Deyane Moses and the Maryland Institute Black Archives

Reviving the voices of the past

Interview by Colette Veasey-Cullors

Over the past year, much has been written about Deyane Moses’ 2019 undergraduate photography thesis, The Maryland Institute Black Archives (MIBA) and the accompanying archives exhibition, Blackives. The project was covered by The Washington Post, ArtNews, ArtForum, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Artsy, and several local outlets in Baltimore. The public interest in her work was far more than the college student anticipated. “I wasn’t even trying for all of the attention for the project. It just took off into a world of its own. I was trying to make a difference. I just wanted you to know about the history.” This flurry of media attention took place while she was completing her thesis, maintaining her full-time course work at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), and contemplating her next steps after graduation.

This winter, Deyane and Colette Veasey-Cullors, her former professor, current mentor, and friend, met over coffee to reflect on the past, present, and future of the Maryland Institute Black Archives.

COLETTE VEASEY-CULLORS

What is MIBA?

Deyane Moses

The Maryland Institute Black Archives uncovers MICA’s Black history and tells the omitted stories and experiences of the African- American community at MICA. The collection shares the stories of the college’s first black artists, the accomplishments of those who attempted to study from 1896 to 1954 but could not because of the color of their skin, and the portraits of MICA’s existing Black community. MIBA’s physical archive consists of documentary images, ephemera, and facsimile artifacts. The archive and its accompanying programs received national recognition and prompted MICA’s President, Sammy Hoi, to issue a public statement apologizing for the college’s racist past. The archive is also very active on social media highlighting Black artists and events we think the local community and beyond should know about.

CVC

Why were you interested in this topic? How did you begin to conduct the research and where did it lead you? What sources did you use for the research?

DM

One of the main reasons I chose to come to MICA was because it is located in Baltimore. I knew Baltimore was a predominantly Black city, so I assumed MICA was as well. However, when I transferred here I hardly saw any students or teachers who looked like me. It wasn’t very welcoming and made me uneasy. I started talking to the other Black artists and found out about the Black Student Union. My Senior Thesis course was beginning at this time and I needed a topic. I asked the students if they had information about MICA’s Black history and they did not. So I went to MICA’s Decker Library and met with Kathy Cowan, the Special Collections Librarian, who pointed me to MICA’s history book. I read until I reached page 91 which talks about racial segregation at the college. To me, it was “white washed” and deserved further investigation. It left me with so many questions; like, what were the names of the first students, what happened to them, who else tried to come to MICA after they changed their policy to “reputable whites only,” and who and where are MICA’s Black alumni? So, I just began researching. I’ve accessed the Library of Congress, the Maryland Historical Society, Maryland State Archives, the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, the Enoch Pratt Library, Proquest, the Peabody Conservatory, archives out of state, and out of the country. You name the archive, and I probably have an account. It’s obsessive really.

CVC

Why do you believe this is important information? Who is this research for?

DM

For me this research is important because I’ve always admired MICA from afar. I had heard all about the amazing artists who had graduated from here, saw the wealth of resources it had to offer its students, and believed its story about being inclusive. So it was very disheartening to see the demographic of the city not reflected in the college, especially since Baltimore has been MICA’s home since its inception almost 200 years ago. I saw the Black community on the outside of campus and I wanted them to experience these resources as well. However, there was no space for them. So when I began finding out all of this information in relation to the college, I knew I had to share it with the world. This research is for Black Baltimore, current and future artists, art and design institutions, and other archives. I want MIBA to not only educate but also empower and highlight Black artists.

CVC

Where do the research and archives currently stand?

DM

I started MIBA during my undergraduate studies and I am currently continuing it while in graduate school at MICA in the Curatorial Practice program. For my thesis, I am relaunching the archive’s website and planning a collaborative independent study. I am actually looking for a graphic designer and curatorial assistant to help with the website and cataloging research. As for the independent study, I am constructing a class for undergraduate and graduate students. The class would detail the origin of art and design education, as well as the history of MICA and its relationship with Baltimore. In the end, the class would come up with or be assigned a collaborative community project critiquing the institution. For the prototype, I am proposing the idea of re-imagining the yearbook. The last MICA yearbook was printed almost sixty years ago. Today, yearbooks are considered out-of-date and somewhat elementary. I think a revival of this institutional tradition will not only empower students but also create a physical trace for future artists and archivists like myself.

CVC

In what direction do you feel the project is headed?

DM

MIBA truly has a life of its own. It has surpassed all my expectations and I am honestly just following where it leads me. I recently became a finalist in MICA’s UP/Start competition for artist entrepreneurs. I entered with the idea of MIBA having a consultation program. The program would critique and partner with art and design institutions who have access to significant resources, influence, and receive accolades for innovation—yet are not racially diverse compared to the cities they are in. So I am excited to take the work I have done, and will do, at MICA out to other art and design colleges.

CVC

How do you know when this project will be completed?

DM

MIBA will never be completed because Black people will never cease to exist in art and design. However, I am working on a MICA Black history book for 2026 (the bicentennial of the college) that will chronicle our contributions and experiences at MICA from 1826-2026.

CVC

What is your ultimate goal for MIBA?

DM

The ultimate goal is to highlight Black life at MICA—and I think I’ve done that. But if I dream big, I would like to have a physical building one day. I’ve imagined MIBA buying, archiving, loaning, and displaying student artwork with them being compensated financially every step of the way. If I keep dreaming, I see several full ride scholarships for Black artists to any art and design school. And my wildest dreams...in my wildest dreams...I would like MIBA to be the cornerstone for a Black art and design institute.

Colette Veasey-Cullors is Associate Dean of Design & Media and Professor of Undergraduate Photography at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland. Her photographic work has continually investigated themes pertaining to socio-economics, race, class, education, and identity. She has exhibited throughout the United States at museums including the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston/Glassell School of Art in Houston, and the Chattanooga African American Museum in Chattanooga.