Guide to the Bruce W. Ferguson Papers
MSS.023

Published in 2020
© CCS Bard Archives

Summary Description

Repository
Center for Curatorial Studies Library & Archives
Creator
Ferguson, Bruce W., 1946-2019
Source
Ferguson, Bruce W., 1946-2019
Title
Bruce W. Ferguson Papers
ID
MSS.023
Date [inclusive]
1976-2019
Date [bulk]
1978-2019
Extent
4 Linear Feet in 5 boxes
Language
English .
Author
Finding aid prepared by Bel Simek and Hannah Mandel, 2019; collection processed by Bel Simek and Hannah Mandel, 2019.
Abstract
The Bruce W. Ferguson Papers consists of the collected, published writings of Bruce W. Ferguson. Spanning his decades long career as a critic and curator, the collection includes catalogues, magazines, and essay anthologies in which Ferguson was a contributor or the sole author. Beginning in 1976 and continuing through 2019, the collection provides published documentation of Ferguson's work as a writer, critic, and curator of contemporary art. In addition to the broader body of his work, the collection reflects his work in the contemporary art world in Canada, as well as his work as a curator with national and international biennials of São Paulo, Sydney, Kyiv and others.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Bruce W. Ferguson Papers; MSS.023; [box number]; [folder number], Center for Curatorial Studies Library and Archives, Bard College.

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Biographical / Historical

Bruce Willis Ferguson (1946-2019) was a curator, critic, and academic well known for his work curating dozens of national and international exhibitions, as well as for his leadership roles in numerous art institutions.

Ferguson was born in Canada and received his B.A. in Art History from the University of Saskatchewan, and his M.A. in Communication from McGill University in Montreal. He received an honorary doctorate from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2006. From 1989-1990 Ferguson worked with Marieluise Hessel, art collector and co-founder of the Center for Curatorial Studies and Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College, in developing a video and film component of her art collection. Ferguson advocated for the pedagogical importance of including works in these formats in an art collection utilized by curatorial studies students. Ferguson was also involved in some of the early planning meetings for the development of the MA program in curatorial studies at CCS Bard. In 1992 Ferguson received a Getty Senior Research Fellowship grant alongside Reesa Greenberg and Sandy Nairne. Using the grant they published the seminal essay anthology on exhibition theory and curatorial studies, Thinking About Exhibitions (Routledge: 1996). He was the founding director and first biennial curator of SITE Santa Fe in New Mexico (1993). In 1999 Ferguson was named dean of Columbia University School of the Arts in New York. Ferguson taught at numerous institutions, such as the sculpture department at Yale University, and the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. He was the former president and executive director of the New York Academy of Art. In the 2000s Ferguson led the formation of Future Arts Research (F.A.R.) at the University of Arizona where he commissioned works by numerous artists, including choreographer Elizabeth Streb's 2010 performance,  STREB: BRAVE, facilitated dialogue across disciplines and amongst the university and the greater community in Phoenix, and helped realize a vision for international arts research and cultural dialogue through symposia and artists' residencies.

In 2010 Ferguson left his position as director of F.A.R. work as dean of humanities and social sciences at the American University in Cairo where he worked until 2013. In 2013 he left Cairo when he was named vice chairman at Louise Blouin Media. While on the board there he provided editorial oversight for publications such as Art + Auction and  Modern Painters. In 2015 Ferguson was named president of Otis College of Art and Design. He stepped down from his position as president in 2019.

In addition to his work in institutions, Ferguson was a critic, writer, and curator for more than thirty years. He curated over 35 exhibitions for institutions such as the Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen, the Winnipeg and Vancouver Art Galleries in Canada, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. He organized exhibitions in the international biennales of São Paulo, Sydney, Venice, and Istanbul. His writing was published in numerous art publications, including Canadian Art, Artforum, Art in America, Art + Text, Flash Art, Bomb Magazine,  Art Press,and  Parachute.

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Scope and Contents

The Bruce W. Ferguson Papers contains copies of exhibition catalogues, magazine issues, and other published materials within which Ferguson is the sole author or his writing appears. The collection includes some unique materials such as inscribed copies of publications and drafts of Ferguson's writing. The collection especially reflects Ferguson's work in the contemporary art world in Canada, especially in Vancouver. Ferguson's national and international reputation is well reflected in the wide-ranging scope of the publications included. In addition to the published materials, the collection contains manuscript materials related to Ferguson's work.

