Fonds consists of the personal and professional records of Murray Favro, documenting his life and activities as a multimedia artist and musician, as well as his personal interests and pursuits. It includes such textual records as notebooks, correspondence, contracts, grant applications, newspaper clippings, meeting notes, invitations, and records from Favro’s involvement with the 2020 Gallery and Forest City Gallery. Also included are records relating to exhibitions of Favro’s work, including two major retrospectives in 1983 and 1998. Throughout the fonds there are extensive notes and writings by Favro including installation instructions, project notes and ideas, drafts of documents and correspondence, and journal writings recording the artist’s thoughts on a wide range of topics. There are also textual records that were likely used for research and reference in Favro’s work, such as articles, photocopied pages from textbooks, catalogues, and other printed materials, often relating to technology and technical equipment such as projectors, computers, film and photography. Visual materials in the fonds include a watercolour painting, posters, photographs, drawings, and rough sketches and diagrams. Personal records include materials such as membership cards, schedules, and records from Favro’s interests and activities, such as flying lessons and motorcycles. Materials capturing his activities as a musician with the Nihilist Spasm Band include promotional posters and flyers, itineraries, set lists, expense lists for tours and performances, and other textual records. The fonds also includes one optical disc with samples from Favro’s digital projects.
The fonds has been arranged into a single series comprised of 64 files. The materials within each file may span a range of years and reflect a variety of activities. Details about the contents of each file can be found in the scope and content notes.
