NAAO+ An Oral History of the National Association of Artists’ Organizations

Charlotte Murphy

The National Association of Artists' Organizations (NAAO) was founded in 1982 and lasted nearly 20 years. NAAO was a point of connection for a vibrant group of people driven to present new art in places big and small across the United States. Here you will find unvarnished accounts of the explosion of new art in the closing decades of the last century. Artists’ organizations, also known as alternative art spaces, revolutionized the experience and presentation of contemporary art in the US. The stories you’ll hear reveal what happens when artists and their supporters work together to present art that challenges the status quo. And how NAAO and its members fought against the far right’s efforts to shutter the National Endowment for the Arts during the Bush no.1 and Clinton administrations. Those days echo loudly today. We feel unsafe about our future as people who care about each other, who understand that creativity is a must in a free society, and who understand history is made by people and the choices we make. An appallingly primary connection between then and now are how the far right successfully targets groups to create fear and hate. How it exploits individual preferences, circumstances, and discomforts to dampen and silence what should be unmitigated and loud outrage over their war against people of color, immigrants, artists, students, women, and free expression. No answers are guaranteed here, but the gifts of sharing history firsthand— the oldest method known to humanity of learning from our past while we build our future, are abundantly available here. As Edmund White put it, “your deepest sense of duty and obligation is to history and to the people you knew and loved.” Amen to that. People whose lives intersected with NAAO are Fred Wilson, Penny Boyer, Inverna Lockpez, John Fleck, Karen Finley, Tim Miller, Sherman Fleming, Holly Hughes, Pat Oleszko, Jock Reynolds, C. Carr, Victoria Reis, Robert Atkins, Isaac Butler, Jeff Hoone, Hudson, Loris Bradley, Martha Wilson,Holly Block, Roberto Bedoya, Helen Brunner, Mel Chin, Ed Cardoni, Susan Wyatt,  Alice Lovelace, Amalia Mesa Baines, Mary Dorman, Tomas Ybarra Fausta, Joy Silverman, Michael Peranteau, Guillermo Gomez Pena, Anne Focke, Ted Berger, Renny Pritikin, Charlotte Cohen, David Avalos, Claire Copley. and many more. All of them have stories to tell, and for those who have passed, we will have episodes of remembrance. This podcast has as its patron saints the glorious Alan Lomax, Zora Neale Hurston, and StudsTerkel.

Episodes

  1. Jun 22

    NAAO+ Al Nodal Episode 1

    NAAO+ is a podcast dedicated to the oral history of the National Association of Artists’ Organizations (NAAO). Artists’ organizations, also known as alternative art spaces, revolutionized the experience and presentation of contemporary art in the US. NAAO was founded in 1982 to serve them and lasted about 20 years. “We were young and there was a lot we wanted to get done. Nobody told us no.” - Al Nodal Al Nodal joins us on our first full length episode for NAAO+. Al was a part of a group of stalwart field leaders intent on creating a national advocacy organization to promote and protect the field of artists’ organizations. He provides a lively look at the years that brought NAAO into being. In 1978, not yet 30 years old he moved from California having worked at two artists’ organizations, 63 Bluxome and San Francisco Camerawork, to take the job of director of exhibitions at the Washington Project for the Arts (WPA). In 1982, still at WPA, and now its executive director, he hosted the third national convening of artists’ organizations at which NAAO was voted into being. With unbound energy, he and his staff exhibited local and national artists presenting nearly 200 shows a year. It was never easy, but sounds like a lot of fun. Al pinpoints the combination of energy, National Endowment for the Arts support, a supportive press in DC, at least, and a deep commitment to artists that ignited the field. He has a different take on the field’s origins focusing on the increase in artists graduating from art school and their commitment to increasing opportunities for artists. over New Left politics. There is a lot here. The history is rich with many people who went on to have a deep and significant impact on art across the United States. A few are Allan Kaprow, Holly Block, Ana Mendieta, Nancy Rubin, Walter Hopps, Alanna Heiss, and Antoni Muntadas. He underscores vision and love of art as the engine that brought this diverse field together under the banner of supporting artists. Al is a native of Cuba. He co-founded Havana Light Neon + Signs, a historic preservation organization in Cuba to relight Havana's vintage neon signs. In Los Angeles he has restored over a hundred historic signs. He was General Manager of the City of L.A.'s Department of Cultural Affairs for 12 years and President of the L.A. Cultural Affairs Commission for three years. He has also served as Trustee of Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System and the President of the Sister Cities of Los Angeles Association. Al published Memoria: Cuban Art of the Twentieth Century, a definitive reference book of Cuban art of the period. He was the co-founder of the Presencia Cuban Festival in Echo Park, L.A. Links: Artists’s Organizations: 63 Bluxome,WPA, and Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans, Some People: Holly Block, Alanna Heiss,‍ ‍Walter Hopps, Allan Kaprow, Ana Mendieta, Antoni Muntadas, and Nancy Rubin