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Arrangement

The collection is divided into four series.
 Series I: Published Materials
 Series II: Manuscripts  Accretion 1, September 2019  Accretion 1, September 2019, Oversized Series I
All series are arranged alphabetically by title in chronological order in order to emphasize that the collection serves as a reference aid for Ferguson's body of work.

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Information for Users

Publication Information

Center for Curatorial Studies Library & Archives

Bard College
 Annandale-on-Hudson 12504-5000
 [email protected]
 URL: http://www.bard.edu/ccs/library/

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers without restrictions. Appointments are necessary to consult manuscript and archival materials. Access copies for media materials may not be available yet. Please contact the CCS Archivist for further details.

Conditions Governing Use

Collection use is subject to all copyright laws. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Director of the Library and Archives at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Dalhousie Art Gallery
  • Mendel Art Gallery
  • Site Santa Fe (Gallery)
  • Vancouver Art Gallery

Genre(s)

  • Books
  • Brochures
  • Clippings (information artifacts)
  • Exhibition catalogs
  • Magazines (periodicals).

Geographic Name(s)

  • Nova Scotia (province)
  • Saskatchewan (province)
  • Toronto (inhabited place)

Personal Name(s)

  • Campbell, Colin, 1942-2001
  • Diao, David, 1943-
  • Ferguson, Bruce W., 1946-2019
  • Taylor-Johnson, Sam, 1967-

Subject(s)

  • Art -- 20th century -- Exhibitions
  • Art -- 21st Century -- Exhibitions
  • Art -- Periodicals.
  • Art, Modern -- 20th century
  • Art, Modern -- 21st Century
  • Artists' writings
  • Arts, Canadian--20th century
  • Biennials (Art fairs)
  • Curatorship

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Contents List

Series I 

box

"Introduction" in Messages from Southern Saskatchewan 1976 

Publisher

Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Page Numbers

unnumbered

1

"Forward" in 3rd Dalhousie Drawing Exhibition: Januardy 3-January 29. 1978 1978 

Publisher

Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Page Numbers

1

1

"Introduction" in Decorated Nova Scotia Furnishings 1978 

Publisher

Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Page Numbers

1

1

"Introduction" in Canada Video Biennale di Venezia, Canadian Pavilion, 34th International Viennale, Venice Italy 1980 

Publisher

National Gallery of Canada

Page Numbers

9-13

1

George Sawchuk by Bruce Ferguson 1980 

Publisher

Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

1

"Suzy Lake: Are you talking to me?" in Suzy Lake: Are you talking to me? 1980 

Publisher

Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"Acknowledgements; Introductions" in Correspondences 1981 

Publisher

Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, Banff, Alberta

Page Numbers

5-18

1

"A Natural Politic: George Sawchuk" in Vanguard, Volume 10, No. 3 April 1981 

Publisher

Russell Keziere, Vancouver, British Columbia

Page Numbers

10-17

1

Vision and Disbelief, 4th Biennale of Sydney, 1982 1982 

Publisher

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Page Numbers

5

Reference

Ferguson is thanked in the acknowledgements as representative of the Canada Council.

1

"Appearing" in Appearing 1983 

Publisher

Art Gallery, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Page Numbers

3-5

1

"Victor Cicansky: The Garden as Vessel" in Cicansky 1983 

Publisher

Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan

Page Numbers

2-27

1

"Introduction" in 1984 Ottawa International Festival of Video Art 1984 

Publisher

SAW Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario

Page Numbers

5-6

1

"Making Airwaves" in Prime Time Video 1984 

Publisher

Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Page Numbers

15-20

1

"Corrupting Realism: Four Probes Into a Body of Work" in Eric Fischl Paintings 1985 

Publisher

Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Page Numbers

18-30

1

"Space Invaders" in Space Invaders 1985 

Publisher

Mackenzie Art Gallery, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan

Page Numbers

108-114

1

"Video 84" in Vanguard, Volume 14, No. 1 February 1985 

Publisher

Russell Keziere, Vancouver, British Columbia

Page Numbers

24-26

1

"Wordsmith: An Interview with Jenny Holzer" in Art in America, Vol. 74, No. 12 December 1986 

Publisher

Sandra J. Brant, NY, NY

Page Numbers

108-115

1

"Return of a Native Son: Or Home-town Boy Makes Good Art" in Five Families: An exhibition of Family Portraits by Allan Harding MacKay 1986 

