ART | library deco presents

In collaboration with ICAN University – School of Archives and Narratives and the Texas African American Community Archives Project, ART | library deco presents a focused curriculum advancing African American archival knowledge, narrative sovereignty, and community-centered memory work.

This instructional partnership situates Black archives as active, living systems of cultural production rather than passive repositories. Through theory-driven and practice-informed coursework, participants engage African American archival traditions rooted in self-determination, intergenerational care, and cultural accountability—traditions that have long existed beyond dominant institutional frameworks.

CURRENT & NEW COURSES

African American Community Archives Theory (AACAT-1870)
AACAT-1870 examines African American community archives as intentional, intellectual, and self-authored spaces of knowledge creation. The course centers Black archival theory, community governance, and memory justice, challenging extractive archival models while affirming Black communities as authoritative stewards of their own histories. *Spring Enrollment Now Open*

Black Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (BGLAM)
This three-month online cohort-course explores Black-led cultural institutions as interconnected ecosystems. Students will examine curatorial practice, institutional design, and ethical stewardship while recognizing these spaces as living archives that shape narrative power and imagine liberated futures. Enrollment opens May 2026.*Fall 2027-Course Enrollment Begins May 2027

Course Delivery & Learning Structure

All courses are hosted on the Canvas (Canvas) learning platform, providing participants with centralized access to readings, lectures, discussion forums, assignments, and archival resources. The platform supports flexible engagement while maintaining academic rigor and community connection.

Courses are designed as independent, self-paced learning experiences, allowing students to move through core materials on their own schedule, or they can choose to enroll in the full cohort experience. This structure honors the realities of working professionals, artists, and community archivists while ensuring depth of study and sustained reflection.

In addition to asynchronous coursework, students participate in live Saturday sessions focused on discussion, collaborative analysis, and applied learning. These sessions create space for collective inquiry, shared problem-solving, and direct engagement with course themes in real time.

Guest Speakers & Community Practitioners
Select sessions feature guest speakers, including Black archivists, curators, artists, librarians, scholars, and community memory workers. Guest contributions connect theory to lived practice and expose students to a range of approaches within African American cultural stewardship.

Capstone Project
Each course culminates in a capstone project that allows students to synthesize theory and practice through a self-directed archival or narrative initiative. Capstone projects may include community archive proposals, digital collections, curatorial concepts, interpretive essays, or institutional critiques rooted in ethical, community-centered frameworks. Projects are designed to be both academically rigorous and practically relevant, supporting students’ ongoing work in cultural, educational, and community spaces.