Series V: Messages to the Public
Scope and Content
This series documents an extensive 10-year series of artist works that were screened on the Spectacolor lightboard in Times Square from 1982 to 1990. The "Messages to the Public" series began with Keith Haring and included Jenny Holzer's first Light-emitting diode project, featured computer-generated messages by over 70 artists.
Subseries V.A: Artist Files
Scope and Content
Arranged alphabetically by each artist's surname, material in this series includes contract information, correspondence with the artist, proposals, promotional material, and photographs. Some folders also contain original sketches and prototypes designed by each artist.
In certain cases, Spectacolor Inc, exercised editorial control and did not run projects by all artists, including the work of Judith Barry and Nancy Spero. In most cases, folders pertaining to these projects have been labeled "unrealized."
Acconci, Vito - "Suburbs", 1986, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Allyn, Jerri - "A Lesbian Bride", 1987, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Applebroog, Ida, 1984, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Art Against Apartheid - "Untitled", 1990, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Ashford, Doug - "Whose Government?", 1986, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Avalos, David - "Intifada: Birth of a Nation", 1990, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Barry, Judith - Unrealized, 1986, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Beckman, Erika - "Advertisement for Gitso Trust", 1988, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Bender, Gretchen - "Military Escalation - Dare to Be Stupid", 1986, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Birnbaum, Dara, 1986, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Blair, Dike - Untitled, 1988, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Bolton, Richard - "Church and State", 1990, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Bratton, Chris - "Evidence Picture This", 1987, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Bray, Anne - "Single-Handedly", 1989, inclusive
Box: 26, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Camnitzer, Luis - "Autophagy", 1988, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Carrasco, Barbara - "Pesticides!", 1989, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Carvalho, Josely - "Turtle News", 1988, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Chernick, Myrel - "Your Hands Are Tired", 1988, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Colescott, Bob - 'Love Conquers All", 1985, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Crawford, Paula - "The Story of Actaeon", 1987, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Critchley, Jay - "Commercial Break: A Day Without Ads", 1990, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
D'Agostino, Peter - "A DecAID's Review", 1989, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
DeJong, Constance - "Ally", 1989, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
DeLanda, Manuel - "Butterball", 1985, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Dickson, Jane, 1982, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
dos Santos, Judite - "Untitled", 1988, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Downy, Juan - "Information Withheld", 1988, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Dwyer, Nancy - "Monster Spot", 1987, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Falk, Gary, 1983, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Fekner, John - "We Are the Target of the Singles Market", 1985, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Foreman, Richard - "Hello, You on Broadway", 1986, inclusive
Box: 27, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Geller, Matthew, 1982, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
General Idea - "AIDS", 1989, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Gianakos, Steve - "Say Cheese", 1985, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Goldstein, Jack, 1984, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Guerrilla Girls - "A New Years Resolution for the '90s", 1990, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Gutierrez, Marina - "What Goes Around, Comes Around", 1988, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Hammons, David, 1982, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Haring, Keith, 1982, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Hatch, Connie, 1990, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Heap of Birds, Edgar, 1982, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Henry, Janet - Eventually, 1988, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Hill, Candice - "1 Claps 2 Clapp", 1987, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Hock, Louis - "800 Buy With ART", 1989, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Holzer, Jenny, 1982, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Howland, Rebecca - "Electric City", 1987, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Jaar, Alfredo - "A Logo For America", 1987, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Jones, Ronald - "Untitled", 1988, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Kessler, Jon, 1986, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 18 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Kohlhofer, Christof, 1982, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 19 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Komar & Melamid - "We Buy and Sell Souls", 1986, inclusive
Box: 28, Folder: 20 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Kruger, Barbara, 1984, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Lebron, Michael - "The Earth Deserves a Break Today", 1989, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Levine, Les - "Media Mass (Local News)", 1986, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Crash (Matos, John), 1982, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Mendel, Mark - "Replanting the Hand Made Sky", 1990, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Miller, Brenda - "The Almighty Dollar", 1987, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Miller, Steve - "Untitled", 1985, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Montano, Linda - "1 + 1 = 1", 1990, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Muntadas, Antonio - "This Is Not An Advertisement", 1985, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Nishio, Linda - "Competitor", 1989, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Parra, Catalina, 1987, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Pindell, Howardena, 1983, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Piper, Adrian - "Merge", 1989, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Pittu, Jeffrey - "Untitled", 1988, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Potts, Martin - "Courtesan", 1985, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Prince, Richard - "Tell Me Everything", 1987, inclusive
Box: 29, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Rollins, Tim & K.O.S. (Kids of Survival) - "Everyone Is Welcome", 1987, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Rosler, Martha - "Housing Is a Human Right", 1989, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Rupp, Christy - "America Has a Ticker Tape Worm", 1986, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Schnell, John - "Reciprocal Rotation", 1985, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Scott, Joyce - "You Don't Even Know Me", 1990, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Simpson, Lorna - "Tricks Are For…", 1985, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Smith, Kiki - "Bear Witness", 1986, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Smith, Michael, 1983, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Snyder, Bob - "Rainforest", 1990, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Spero, Nancy - Unrealized, 1986, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Stein, Janet, 1983, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Sullivan, Billy, 1982, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Syrop, Mitchell - "Make. Be. Leave.", 1989, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Tillman, Lynne - "What Are Values?", 1987, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Tiravanija, Rirkrit - "The Arrival", 1990, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Torreano, John, 1982, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Torres, Francesco, 1984, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Towles, Ed, 1982, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 18 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Turyn, Anne - "What If The Sky Were Orange", 1988, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 19 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Van Dalen, Anton, 1987, inclusive
Box: 30, Folder: 20 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Ward-Williams, Pat - Unrealized, 1990, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Weinbren, Grahame - "What's in the Basket?", 1986, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Williams, Randy - "Art Over Image", 1985, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Winters, Robin - "No Joke/Reasons to Believe", 1988, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Wojnarowicz, David, 1985, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Wong, Martin - "IMU, UR2", 1986, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Subseries V.B: Administrative Files, 1982-1992, inclusive
Scope and Content
This series includes correspondence with and documentation of Spectacolor Inc., the activities of the selection panel, financial and budgeting information, and general publicity material. This series also includes some of the background documentation on the compilation videotapes that the Public Art Fund made of various animations from Messages To The Public.
Spectacolor, Inc., 1981-1987, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Selection Panel, 1981-1987, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Program Schedules, 1981-1990, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Rejected Proposals, 1981-1991, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Press and Publicity, 1981-1994, inclusive
Box: 31, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Finances and budgets, 1981-1988, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Compilation Videotape, 1982-1994, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Bibliography 1982-1989, 1982-1989, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
National Endowment for the Arts, 1984-1986, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Collaborations Exhibit, 1985, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Contract, 1985, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
International Exhibit, 1985-1989, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Video Data Bank, 1987-1988, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Design Limitations, 1989, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Demographics, 1989, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
End of Program, 1990, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Publication Projects, 1989-1992, inclusive
Box: 32, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Project overview, undated
Box: 32, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Subseries V.C: Slides
Scope and Content
This series contains color slides documenting project installations at Times Square from 1982 to 1989. Slides from 1982-1988 are sorted by artist's surname.
General
black and white negatives for Messages to the Public are found in Box 14, Foolder 15
Acconci-Falk, 1982-1988, inclusive
Box: 33 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Fekner-Prince, 1982-1988, inclusive
Box: 34 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Rollins-Wong, 1982-1988, inclusive
Box: 35 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
1989 slides, 1989, inclusive
Box: 36 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
