Founded in 1969 to launch performance art as a genre, SIM remains at the cutting edge of artistic experimentation today.
The SIM program, the first of its kind in the country, was founded in 1969 influenced by the history of the educational experiments of A.S. Neill’s progressive Summerhill School (1921-present), the Black Mountain College (1933–1957), the Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) project (1967), as well as developments in the art world in the early 60’s that advocated the dematerialization of the art object and launched performance art as a genre. Many of these foundational principles still infuse the current manifestation of the program today.
Harris Barron meeting with SIM students in the Longwood Theater.
SIM BIG 50
Celebrating 50 Years of the Studio for Interrelated Media at Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Within these pages you will find SIM alumni Christian Marclay, Venice Biennale Golden Lion Award winner; and Katya, world renowned drag queen; as well as many stories, posters, and photos from the early days of performance art in Boston.
From the Boston School to the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science Boston, you’ll see evidence of the playful, inventive, skilled, and often irreverent energy of the SIM department.
