The American Artists’ Hand Archive was founded to acknowledge the careers of artists whose work has significantly enriched our lives and influenced our culture.
The Archive records the insights of its participants during the process of molding sessions that capture, in great detail, the hands of the artist. One-on-one discussions explore the artist’s relationship to their hands. Regardless of choice of medium, there exists an undeniable reality that while the hand affects the material ---the material, in turn, affects the hand. The diversity of The American Artists’ Hand Archive roster spans gender, age, race, and ethnicity.
The Archive invites close inspection of these remarkably beautiful bronzes while stimulating a wider dialogue about what it means to be an artist.
The Archive Team
Vanessa Hoheb Founder, Director
As the founder and director, Vanessa Hoheb leads the Archive team in its efforts to produce and document the hands of makers. Her 40 years of experience ushering artists' projects from idea to exhibition has resulted in the enduring relationships with that community and the highly skilled artisans that make this unique collection of bronzes possible.
Vanessa Hoheb describes her life in the arts and the evolution of the Archive.
Thomas Donahue Artistic Director
Thomas Donahue, The Archive’s Artistic Director is responsible for overseeing the visual decisions that determine how, and in what context, The American Artists' Hand Archive bronzes are to be presented.
Each opportunity to share the Archive experience brings new possibilities with curatorial and philosophical challenges to be met with thoughtful choices exploring what it means to be an artist.
Mark Lacko Photographer
The American Artists' Hand Archive photographer documents the process, from an artist's initial pose to the final exhibition bronze.
Mark Lacko works with the Archive team developing images that represent the collection and the impact it creates through exhibitions, lectures, and special events. He guides the AAHA's visual online presence as well as contributes to its inventive virtual and in-person exhibition design.