FAQ

1. Does IAM HAVE A BRICK-AND-MORTAR PRESENCE?

Yes. We maintain an office and have access to a meeting and exhibition space in Woolwich, Maine. The Carlo Pittore collection is currently housed in a repurposed warehouse in Brunswick, Maine. This space is accessible to visitors by appointment. We eventually envision a custom-built brick-and-mortar presence to accommodate archival storage needs, a research room where scholars can access our archives and peruse our online database, an exhibition space where we can mount small shows of significant works from our collections, an archiving space where we can work with interns and staff to archive our collections, and eventually, a secondary exhibition space where we can mount exhibitions of works by artists who are related to those whose archives we oversee.    

2. HOW DO WE SELECT ARTISTS FOR OUR ARCHIVES?

IAM collects the works of artists who have devoted their lives to the creation of a body of work that has yet to obtain the level of recognition warranted by their genius. We focus on artists whose contributions to our culture are in some way pivotal – through an experimental use of media, an activist standpoint that resulted in real change, an historical moment that has not been fully explored, and so on. Our focus is on artists whose primary devotion has been to the cultivation of their craft and self-expression, over commercial success. Our artists most often exist along the margins or are relatively unknown when we receive their archives.

We believe our stories as a society are cultivated by artists and that the current system does not accurately reflect the diversity, vibrancy and multi-faceted nature of our experience. IAM exists to change that.

From a practical perspective, we collect those artists who are not in a position to create their own privately endowed foundations, and/or who see the value in a collective collection. We take on the works of artists who we believe are of great enough significance to warrant a place in history, regardless of the level of acknowledgment received during their lifetimes. 

3. WHAT SERVICES DO WE PROVIDE DURING AN ARTIST’S LIFETIME?

During an artist’s lifetime, IAM provides an array of services, depending on the artist’s preferences and current network of support. We offer guidance on how to prepare an archive before it transitions to IAM. We work with each artist to develop their individualized legacy vision, determining a unique set of goals and ideals that will govern the future of IAM’s emphasis for the work. We also offer support with exhibitions, sales, strategic placement and cataloguing. We include each artist’s name and a selection of works on our website and generally advocate for the work, keeping it in the public eye. 

4. WHAT SERVICES DO WE PROVIDE AFTER AN ARTIST HAS DEPARTED?

Once an artist passes on, IAM takes full responsibility for the care and preservation of the artist’s archive. IAM oversees transport of the collection to our facilities and works with the executor of the artist’s estate to ensure all designated artwork and related ephemera remain within the archive. We thoroughly document the collection, create an accessible digital archive and begin strategically placing works in museums, with private collectors, and in alternative arts spaces, in keeping with the artist’s wishes. We seek out exhibition opportunities for our artists, including museum and gallery exhibitions, encourage scholarly research, and identify ways for our artists’ works to remain relevant within contemporary conversations. We consistently develop opportunities for our artists’ legacies to live on well beyond each artist’s lifetime. The specific activities we undertake will vary from artist to artist, based on the wishes and goals laid out by the artist during their lifetime.