Publisher

Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"Wordsmith: An Interview with Jenny Holzer by Bruce Ferguson" in Jenny Holzer: Signs 1986 

Publisher

Des Moines Art Center/ICA, London

Page Numbers

73-85

1

"Tony Brown: Unnatural Acts" in Tony Brown: Day Dreams 1986 

Publisher

Winnipeg Art Gallery, Manitoba

Page Numbers

26-30

1

"When the Yuppies Come Marching Home" in C Magazine, No. 15 Fall 1987 

Publisher

Richard Rhodes, Toronto, Ontario

Page Numbers

40-45

1

"Acknowledgements; Northern Noises" in Northern Noises: the 19th São Paulo International Biennial 1987 

Publisher

Winnipeg Art Gallery, Manitoba

Page Numbers

2; 9-13

1

"Notes on a Local History" in Toronto: A Play of History 1987 

Publisher

The Power Plant, Toronto, Ontario

Page Numbers

54-57

1

"Northern Noises" in Vanguard, Volume 16, No. 6 December 1987-January 1988 

Publisher

Russell Keziere, Vancouver, British Columbia

Page Numbers

10-14

1

"Cinema of Silence" in Public Work: John McEwen 1988 

Publisher

Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Alberta

Page Numbers

9-22

1

"Nomad is an Island: Roland Brener" in Vanguard, Volume 17, No. 3 Summer 1988 

Publisher

Russell Keziere, Vancouver, British Columbia

Page Numbers

24-27

1

"Paradoxical Images" in Abstraction in Question 1989 

Publisher

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida

Page Numbers

25-30

1

"Marginal Modernisms: Local History Models" in The Aerial Kit 1989 

Publisher

Kalejdoskop, Stockholm, Sweden

Page Numbers

4-9

1

"Camera Ready: Snapshots of Eric Fischl" in Border Crossing, Vol. 8, No. 9 Fall 1989 

Publisher

Ed. Robert Enright, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Page Numbers

70-75

1

"The Eiffel Tower, Only Morceaux" in C Magazine, No. 21 Spring 1989 

Publisher

Richard Rhodes, Toronto, Ontario

Page Numbers

12-34

1

"From vision to text: a re-action" in David Diao 1989 

Publisher

Musee d'Arte Moderne Saint Etienne, Saint Etienne, France

Page Numbers

6-39

1

"Klaus Vom Bruch: Do not paint this surface" in Klaus vom Bruch: Surface to Surface 1989 

Publisher

Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden

Page Numbers

5-17

1

"Word Trade Center" in The New Urban Landscape 1989 

Publisher

Olympia and York Company

Page Numbers

40-41

1

"The Art of Memory: the Memory of Art" in Of a Place, Solitary, of a Sound, Mute 1989 

Publisher

Artists's Space, New York, NY

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"The Art of Memory: Barbara Steinman" in Vanguard, Volume 18, No. 3 Summer 1989 

Publisher

Russell Keziere, Vancouver, British Columbia

Page Numbers

10-15

1

"Mel Kendrick and the Well-Adjusted Object" in Art in America, Vol. 78, No. 2 February 1990 

Publisher

Sandra J. Brant, NY, NY

Page Numbers

146-155

1

"Modernism's Many Lives: David Diao" in Artforum May 1990 

Publisher

Artforum, NY

Page Numbers

178-182

1

"Klaus vom Bruch: Do not paint this Screen" in C Magazine, No. 25 Spring 1990 

Publisher

C Magazine, Toronto, Ontario

Page Numbers

48-57

1

"Colin Campbell: Otherwise Worldly" in Colin Campbell: Media Works 1990 

Publisher

Winnipeg Art Gallery, Manitoba

Page Numbers

8-23

1

"The Importance of Being Ernie: Taking a Close Look (and Listen)" in Illuminating Video: An Essential Guide to Video Art 1990 

Publisher

Aperture, Bay Area Video Collective

Page Numbers

349-365

1

"Works by Jana Sterbak" in Jana Sterbak 1990 

Publisher

New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"A New History: David Diao's Paintings" in New Works for Different Places: TWSA Four Cities Project 1990 

Publisher

Orchard Gallery, Derry, Ireland

Page Numbers

143-145

1

"Vikky Alexander: Glass (Not) Sculpture" in Vikky Alexander: Glass Sculpture 1990 

Publisher

Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"A New History: David Diao's Paintings" in David Diao: Selections 1972-1991 1991 

