Bio
Matthew Lawrence is an archivist, writer, artist, and public programmer based in Providence, Rhode Island. He has worked with public libraries, town archives, and private families to appraise and process collections. He has also written and given talks about the archival literacy gap confronting artists working in archives.
Matthew Lawrence completed a Master of Information Studies degree from McGill University in 2022. He previously received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Rhode Island College (2004).
With partner Jason Tranchida, Lawrence produced and directed Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza, an experimental hour-long musical documentary about the 1919 Newport Sex Scandal. Together they also produce Headmaster, a queer art journal featuring original projects by contemporary artists and writers. Headmaster No. 10 was released in May 2024.
Honors
2021: Rabkin Foundation Prize for Visual Arts Journalism (finalist)
2020: Community Development Grant, Brown Arts Institute
2012-2018: Board Member, Providence Community Library
2015-2018: Vice President, Board of Trustees
2014-2017: Chair, Development Committee
2015: Public Humanities Scholar Award, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Selected Coursework
Digital Preservation of Sensitive Materials
Case studies demonstrating the historic need for LGBTQ+ collections in traditional and community archives [Preservation Management]
Public shaming, COVID-19, and AIDS metaphors
Analysis of the fleetingly popular Instagram account @gaysovercovid [Emerging Media]
Alcohol abuse on contemporary country radio
Text mining project using R to analyze incidents of alcohol use in popular song lyrics [Data Science]
How not to spread misinformation
Lighthearted instructional video aimed at older public library patrons [Information Literacy]
