Association of American Cultures
Association of American Cultures Collection
1985-2010
MS 1070
1 box
(0.5 linear foot)
Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst Libraries
The Association of American Cultures (TAAC) was founded in 1985, following the success of the first Open Dialogue conference in which cultural workers from an array of arts disciplines gathered to discuss issues confronting arts organizations and artists in communities of color. As a national arts service agency, TAAC advocates for racial equity in the arts and arts organizations and provides support for those concerned with the preservation of their culturally specific identities through the arts.
The TAAC collection consists primarily of materials distributed to participants at several of the Open Dialogues conferences, along with a handful of promotional materials. A videotape in the collection is one of several produced by TAAC in the 1980s on aspects of cultural diversity in the American arts.
English
The Association of American Cultures (TAAC) was founded in 1985, following the success of the first Open Dialogue conference in which cultural workers from an array of arts disciplines gathered to discuss issues confronting arts organizations and artists in communities of color. As a national arts service agency, TAAC advocates for racial equity in the arts and arts organizations and provides support for those concerned with the preservation of their culturally-specific identities through the arts.
As it has evolved, TAAC has maintained a focus on promoting multicultural leadership in arts management, building networks of support, and advocating for a "democratic cultural policy" that reflects the full breath of America's pluralistic society. In addition to their biennial (or triennial) Open Dialogue conferences and regional meetings, they are active in National Advocacy Day and at meetings of the National Endowment for the Arts and other arts service organizations.
The TAAC collection consists primarily of materials distributed to participants at several of the Open Dialogues conferences, along with a handful of promotional materials. A videotape in the collection is one of several produced by TAAC in the 1980s on aspects of cultural diversity in the American arts.
The collection is open for research.
Cite as: Association of American Cultures Collection (MS 1070). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
Gift of Mayumi Tsutakawa, Jan. 2016 (2016-008).
Photojounalism
Videocassettes
Processed by I. Eliot Wentworth, March 2019.
Open Dialogue
Arts--Management
Videocassettes
1
Association of American Cultures conference: travel scholarship application
1994
2
Association of American Cultures: membership information
1986
3
Association of American Cultures: multicultural arts in New England brochure
1991
4
Association of American Cultures: statement on reauthorization of the National Endowment for the Arts
1990
Cultural Diversity in the Arts: A National Report
1987
VHS cassette
Video summary digest of TAAC regional forums in New York, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
5
LeRoy, Louis: memorial program
2007
6
LeRoy, Louis
"New dynamics in minority art," Connections Quarterly, 3
1985
7
Open Dialogue (newsletter)
1986-1991
4 issues
8
Open Dialogue II (San Antonio, Tex.): conference handouts
1985
9
Open Dialogue III (Washington, D.C.): conference handouts
1988
10
Open Dialogue VI (Columbus, Ohio): conference handouts
1994
11
Open Dialogue XI (Denver, Colo.): conference handouts
2007
12
Open Dialogue XII (Chicago, Ill.): conference handouts
2010
13
Open Dialogue Midwest Regional Forum: conference handouts
1987