Publisher

Cherng Pin Gallery

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"Eric Fischl: A Cinematic Artist" in Eric Fischl: A Cinematic View 1991 

Publisher

Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, NY

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"Of and By Rroses ReRead" in Sherrie Levine: Fountain 1991 

Publisher

Mary Boone Gallery, New York, NY

Page Numbers

5-9

Unique Attributes

Includes draft of "Of and By Rroses ReRead"

1

"Curatorial Methodologies/Curatorial Conversations: Museum Speech Acts" in Art as Knowledge/the Artist as Construct: the New Ontology 1992 

Publisher

UNESCO and AIAP Turkish National Committee Association of Plastic Arts, Istanbul, Turkey

Page Numbers

31-64

1

"ForeNotes on Four Friendships, by a Notable Four-Eyed Friend" in Four Friends 1992 

Publisher

Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"In the Realm of the Senses" in Mirabella, No. 35 April 1992 

Publisher

Murdoch Magazines

Page Numbers

62-64

1

"Jac Lernier: Short Circuits and Mini-Systems" in Viewpoints: Jac Lernier 1992 

Publisher

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

1

"On a Detour from Language" in Ann Hamilton: Tropos 1993 

Publisher

Dia Art Center, New York, NY

Page Numbers

103-114

2

"Going for Baroque: A Mismannerist Guide" in Culture Lab 1 1993 

Publisher

Princeton Architectural Press, Princeton, NJ

Page Numbers

39-48

2

"Introduction" in Collecting Edmonton: A Passion Show 1994 

Publisher

Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta

Page Numbers

3-6

2

"Déjà vu and Déjà lu (already seen et already read)" in Gary Hill 1994 

Publisher

Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Page Numbers

15-21

2

"AmerefierycontemplationonthesagaofJoanJonas" in Joan Jonas: Works 1968-1994 1994 

Publisher

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Page Numbers

13-21

2

"Northern Noises" in SightLines 1994 

Publisher

Artextes Editions, Montreal, Quebec

Page Numbers

66-73

2

"Andres Serrano: Invisible Power" in Andres Serrano: Body and Soul 1995 

Publisher

Takarajima Books, New York

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

2

"Conceal/Reveal" in Conceal/Reveal 1996 

Publisher

Site Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

2

"Objects on the Border" in Haim Steinbach 1996 

Publisher

Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, Ontario

Page Numbers

7-16

Unique Attributes

Includes notes

2

"Walking and Thinking and Walking" in Nowhere Louisiana 1996 

Publisher

Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark

Page Numbers

39

2

"Colin Campbell: Otherwise Worldly; Left Beholding the Promised Land: Ardele Lister in America" in Video Re/View 1996 

Publisher

Art Metropole and V Tape, Toronto, Ontario

Page Numbers

293-306; 371-380

2

"Mapping International Exhibitions (with Reesa Greenberg and Sandy Nairne)" in Art & Design Magazine, Curating: The Contemporary Art Museum and Beyond, No. 52 1997 

Publisher

Academy Group Ltd., London

Page Numbers

30-37

2

"Beverly Semmes: Location, Location, Location" in Beverly Semmes: New and Recent Sculptures 1997 

Publisher

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Page Numbers

6-14

2

"Sam Taylor-Wood" in Bomb Magazine, No. 65 Fall 1998 

Publisher

Bomb Magazine, New York, NY

Page Numbers

42-48

2

"Objects on the Border" in Haim Steinbach 1998 

Publisher

Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien 20er Haus

Page Numbers

114-121

2

"Postmark: An Abstract Effect" in Postmark: An Abstract Effect 1999 

Publisher

Site Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Page Numbers

9-19

2

"Sam Taylor-Wood, The Eyes and Ears of History" in Sam Taylor_Wood 1999 

Publisher

Fondazione Prada, Milan, Italy

Page Numbers

9-21

2

"Clay Ketter: Labors of love. Love's labors lost" in Clay Ketter: Labors of love. Love's labors lost 2000 

