MIAP Thesis Week
Tuesday, March 10
10:00 - 11:00 AM Elizabeth "Liz" Sullivan: In Memory of the Voices We Have Lost: A Comprehensive Study and Collections Assessment of the Lesbian Herstory Archives’ Film Collection
11:15 - 12:15 PM Sabrina Kissack: Experiments in the Omitted: A Future and History of Moving Image Materials Within the MIX NYC Collection -
This thesis serves as a research history into MIX NYC, New York's queer experimental film festival, as well as a preservation project for moving image materials held in the festival's current storage space. Looking towards the prospect of preservation grants for these materials, this project aims to create necessary documentation of holdings, while also arguing the critical cultural significance of MIX and its collection.
1:00 - 2:00 PM Aaron Lu: Tsores un Lebedik: Preserving the films of Camp Boiberik 1934-1978-
The home movies and amateur films of Camp Boiberik are the largest moving-image record of any Yiddish summer camp, spanning 1934-1978. This preservation plan will explore Summer camps as a site of film exhibition, as well as the practicalities and nuances of cataloging the collection
2:15 - 3:15 PM Jake Marston: The Spirit Is Alive: A Preservation Plan for the Audiovisual Collections of the San Francisco Art Institute -
In 2025, the National Endowment for the Humanities cancelled many in-process grants, coinciding with a statement announcing that future funding would only be awarded to projects that do not "promote extreme ideologies based upon race or gender, and that help to instill an understanding of the founding principles and ideals that make America an exceptional country." Using the San Francisco Art Institute Legacy Foundation and Archive as a case study, this thesis proposes a framework for independent cultural heritage institutions to preserve their audiovisual materials under financial pressure in the current political moment.
Wedensday, March 11
10:00 - 11:00 AM Linda L. Smith: “A Plan, and Not Quite Enough Time”: Actionable, Approachable Disaster Planning for Audiovisual Archives -
Over the course of her time in MIAP, Linda interned at two sites that experienced floods and encountered other experiences of MIAP alumni assisting in disaster recovery. She highlights what's at risk of being lost in each of these cultural, community archives. Lastly, Linda will create an appendix in the form of a zine with a condensed version of her thesis and space for institutions to plan for disasters themselves.
Thursday, March 12
10:00 - 11:00 AM Joaquin Vargas: Bridging the Gap: Strategies for a Smooth Donation Process of Audiovisual Materials -
The interest, support, enthusiasm, and collections of donors are vital to the success of moving image archives. In working with donors, whether they are required to donate or not, is a core function of archival work. This research project explores ways to improve donor relations by examining how archivists plan for donors, understand each stage of the process, raise awareness, take a proactive role in cultivating donors and fulfill the promises made to donors.
Friday, March 13
10:00 - 11:00 AM Charles Simons
11:15 - 12:15 PM Riley Benninghoff
1:15 - 2:15 PM Alexei Larson: Museums Only? Considerations & Musings Toward ‘Controversial’ Media -
With the unbridled access of information in the modern day via Internet and more, the concern of problematic materials and potential censorship has become more and more pressing. This thesis presents a discussion of what controversial media is, who should herald that content, and the importance of context in its display.
2:30 - 3:30 PM L.E. Simon: Audits, Reviews Boards, and Their Discontents: Content Moderation and Post-War Religious Education Film Distribution
For all non-NYU guests, please use the Eventbrite RSVP. You will be asked to show a government-issued ID upon entry at 721 Broadway.