In Memoriam: Adrienne Mancia

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In Memoriam: Adrienne Mancia

I am especially saddened by the loss of another colleague, Adrienne Mancia. I worked alongside Adrienne at MoMA for nearly two decades, during which time we forged a life-long friendship that lasted until her very last days in NYC, where she lived until her recent passing in December 2022.  During my career at MoMA as a film archivist, Adrienne achieved renown as the premiere film exhibition curator worldwide. Her interest in cinema had no bounds, incorporating animation, experimental films, documentaries, and narratives. Her programming skills flourished during a period before the age of videotape, internet, and niche movie channels so that the recognition for the films that she curated at MoMA garnered an outsized importance in terms of the New York film culture and beyond.

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In Memoriam: Madeline Matz

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In Memoriam: Madeline Matz

Sadly, I also note the passing of Madeline Matz, my former colleague at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as my neighborhood friend from the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I had the privilege of knowing her both professionally and personally, starting when I worked in the Department of Film at The Museum of Modern Art. Madeline was involved in the preservation of movies in MoMA’s collection, and I was the one who catalogued them following her conservation work. Madeline left MoMA in 1978 to work in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and our friendship continued ever since. Sadly, Madeline passed away in June of this year.

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In Memoriam: Eileen Bowser

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In Memoriam: Eileen Bowser

Following up on my initial blog of November 13, 2019, I also wanted to note the passing of Eileen Bowser, my mentor and the curator of the film archive at MoMA, with whom I worked for nearly two decades (I began at MoMA when I was 21 years old). This is where I received my training as a professional archivist, working extensively on cataloguing and preserving celluloid film collections.

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GME President and Curator Jon Gartenberg Gives a Virtual Keynote Address for Seminar on Jonas Mekas Sponsored by The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, Israel

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GME President and Curator Jon Gartenberg Gives a Virtual Keynote Address for Seminar on Jonas Mekas Sponsored by The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, Israel

Accompanying the exhibition on Jonas Mekas held at the Mamuta Art and Research Center in Jerusalem (organized with the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design), as President of Gartenberg Media Enterprises, and former curator and archivist in The Museum of Modern Art Department of Film (MoMA), I was invited to give a virtual keynote address, in which I discussed the influence that Jonas Mekas has had on the evolution of my career.

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The Projection Beam to the Digital Stream, From the Museum to the Internet

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The Projection Beam to the Digital Stream, From the Museum to the Internet

Jon continues the discussion of his evolution across media platforms from celluloid to digital 1s and 0s in his presentation with former, long-time curating companion at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Barbara London, as they explore their journeys from 1970s aspects of institutionalized media collection, exhibition, and festival programming over the long road of transitions in media formats.

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Welcome to My Blog!

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Welcome to My Blog!

As I survey the New York City cultural movie scene, numerous events prompt memories from innumerable work projects and special moments throughout my career.  The launch of this “Curator’s Corner” space is meant as a more free-form way for me to write about such memories.

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