Urban Newsletter Art Piece (unknown page number, 3 of 3)

Added by Svetlana 8 on Apr 26th, 2026

Date

1993

Credits

Dana C. Chandler Jr. 8 Archivist

Format

Media

Techniques

printing 960
photocopy 39

Dimensions

17 × 24 in

Locations Made

Dana C. Chandler's Urban Newsletter Art Piece is not only a collection and archive of African American Master Artists-in Residency Program (AAMARP) history but also a curated act of resistance and activism. He created the document (totaling twenty-five double-sided pages) in 1993, in direct response to Northeastern University provost Michael Baer's announcement of an extreme 75% cut to the AAMARP program budget, as well as Chandler's dismissal as AAMARP director. Each page is a photocopied collage of various AAMARP documents, Chandler's personal annotations, and/or news clippings that function as evidence of contradicting establishment statements. In addition to Northeastern-specific content, he includes coverage of police brutality and protests to highlight historic and widespread institutional oppression. By juxtaposing such excerpts against AAMARP ephemera exemplifying perseverance through collective labor and activism, Chandler critiques both local and systemic institutional narratives, oppression, and neglect, and calls on viewers to do the same. Taking the work a step beyond conceptual critique, he amplified his message and raised awareness by personally distributing copies throughout the community.

This page of Urban Newsletter Art Piece prevents potential misunderstanding and dismissal of Chandler's message by reiterating that his critique is specifically directed at Northeastern University officials, not at the school as a whole nor at its faculty or students. The largest or otherwise emphasized headings collectively summarize the document's multifunctional purpose: an institutional critique, a call for awareness and justice, a testimony of AAMARP's contribution to the community, and a promotional material for a local event.