Mikel Rouse Deposits One Terra Bite of Digital Archive Materials to The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

On October 30, 2013 Mikel Rouse deposited more than one terra bite of digital music, films and video to the Mikel Rouse Archive at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. This deposit is part of Phase Two of a Four Phase plan for deposit. The digital material includes live performance video of the talk show opera Dennis Cleveland, the full length film Funding, numerous session files from Rouse’s 30 year recording career and workstation logs.

In 2010, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts announced the acquisition of the Mikel Rouse Archive as part of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center’s permanent collection. The archive will include Rouse’s scores, manuscripts, digital media including audio, video, and film material, as well as art work, sketchbooks, diaries and correspondence.

“The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is honored to have Mikel Rouse’s archive in the collection,” said Jacqueline Z. Davis, Barbara G. and Lawrence A. Fleischman Executive Director for the Performing Arts. “The rich and important work of this wonderfully diverse artist will be available for patrons to study and learn from for years to come.” Speaking with the New York Times, Ms. Davis said, “There’s a lot, but thankfully, not only is he creative, extremely talented and very successful — he’s also organized.” The collection, she explained, is arriving in four waves: analog master tapes; scores, manuscripts and programs; digital media; and, finally, sketchbooks, diaries, contracts and correspondence.