Introduction: Carolee's Communities--A Collection

To introduce this session, we present a series of first-hand accounts, collected for the occasion, of the significance of community in the art and life of Carolee Schneemann. Examples are the “Secret Cat Society” she organized with fellow artist Tim Davis, and the publishing community of PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art. These multiple communities, as with those discussed in the papers in this session, often were as much about writing as about visual art. A special emphasis is placed on Schneemann’s expansive creative networks within the Hudson Valley, where she lived most of her adult life. We conclude with her own words on the meaning of community.