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💐WIP: ‘Scriptorium con safos: Yard’🌹

June 18, 2026, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado College

Florals. For Spring.

⚡️ Scriptorium con safos: Dan Flavin, ‘“Monument” for V. Tatlin’ ⚡️

National Gallery of Art
April 9, 2026

💡 I might have been born again. 💡

Gratitude to educator Chris Rusinko and curator James Meyer for laying the grounds. It happened; still can’t believe it. 🙏🏽

—

Scriptorium con safos: is an ongoing performance series and temporary sculptural installation created by artist and art historian Josh T Franco. It is also a bibliographic project; books installed in a given museum space reference artworks on view nearby. When activated by the artist, Scriptorium con safos: provides a means of studying works on view through silent study, transcription, reading aloud, and dancing.

“Con safos” is a Chicano term that signals solidarity, protection, and completion of a work of art. It typically appears abbreviated as “C/S” in paintings, murals, personal correspondence and a broad range of Chicano visual culture. In this performance, it signals the artist’s freedom from disciplinary art historical conventions.

Franco is from West Texas, where Dan Flavin’s untitled (Marfa project), 1996 plays a significant role in the visual landscape and images of the region that circulate in the art world. Franco was also an Artist-Guide at 101 Spring Street, Judd Foundation, where he spent hours studying a portion of Flavin’s icons series and the large room-spanning untitled, 1970 that are permanently installed there as part of the preserved home and studio of artist Donald Judd. In this performance, Franco contemplates his relationship to Flavin’s work and legacy while studying one of his most significant bodies of work, a series of “monuments” dedicated to avant garde Russian artist Vladimir Tatlin.

The books installed here are borrowed from the National Gallery of Art Library, which Franco utilized as a 2025 Lauder Visiting Senior Fellow.

⚡️41.⚡️

🤓Legacy Lab New Mexico registration is O-P-E-N! Link in bio. 🥳 It's freeeeeeeee!

The first 120 people to register will receive a copy of the book "Felix-Gonzalez-Torres: Final Revenge (A Workbook)" which was published on the occasion of the exhibition "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return," presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2024 to July 6, 2025.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

These books were gifted by Legacy Lab New Mexico panelist (and "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return" co-curator) Josh T. Franco, PhD, Collector at Large at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. He first joined the Archives as Latino collections specialist (2015–2017). Before joining the Smithsonian, he worked as an artist-guide at the Judd Foundation, located at 101 Spring Street, while completing his PhD in art history at Binghamton University, SUNY.

Thank you Josh!

--
Legacy Lab New Mexico supports legacy building and planning for the local arts community through practical education, accessible resources, and inspirational models.

#legacy #legacyplanning #artistslegacy #newmexico #felixgonzaleztorres

🤓Legacy Lab New Mexico registration is O-P-E-N! Link in bio. 🥳 It's freeeeeeeee!

The first 120 people to register will receive a copy of the book "Felix-Gonzalez-Torres: Final Revenge (A Workbook)" which was published on the occasion of the exhibition "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return," presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2024 to July 6, 2025.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

These books were gifted by Legacy Lab New Mexico panelist (and "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return" co-curator) Josh T. Franco, PhD, Collector at Large at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. He first joined the Archives as Latino collections specialist (2015–2017). Before joining the Smithsonian, he worked as an artist-guide at the Judd Foundation, located at 101 Spring Street, while completing his PhD in art history at Binghamton University, SUNY.

Thank you Josh!

--
Legacy Lab New Mexico supports legacy building and planning for the local arts community through practical education, accessible resources, and inspirational models.

#legacy #legacyplanning #artistslegacy #newmexico #felixgonzaleztorres

🤓Legacy Lab New Mexico registration is O-P-E-N! Link in bio. 🥳 It's freeeeeeeee!

The first 120 people to register will receive a copy of the book "Felix-Gonzalez-Torres: Final Revenge (A Workbook)" which was published on the occasion of the exhibition "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return," presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2024 to July 6, 2025.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

These books were gifted by Legacy Lab New Mexico panelist (and "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return" co-curator) Josh T. Franco, PhD, Collector at Large at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. He first joined the Archives as Latino collections specialist (2015–2017). Before joining the Smithsonian, he worked as an artist-guide at the Judd Foundation, located at 101 Spring Street, while completing his PhD in art history at Binghamton University, SUNY.

Thank you Josh!

--
Legacy Lab New Mexico supports legacy building and planning for the local arts community through practical education, accessible resources, and inspirational models.

