Today we’d like to introduce you to David Ellis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
How did I get started in cultural preservation? Reflecting, I always was involved in some type of cultural preservation. I remember having a memory book in high school where I would record everything that was going on in my teenage life and in pop culture at the time. From the most popular TV shows (anyone remember 106&Park) to the hottest music that was toping the charts. I would go as far as saving my movie theater and concert ticket stubs, and even wrote down the names of my friends who attended those shows with me. And don’t forget that I carried a digital camera with me everywhere that I went! I was always saving a memory. Even though I wasn’t aware of the field of archiving back then, something in me knew that preserving culture was special and extremely important.
While studying Sociology and African American Studies during undergrad at Eastern Michigan University, I was introduced to a new world of knowledge. I learned about people in general, and how they influence culture and vice versa. I became fascinated with learning about the “whos”, “hows”, and “whys”. When learning about great Black American scholars, authors, political figures, singers, etc. I knew that I wanted to preserve their stories so that people from all over the world could learn from them. That is how I began my profession.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t necessarily call this an “obstacle”, but archiving and curating takes time, time, and more time. For example, I could have 100 objects to archive and each object has its own individual characteristics that has to be documented. You have to be precise because every detail matters. Listening to podcasts or music while working definitely helps!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Cultural Preservationist. So what does that mean? I work as a historian, archivist, and curator for museums, archives, and cultural institutions. My number one objective is to preserve African American culture.
For the past ten years I have worked in the archival and curatorial departments at Motown Museum. That’s right, I get to see Diana Ross’ gowns and Michael Jackson’s outfits! I am currently focused on Motown’s $75 million museum expansion project where I am the Curator of Photography and assist with the story narratives. I’ve conducted interviews with El DeBarge and other singers to gain insight to their careers. I have met with world renowned photographers who captured soul and funk music through imagery as it was being created. Sourcing the images of prominent cultural moments and people of the past has been a joy.
When I’m not working on the Motown expansion, I am the Archivist for Black Artists Archive, an archive dedicated to preserving the works and visual art of African American creators. I am currently cataloging 12,000 vinyl records, dating from the 1950s forward! Blues, jazz, soul, hip hop, and funk, it’s all there.
From just one conversation with me, you can tell that I am very passionate about my work. I know this has been a huge component of my success so far. One of the biggest things that I am proud of is forming genuine relationships with artists (or the families of artists) and doing everything in my power to tell their stories. Most importantly, tell their stories correctly.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I have a personal goal to preserve many areas of Black art. As you can see, I have started with Black music, next I would like to work in preserving of Black theater, cinema, television, literature and so on. I want to cover all aspects of the culture. I see the possibilities in this field and I want to take it all the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidaellis_?igsh=MXB3cTNla2t3YzFjZQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-ellis-b3ba148a?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Red suit image. Credit: Bryanna Jeavonni
