Morphologies | Mickey Smith

Over the past two decades, Smith has documented significant cultural shifts in academic and public libraries, primarily across the United States, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Her work highlights the library's role in knowledge stewardship, capturing the evolution from traditional card catalogs and stacks to digitization and artificial intelligence. Morphologies features Smith’s acclaimed projects—VOLUME, Denudation, and As You Will: Carnegie Libraries of the South Pacific—alongside new mixed-media installations made from deaccessioned library materials, donated to the project by local academic libraries. Through this confluence of Smith’s oeuvre, Morphologies explores the dynamic nature of library lifecycles with striking imagery, including the historic chained library at Hereford Cathedral in England and her trademark—never lit nor touched—captures of in-situ bound periodicals. Smith’s work considers not only the ways in which the book is revered, but how libraries adapt to changes, including repurposing buildings and transitioning from physical books to online resources.

Central to Morphologies is Smith’s residency at Macalester College, an ongoing dialogue with DeWitt Wallace Library and gallery staff and student employees. These relationships and related new works emphasize the dedicated labor and continuous adaptations of library professionals to meet community needs: We are inspired by Mickey Smith’s work, which highlights the collective efforts of those who have come before and after us to ensure libraries continue to thrive for the benefit of democracy and society. Her work captures the complex realities of libraries and the ongoing challenge of preserving access to learning, books, and critical information. Smith’s photography beautifully reflects the dedication and expertise of library staff, revealing the often-unseen efforts involved in building and evolving libraries with care and consideration. 'Morphologies' celebrates the essence of libraries, while acknowledging the hard work required to ensure their continued survival for the greater good. -- Angi Faiks, Macalester College Library Director

Mickey Smith: Morphologies will be on view in St. Paul, MN August 26—December 15, 2024, and then travels to the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND, and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, NE. The accompanying illustrated publication is co-edited by exhibition curator Heather Everhart, MA, and Laura Wertheim Joseph, PhD (newly appointed Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum), and includes essays by Everhart + Joseph, Shannon Mattern, PhD (Professor of Media Studies and Art History at the University of Pennsylvania), and Aisling Quigley, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Liberal Arts at Macalester College). The project is generously sponosored by Karen and Leslie Desnick and Dual Purpose/Dual Citizen Brewing Co.