    NAAO+ Al Nodal Episode 1

  2. 07/25/2025

    NAAO+ Trailer 3 History Part 2

    NAAO+ is a podcast dedicated to the oral history of the National Association of Artists’ Organizations (NAAO). Artists’ organizations, also known as alternative art spaces, revolutionized the experience and presentation of contemporary art in the US. NAAO was founded in 1982 to serve them and lasted about 20 years. In this trailer we will take a short ride through some of NAAO’s advocacy efforts on behalf of artists and artists’ organizations. It can’t be emphasized enough how fast moving the far right attacks on art and artists were during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s coupled with the fumbling by the National Endowment for the Arts and its Chair, John Frohnmeyer. NAAO had to work quickly to get the word out, provide updated advocacy information and materials, and respond when demanded. This was the era of snail mail, telephone lines, pc’s and fax machines. Two reasons we and the field could move so quickly were our already established ties to advocacy on the left, both on a local and national level. The other was we knew our enemy —-Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC). We were well versed in his tactics against communities we counted ourselves as members and supporters of. Here I cover board and staff advocacy activities, give an in-depth look at Nobody Remembers Everything by Vince Leo, a favorite publication of mine, and touch on the beginnings of the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression (NCFE), an organization that gave artists a strong uncompromising voice in DC and was co-founded by Joy Silverman. People mentioned in this podcast are Inverna Lockpez, Joy Silverman, Penny Boyer, Vince Leo, Lane Relyea,, Leonard Bernstein, Bella Lewitsky, David Wojnarowicz, and Cynthia Mayeda.

    NAAO+ Trailer 3 History Part 2

  3. 07/18/2025

    NAAO+ Trailer 2 History Part 1

    From its start NAAO was a hybrid organization. It was both a service and advocate for the field. The idea that you could be both for and against the government made NAAO a different fish altogether not only in its cooperative beginnings with the NEA but also because of the the idea you could simply be for the cause of art and artists, not in service to a cause considered to be of higher critical purpose, or importance. Some on the left have a problem with art being for itself but this is crazy way of looking at art. Art is a human creation that whether for itself or in service defines us as human — nothing greater or less — simply human. People mentioned in this trailer include Martha Wilson, Brian O'Doherty, Jim Melchert, Benny Andrews, Al Nodal, Renny Pritikin, Linda Goode Bryant, MK Wegmann, Claire Copley, Hudson, Inverna Lockpez, Helen Brunner, and Roberto Bedoya.

    NAAO+ Trailer 2 History Part 1

  4. Episode 1

    NAAO+ Trailer with Penny Boyer

    Penny joins us to talk about her early days as an artist and arts administrator in New York City before working for NAAO. Penny Boyer, PhD, is a San Antonio, Texas-based queer/disabled/neurodivergent writer/activist/social-practice-artist/community-arts-advocate/queerator/arts administrator with over forty years’ experience at local/regional/national/international levels. naaohistory.com

    NAAO+ Trailer with Penny Boyer

Trailer

About

The National Association of Artists' Organizations (NAAO) was founded in 1982 and lasted nearly 20 years. NAAO was a point of connection for a vibrant group of people driven to present new art in places big and small across the United States. Here you will find unvarnished accounts of the explosion of new art in the closing decades of the last century. Artists’ organizations, also known as alternative art spaces, revolutionized the experience and presentation of contemporary art in the US. The stories you’ll hear reveal what happens when artists and their supporters work together to present art that challenges the status quo. And how NAAO and its members fought against the far right’s efforts to shutter the National Endowment for the Arts during the Bush no.1 and Clinton administrations. Those days echo loudly today. We feel unsafe about our future as people who care about each other, who understand that creativity is a must in a free society, and who understand history is made by people and the choices we make. An appallingly primary connection between then and now are how the far right successfully targets groups to create fear and hate. How it exploits individual preferences, circumstances, and discomforts to dampen and silence what should be unmitigated and loud outrage over their war against people of color, immigrants, artists, students, women, and free expression. No answers are guaranteed here, but the gifts of sharing history firsthand— the oldest method known to humanity of learning from our past while we build our future, are abundantly available here. As Edmund White put it, “your deepest sense of duty and obligation is to history and to the people you knew and loved.” Amen to that. People whose lives intersected with NAAO are Fred Wilson, Penny Boyer, Inverna Lockpez, John Fleck, Karen Finley, Tim Miller, Sherman Fleming, Holly Hughes, Pat Oleszko, Jock Reynolds, C. Carr, Victoria Reis, Robert Atkins, Isaac Butler, Jeff Hoone, Hudson, Loris Bradley, Martha Wilson,Holly Block, Roberto Bedoya, Helen Brunner, Mel Chin, Ed Cardoni, Susan Wyatt,  Alice Lovelace, Amalia Mesa Baines, Mary Dorman, Tomas Ybarra Fausta, Joy Silverman, Michael Peranteau, Guillermo Gomez Pena, Anne Focke, Ted Berger, Renny Pritikin, Charlotte Cohen, David Avalos, Claire Copley. and many more. All of them have stories to tell, and for those who have passed, we will have episodes of remembrance. This podcast has as its patron saints the glorious Alan Lomax, Zora Neale Hurston, and StudsTerkel.

Information