About the Initiative

The Pacific North West Art History Initiative (PNWAHI) collects oral histories and documents about artists associated with Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon with the aim of connecting them with scholars and communities to enrich our collective knowledge about artists with connections to this region, and especially those with ties to Victoria.

The Pacific North West Art History Initiative is based in the Art History & Visual Studies Department at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia.

Founded by Carolyn Butler Palmer, University of Victoria’s Williams Legacy Chair in Modern and Contemporary Art of the Pacific Northwest, with the initial goal of activating and documenting works of art in the University of Victoria Michael Williams Collection through the collection and documentation of oral histories. The mission will expand to include oral histories and documents about artists in the Pacific Northwest region from the twentieth century to the present. The goal of this initiative is to create connections between artworks, artists, communities, and scholars.

About the Pacific North West Artists Database:

The Pacific North West Artists Database (PNWAD) is currently in pilot stage of publication. Click on the link in the bar above for an inventory of artists and excerpts from completed interviews related to the Williams Oral History Project. This site is updated periodically.

If you have questions about this project, please contact me at [email protected].

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