Although alternative arts organizations have been an important part of the development of contemporary art in the United States, they are historically under-documented for a variety of reasons including but not limited to loss of funding, poor record keeping, the oftentimes ephemeral nature of alternative art, and a lack of understanding within the wider community about the role and importance of these organizations. Using Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center as a jumping-off point, this article discusses the importance of documenting and archiving histories of alternative arts organizations locally while offering strategies for doing so.
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