“An Archive of Exchange”: C. Ondine Chavoya on Chicanx and Latinx Art History

In this episode of In the Foreground, Caro Fowler (Starr Director of the Research and Academic Program at the Clark Art Institute) speaks with C. Ondine Chavoya, Professor of Art History and Latina/o Studies at Williams College. They discuss what shaped Ondine’s interest in Chicanx art and his role in establishing the program in Latina/Latino Studies, the first of its kind at a liberal arts college in the United States. Ondine describes his work as a curator and advocates for the vital role of exhibitions and catalogues in the production of knowledge. He and Caro reflect on the immersive experience of researching from non-traditional archives, and the ways those processes shape the writing of history. Set against the backdrop of experiences of institutionalized racism within the discipline, Ondine shares some the ways in which he hopes to move the field forward.