William Olander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Olander
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| Born | July 14, 1950 Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
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| Died | March 18, 1989 (aged 38) Minneapolis
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| Other names | Bill Olander |
| Education | PhD, art history, New York University Institute of Fine Arts, 1983 |
| Occupation | Museum curator |
| Years active | 1985–1989 |
| Employer | New Museum of Contemporary Art |
| Partner(s) | Christopher Cox |
William "Bill" R. Olander (born July 14, 1950 – died March 18, 1989) was an important American art curator. He worked as a senior curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City. Before that, he was a curator and director at the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Bill Olander also helped start an arts organization called Visual AIDS, which supports artists and raises awareness about health issues.
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Early Life and Education
William R. Olander was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 14, 1950. His parents were Clarence Emil Olander and Isabelle Olander. In the 1980s, he moved to New York City.
Bill Olander studied at the New York University Institute of Fine Arts. In 1983, he earned his Ph.D. in Art History. His special research focused on French painting and the French Revolution. He was one of the first to point out the importance of a historical event called La patrie en danger from 1792.
A Career in Art Curation
In 1979, Olander became a curator of modern art at the Allen Memorial Art Museum. This museum is part of Oberlin College. From 1983 to 1984, he served as the acting director there.
During his time at the Allen Memorial Art Museum, Olander helped with several exhibitions. In 1980, he wrote for the "From Reinhardt to Christo" show. He also organized "Young Americans" in 1981 and "New Voices 4: Women & The Media, New Video" in 1984.
In 1982, Olander wrote an essay for a catalog called Face It: 10 Contemporary Artists. This was for an exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. In 1984, he curated an exhibition called Drawings: After Photography and wrote for its catalog.
Working at the New Museum
In 1985, Bill Olander joined the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City as a curator. He focused on performance art and video, especially art that explored new ideas and theories.
One of his exhibitions in 1985 was "The Art of Memory/The Loss of History." A very well-known exhibition he curated was "Homo Video: Where are We Now" in 1986. This program featured video tapes that explored different identities and experiences, especially in response to the spreading health crisis of the time. Olander believed that art could help people understand and talk about important social issues.
In 1987, he curated "FAKE," an exhibition that looked at the idea of what is real versus what is a copy in art. He also helped with "The Window on Broadway by Act Up," which included an installation by the group ACT UP.
Let the Record Show Installation
In 1987, Bill Olander invited a group called the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) to create an art installation. This installation was placed in the museum's window facing Broadway. The art collective Gran Fury created it.
The installation was a collection of information about the health crisis of the time. It showed how many people felt uncaring or ignored the issue. Olander explained that the artwork showed people alone, without other identities, to highlight their struggles. He invited ACT UP after posters with the phrase Silence=Death started appearing around Manhattan. The "Let the Record Show" installation became a very important piece at the New Museum.
Founding Visual AIDS
In 1988, Bill Olander helped create an organization called Visual AIDS. He worked with Robert Atkins, Thomas Sokolowski, and Gary Garrels. Their goal was to bring together art professionals to talk about the important social issues of the health crisis. Artist Patrick O'Connell was their first executive director.
Today, Visual AIDS gives out the "Bill Olander Award" every year. This award honors artists or art workers who are living with HIV.
Personal Life and Legacy
Bill Olander had a longtime companion named Christopher Cox. Olander passed away on March 18, 1989, due to health complications. He is buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
His name is also on the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. The message on his quilt panel says: "Let the record show that there are many in the community of art and artists who choose not to be silent in the 1980s." This shows his lasting impact on the art world and his dedication to speaking out through art.
