NAAO+ Al Nodal Episode 1
“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. Money was always tight. 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. 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 Al mentions: Holly Block, Alanna Heiss, Walter Hopps, Allan Kaprow, Ana Mendieta, Antoni Muntadas, and Nancy Rubin .