#legacy #legacyplanning #artistslegacy #newmexico #felixgonzaleztorres

🤓Legacy Lab New Mexico registration is O-P-E-N! Link in bio. 🥳 It's freeeeeeeee!

The first 120 people to register will receive a copy of the book "Felix-Gonzalez-Torres: Final Revenge (A Workbook)" which was published on the occasion of the exhibition "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return," presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2024 to July 6, 2025.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

These books were gifted by Legacy Lab New Mexico panelist (and "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return" co-curator) Josh T. Franco, PhD, Collector at Large at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. He first joined the Archives as Latino collections specialist (2015–2017). Before joining the Smithsonian, he worked as an artist-guide at the Judd Foundation, located at 101 Spring Street, while completing his PhD in art history at Binghamton University, SUNY.

Thank you Josh!

--
Legacy Lab New Mexico supports legacy building and planning for the local arts community through practical education, accessible resources, and inspirational models.

#legacy #legacyplanning #artistslegacy #newmexico #felixgonzaleztorres

🤓Legacy Lab New Mexico registration is O-P-E-N! Link in bio. 🥳 It's freeeeeeeee!

The first 120 people to register will receive a copy of the book "Felix-Gonzalez-Torres: Final Revenge (A Workbook)" which was published on the occasion of the exhibition "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return," presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2024 to July 6, 2025.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

These books were gifted by Legacy Lab New Mexico panelist (and "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return" co-curator) Josh T. Franco, PhD, Collector at Large at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. He first joined the Archives as Latino collections specialist (2015–2017). Before joining the Smithsonian, he worked as an artist-guide at the Judd Foundation, located at 101 Spring Street, while completing his PhD in art history at Binghamton University, SUNY.

Thank you Josh!

--
Legacy Lab New Mexico supports legacy building and planning for the local arts community through practical education, accessible resources, and inspirational models.

#legacy #legacyplanning #artistslegacy #newmexico #felixgonzaleztorres

💡WIP: ‘Scriptorium con safos: Dan Flavin, “Monument” for V. Tatlin’💡

Site visit ahead of April 9, 2026, National Gallery of Art

This is happening. Stopped by the gallery today to take measures, to dance a little, to think. You really have to re-learn looking for these was one lesson/reminder of the day. See yall soon in the light. C/S ✌🏽

‘Where I Learned to Look: Art From the Yard’

March 6-July 25, 2026

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College

When my grandfather, a prolific yard artist, passed away, I photographed his yard asan act of mourning. My brothers, cousins, and I spent hours interpreting, inventing,and collaborating in his elaborate, hand-built environments. These were theunexpected training grounds for my earliest exercises in close observation, a skillcentral to my work as an art historian. My grandfather’s yard is where I learned tolook.

For the artists in this show, a yard can be a patch of grass, a strip of sidewalk, afencepost, the open woods, or even a notebook. These are sites of nourishment inmultiple senses, providing sustenance for cultural memory. In their dedication to theyard, the artists foreground marginal or transitional spaces—like the one betweenhome and the wider world—as vital for inspiring, making, and interpreting art.Moreover, yard art demonstrates a persistent impulse across diverse places, makers,media, and audiences toward world building.

This field of everyday art making encompasses a wide range of styles—intricate toutilitarian, prefabricated to handmade—and can be inspired by everything fromfamilial connections to popular culture. Not always named or considered an object of contemplation in itself, yard art counters the assumption that creative production andinterpretation are bound to the studio, the academy, the museum, or the gallery.

Welcome to the yard.

Artists: @msklaverart @edrasoto @vallejo_phil @kateflemingpaintings #JohnJamesAudubon @allisonjanaehamilton #paintedscreensociety
#WendyRedStar @jdsell #davidcdriskell #beverlybuchanan @bushgallery @brianjungen Duane Linklater @juddfoundation Jose Esquivel @desmothernista Hipolito Hernandez @finneganshann0n @yazziestudio

🐍 ‘“Horned Serpent” (“possibly…Mescalero Apache”),’ 2026 🐍

🪧 ‘Yard Signs (A Critical Bibliography),’ 2026, 1 of 9 parts 🪧

⭐️“Ever since the first cave dweller put daubs of charcoal and ochre on a cave wall, ordinary people have sought to elaborate upon their immediate surroundings in ways that help balance the relationships between themselves and the world. For most people today, it is enough to do as their kin and neighbors do, decorating their yards and houses in keeping with normal and acceptable community-held ideas. But scattered across the globe are remarkable individuals for whom the everyday–the given world–is not enough…”

Mark Sloan, “A World of One’s Own,” Roger Manley and Mark Sloan, ‘Self-Made Worlds: Visionary Folk Art Environments,’ 1997⭐️

🔥 Two works, the feral human nature of yard art.⚡️

Don’t miss out on the FIne Arts Center Spring exhibitions! Head on over and take a look at “Anna María Hernández: Cantando Bajito” and “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” by Josh T. Franco today at the FAC at 5pm. It’s been incredible having Josh in the studio and we can’t wait to see his finished exhibition!

