A Special Presentation by
Emilee Mathews
Art and Architecture Librarian

Aspen Magazine is a renowned publication that brought together leading artists across the United States and the United Kingdom, running from 1965 to 1971. The subject of recent museum exhibitions from Walker Art Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Whitechapel Art Gallery in London, Aspen Magazine is one of the most iconic examples of the 1960’s artist magazine movement. Each issue was directed by artists and designers who determined all aspects of the issue’s intellectual and visual content. Editors included Andy Warhol (who edited the Pop Art issue in 1966) and Angus MacLise of the Velvet Underground (who edited the Psychedelic issue in 1970). Articles—often in pamphlet form, many times including Super 8 films, reel-to-reel tapes, and records—featured such luminaries as Marshall McLuhan, Lamonte Young, Roland Barthes, and Lou Reed. Topics across art, design, architecture, music, literature, media, and film were featured regularly.

Art and Architecture Librarian Emilee Mathews will go behind the scenes to delve into the magazine’s formation and context, and will show the Ricker Library of Architecture and Art’s recently donated copy to feature highlights from the magazine’s short but spectacular run.

 Emilee Mathews is the Head of Ricker Library of Architecture and Art at the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign. Prior to arriving at Illinois, Emilee was interim head of the Fine Arts Library at Indiana University and Research Librarian for Art & Visual Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Emilee has held several key service positions in the Art Libraries Society of North America, the leading professional organization for art librarianship. She served as chair of the Strategic Directions Committee from 2019-2021, and is currently the archival liaison for the 50th anniversary and conference in 2022.