council have helped us to identify and preserve the most fragile and endangered materials in this important collection. Eighty-six Hi-8 and 8mm video recordings of historic performances have been transferred to more stable media. Study copies of these tapes may be viewed in the Flaxman Library's special collections. Due to limited space and staff time, please make an appointment beforehand by contacting Doro Boehme at aboehme@saic.edu or 312.899-5098.