Star Dot Star is a collection of glyph-based art and design, largely from the 20th century. Think typewriter art, teleprinter / RTTY art, ASCII, and concrete poetry. Reflecting various technological advancements and cultural contexts, these genres share a common lineage we can trace back at least to the calligrams found in the 9th century Aratea.

We also have some mid-century embroidery patterns, newspapers from the late 1800s, and hand-drawn works that blur the line between these and other genres. There is no steadfast organizing principle to this set; items are selected based on some mix of being aesthetically interesting, available, and relatively affordable.

There are roughly 130 items in this archive including books, records, magazines, and original artworks. Email to set up a viewing.

OPEN is partnering with RISD’s Fleet Library and the Providence Public Library’s Special Collections department to present an exhibition in fall 2026. Stay Tuned!