Don’t miss out on the FIne Arts Center Spring exhibitions! Head on over and take a look at “Anna María Hernández: Cantando Bajito” and “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” by Josh T. Franco today at the FAC at 5pm. It’s been incredible having Josh in the studio and we can’t wait to see his finished exhibition!

Don’t miss out on the FIne Arts Center Spring exhibitions! Head on over and take a look at “Anna María Hernández: Cantando Bajito” and “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” by Josh T. Franco today at the FAC at 5pm. It’s been incredible having Josh in the studio and we can’t wait to see his finished exhibition!

Don’t miss out on the FIne Arts Center Spring exhibitions! Head on over and take a look at “Anna María Hernández: Cantando Bajito” and “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” by Josh T. Franco today at the FAC at 5pm. It’s been incredible having Josh in the studio and we can’t wait to see his finished exhibition!

Don’t miss out on the FIne Arts Center Spring exhibitions! Head on over and take a look at “Anna María Hernández: Cantando Bajito” and “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” by Josh T. Franco today at the FAC at 5pm. It’s been incredible having Josh in the studio and we can’t wait to see his finished exhibition!

🪧 ‘Yard Signs (A Critical Bibliography),’ 2026 🪧

🔥 My first sculpture for a museum sculpture garden invites you in. It does more: it reminds you that you’re not first, that the ancestors have your back. It reminds you to read and to write and that knowledge goes in and comes from the body. Knowledge is for scribbling and walking around and copying and crouching and tiptoeing and reading. Knowledge is colorful and through color and shape makes space. This sculpture reminds you to do whatever you want and that freedom is made by hand. Freedom is everything. And no one is free unless everyone and every thing and every entity and every thought and every cosmos is free. Yard art is freedom. go hang in whatever counts as your yard. Be free. Make places for others’ freedom. Make yard art. 🔥

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We had an incredible afternoon screen printing with visiting artist, Josh T. Franco! CC Staff & Faculty got messy and creative with paint, old shirts, totes, and more. A big thank you to Josh for coming into the studio with your amazing energy. CC Staff & Faculty went home with unique crafts to be proud of! Don’t miss the opening of Josh’s exhibit, “Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard” this Friday at the Fine Arts Center at 5pm. Arrive early for a complimentary tote!

We're installing now with @joshtfranco as part of the exhibition "Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard" opening this Friday, March 6 from 5-8pm at the @fineartscenter and in The Yard!

#yardart #contemporaryart
#joshtfranco #fineartscenter #coloradosprings

We're installing now with @joshtfranco as part of the exhibition "Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard" opening this Friday, March 6 from 5-8pm at the @fineartscenter and in The Yard!

#yardart #contemporaryart
#joshtfranco #fineartscenter #coloradosprings

We're installing now with @joshtfranco as part of the exhibition "Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard" opening this Friday, March 6 from 5-8pm at the @fineartscenter and in The Yard!

#yardart #contemporaryart
#joshtfranco #fineartscenter #coloradosprings

We're installing now with @joshtfranco as part of the exhibition "Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard" opening this Friday, March 6 from 5-8pm at the @fineartscenter and in The Yard!

#yardart #contemporaryart
#joshtfranco #fineartscenter #coloradosprings

We're installing now with @joshtfranco as part of the exhibition "Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard" opening this Friday, March 6 from 5-8pm at the @fineartscenter and in The Yard!

#yardart #contemporaryart
#joshtfranco #fineartscenter #coloradosprings

We're installing now with @joshtfranco as part of the exhibition "Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard" opening this Friday, March 6 from 5-8pm at the @fineartscenter and in The Yard!

#yardart #contemporaryart
#joshtfranco #fineartscenter #coloradosprings

🤘🏽 I love driving across this country ive lost count of the times went dirtbag mode on this one motel 6 after taco bell en route to colorado springs with art in tow 2 more motel 6s check out this outlet look at the absence of this chair leg am i gonna shower is the Innovator in Residence gonna even shower tho 🤷🏽‍♂️😘

⚡️And breakin in newest dirtbag hat by @prepney432 💕mARFa barfa f me up in this rusted room its only day 1 love yall 🤙🏽