A Note from the Director

I began working with the Comer Collection in 2008 as a graduate student in the PhD program in Humanities – Aesthetic Studies. Finishing the last semester of my coursework, teaching for the first time, and carrying my now-teenage daughter, I was tasked with curating the first student-led exhibition of works from the collection. Thumbing through image after image, awestruck by the photographs before me, that I could literally touch (with gloved hands), that held so many stories waiting to be told, I was almost overwhelmed. History was right there in front of me. I saw a Marion Post-Wolcott and almost cried. A Nan Goldin gave me chills. Peter Brown’s Dimmit Meat Company, which I would study closely for my dissertation on the American road story, was even more vibrant than I’d imagined. Seeing it in person gave me the courage to reach out to Peter, who graciously agreed to an interview also for my dissertation. Suffice it to say, the Comer Collection changed the trajectory of my research, and it’s this kind of experience that I want to make possible for others.

When I assumed the directorship of the Comer Collection in 2018, I set three goals: grow the collection; expand its audience; and increase accessibility. Since then, the collection’s holdings have nearly doubled in size, and I have worked closely with UTDesign Senior Capstone students to develop a searchable database and digital archive to be launched in spring 2024. From this database, students working with the collection can not only search the digital archive but also curate exhibitions that can be experienced virtually.

Please check back with us often as we continue to grow and announce upcoming shows. In the meantime, enjoy our archive of past exhibitions, and welcome to the Comer Collection!

Looking forward,

Dr. Diane Durant
Director