Publisher

Pre Press Center, Lund, Sweden

Page Numbers

13-87

2

"Objects on the Border" in Haim Steinbach: North South East West 2000 

Publisher

Neuer Berliner Kunstverein

Page Numbers

94-106

2

"Raúl Cordero: Video without Video Equipment" in Raúl Cordero 2000 

Publisher

Iturralde Gallery, Los Angeles, California

Page Numbers

5-12

2

"Cornelia Parker Interviewed by Bruce Ferguson" in Cornelia Parker 2001 

Publisher

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston

Page Numbers

45-61

3

"Thinking along these lines" in Eric Fischl 2001 

Publisher

Jablonka Galerie, New York, NY

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

3

"Magnetic Fields: The Quality of Looking" in Andrew Bick 2002 

Publisher

Edition Galerie Von Bartha Basel

Page Numbers

5-9

Unique Attributes

Inscribed by artist

3

untitled selection in Marcelo Toledo: Sound Object 2004 

Publisher

Columbia University School of the Arts

Page Numbers

Unnumbered pages

3

"Blind White" in William Steiger: Under a Telephone Pole 2006 

Publisher

Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY

Page Numbers

5-9

3

"Robots R Us" in The Robotic Chair 2007 

Publisher

Children's Museum and Kitchener-Waterloo, Art Gallery Waterloo, Ontario

Page Numbers

No page numbers

Unique Attributes

Includes draft

3

"Where There Is a Will There Is a Way" in Will Gorlitz: nowhere if not here 2009 

Publisher

Kitchener-Waterloo Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario

Page Numbers

3-23

Unique Attributes

Inscribed by artist

3

"Talking and Thinking About Biennials: The Potential of Discursivity, with Milena M. Hoegsberg" in The Biennial Reader 2010 

Publisher

Bergen Kunsthalle, Bergen, Norway

Page Numbers

360-375

3

"Desert Aesthetics: The Way of Water" in 17th Biennial of Sydney: The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age 2010 

Publisher

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Page Numbers

112-113

3

"On Laughing at Works of Art" in Once Upon A Time: A Clock Watcher During Overtime Hours: Ahmet Ögüt 2011 

Publisher

Fondazaione Giuliani Per L'Arte Contemporanea, Rome, Italy

Page Numbers

9-13

3

"War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength" in The Best of Times the Worst of Times: 1st Kyiv Biennale of Contemporary Art 2012 

Publisher

Arsenale, Kyiv, Ukraine

Page Numbers

66-77

3

"Introduction-Improbus Materia: Maybe" in Cornelia Parker 2013 

Publisher

Thames and Hudson, London, UK

Page Numbers

11-15

Unique Attributes

AP 6/10, inscribed by artist

3

"Not in the Age of Pharaohs" in Prefix Photo, Vol 14, No 2, Issue 28 2013 

Publisher

Prefix Photo, Toronto, Ontario

Page Numbers

38-61

3

"Defeating the Labyrinth" in David Deutsch: Works 1968-2017 2019 

Publisher

Radius Books, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Page Numbers

11-15

3

"Layers of the Loom" in LALA Magazine 2019 

Publisher

LALA Magazine, Los Angeles, California

Page Numbers

96-105

3

Series II 

box

Postcard for the exhibition "Devices" organized by Bruce Ferguson; October 12-November 16, 1991; Josh Baer Gallery October 12, 1991 

Unique Attributes

Includes handwritten note from Bruce Ferguson about the show

3

Accretion I, September 2019 

box

Laserdisc, Persistence of Vision Volume One: Monitoring the Media, produced by Bruce Ferguson 1988 

Publisher

Voyager Press

Scope and Contents

Introductory text on back cover

4

Laserdisc, Persistence of Vision Volume Two: Outside the Lines, produced by Bruce Ferguson 1989 

Publisher

Voyager Press

Scope and Contents

Introductory text on back cover

4

Laserdisc, Persistence of Vision Volume Three: New Narrative, produced by Bruce Ferguson 1988 

Publisher

Voyager Press

Scope and Contents

Introductory text on back cover

4

untitled selection in Colin Campbell: Media Works 1972-1990 1991 

Publisher

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

4

"Arnaud Maggs at the Hotel Langue" in Hotel / Arnaud Maggs 1993 

Publisher

Co-published by Art Metropole, Toronto and Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver

Page Numbers

5-14

4

Accretion 1, September 2019, Oversize Series I 

box

"Introduction" in The First Dalhousie Drawing Exhibition, January 9-28, 1976 1976 

Publisher

Dalhousie University Art Gallery

Page numbers

1

5

"Marginal Modernisms: Local History Models" in The Aerial kit : bland människor emellan, 1809-1989 : ett projekt 1990 

Publisher

VAVD Editions

Page numbers

4-9

Scope and Contents

Edition 1 of 5 AP. Edition of 55 with 5 AP. Limited edition box set.

5