Four Years…

This past February marked an important milestone – Small Data Industries turned four years old! Years ago when I took the leap of entrepreneurship, I couldn’t have dreamt what the little seed of an idea would grow into, and the journey it would take me on.

Panorama of Small Data’s first lab – a modest 400 square foot space in Industry City

Let’s be honest… the past year has been full of so much suffering. During the pandemic people’s lives have been changed in unfathomable ways. Many of us have seen beloved small businesses and neighborhood institutions fold-up. With this backdrop, as I reflect on the past four years of Small Data’s existence, I find myself full of gratitude for all of the artists, museums, galleries, estates, archives, non-profits, and tech innovators that we have had the honor of working with over the years. I kid you not, I still have to pinch myself when I get off a call with a client, not believing that we get to work with them! So in celebration of the past four years, and looking forward to the next four, let’s roll the credits. In order of appearance – these are the clients that have made it all possible:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum ~ DIA Art Foundation ~ Davide Quayola ~ Glenstone ~ MoMA ~ Haus der elektronischen Künste ~ Anita Thacher ~ Albright Knox ~ Cory Arcangel ~ Museum of the Moving Image ~ 9/11 Memorial & Museum ~ AES+F ~ Current Museum ~ Storefront for Art & Architecture ~ Art Gallery of Ontario ~ The Easton Foundation ~ M+ museum ~ Rhizome ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum ~ Whitney Museum of American Art ~ The Estate of Leo Bates ~ Laurie Spiegel ~ Eyebeam ~ Josh Tonsfeldt ~ Australian Centre for the Moving Image ~ Robert Rosenkranz ~ 21c Museum Hotels ~ Clifford Ross ~ John Gerrard ~ Sondra Perry ~ Bridget Donahue ~ Jamie Zigelbaum ~ Protocol Labs ~ The Shoah Foundation ~ The Art Institute of Chicago ~ Twist Bioscience ~ Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision ~ Walker Art Center ~ Museum of Fine Arts Boston ~ Hood Museum of Art ~ Richard Prince ~ Bitforms ~ Paperspace ~ The Cleveland Museum of Art ~ Elfie Semotan

The story that this list doesn’t tell is that for every museum, collection, or non-profit you see above, there is an even longer list of artists whose work will survive for generations thanks to our client’s investment in their practice, and an enduring commitment to the long term care of their work. Working with artists is a privilege, and at the end of the day none of us would be here without them. To all of the artists that have graced our lab – physically or virtually: thank you for your trust, generosity, and for helping to push the field of conservation further.

An artwork in Small Data’s lab undergoing conservation treatment, underneath a tyvek covering, with “ART” warning sign on top

From day one, I envisioned Small Data as a place for collaboration – a place where people could come together to solve unique problems, learn from each other, and build careers. Thank you everyone that has made that vision a reality over the last four years. I can’t wait to share with you all what we have in store for the future – until then!

~ Ben