The papers of Miami art critic Helen Kohen date from 1978 through 1996 and contain letters, postcards, exhibition announcements and invitations, seventy-six untranscribed interviews of artists, dealers, and collectors in the Miami area, and two event recordings.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of art historian and critic Helen L. Kohen measure one linear foot and date from 1976 through 1996. They consist primarily of letters, postcards, exhibition announcements and invitations from artists in the Miami area. Also found are eighty-two mini cassette tapes of seventy-six interviews Kohen conducted with art dealers, collectors, contemporary artists, and others in the Miami area as research and background for her newspaper column and other articles. Also included are two event recordings.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into five series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Correspondence, 1954, 1984-1993, undated (Box 1, 10 folders)
Series 2: Printed Material, 1979-1996, undated (Box 1, 3 folders)
Series 3: Photographs, 1969, 1974, 1980-1994 (Box 1, 1 folder)
Series 4: Miscellany, 1983-1992, undated (Box 1 , 1 folder)
Series 5: Taped Interviews, 1986-1996, undated (Box 1, 1 folder and 82 micro-cassettes)
Biographical Note:
Art historian and critic Helen L. Kohen has authored numerous articles on contemporary art focusing on the formation of the art culture in Miami since the early 1980s. Helen L. Kohen is art critic emeritus for the The Miami Herald newspaper in Miami, Florida.
Provenance:
Helen L. Kohen donated her papers to the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution in 1997.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
An interview with Demi conducted 2020 September 2, by Josh Franco, for the Archives of American Art's Pandemic Oral History Project at Demi's home in Miami, Florida.
Biographical / Historical:
Demi (1955-) is a painter in Miami, Florida. Demi (who uses only her first name) is a self-taught artist born in Cuba. Her husband is the painter Arturo Rodriguez.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds an interview of Demi conducted 1997 November 20, by Juan A. Martínez and the Demi and Arturo Rodríguez papers.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the audio is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the audio recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
An interview with Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons conducted 2019 June 11-2023 June 12, by Adriana Zavala for the Archives of American Art, at the first session was conducted at the Harvard Club of Boston; additional sessions were conducted over Zoom.
Biographical / Historical:
María Magdalena Campos-Pons (1959- ) is an Afro-Cuban multidisciplinary artist. Campos-Pons is a Professor of Fine Arts at Vanderbilt University.
Adriana Zavala (1964- ) is is an Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Photographers -- Tennessee -- Nashville Search this
Cuba-USA : the next generation (1991 :Chicago, Ill.) Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1978-1993
Summary:
The papers and photographs of Cuban born American photographer Ramón Guerrero measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1978 to 1998. The collection is comprised of biographical material, correspondence, artist files, printed materials, and photographs by Guerrero that include portraits of Cuban American artists and several photographs relating to the Cuba-USA: The Next Generation exhibition in Chicago.
Scope and Contents:
The papers and photographs of Cuban born American photographer Ramón Guerrero measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1978 to 1998. The collection is comprised of biographical material, correspondence, artist files, printed materials, and photographs by Guerrero that include portraits of Cuban American artists. Also included are several photographs relating to the Cuba-USA: The Next Generation exhibition in Chicago, including one group photo and individual portraits of several of the participating artists.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as five series.
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1989-1993 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1978-1993 (Box 1; 6 folders)
Series 3: Artist Files, 1982-1993 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Materials, 1992-1993 (Box 1; 3 folders)
Series 5: Photographs, circa 1982-1992 (Box 1; 3 folders)
Biographical / Historical:
Ramón Guerrero (1946-1993) was a photographer in Miami, Florida. Guerrero was born in Camaguey, Cuba and came to the United States in 1962. After a brief stint in New York where he worked as a photographer's assistant at Mayo Studios, he returned to Miami in 1976 and opened his own studio. He is known for his series of still lifes and nudes that explore themes of life, death, time, and religion, as well as portraits of notable Cuban American artists.
Guerrero was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Advertising Club of New York's Andy Award, and a Cintas Fellowship in 1990. He participated in the exhibitions Cuba-USA: The First Generation, Islands in the Stream: Seven Cuban American Artists, and Myths and Realities. Guerrero died in Miami in 1993.
Provenance:
The Ramón Guerrero papers and photographs were donated in 1997 by Maria Guerrero, widow of Ramón Guerrero.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, which she may own in the following material: self-portrait and portrait photographs.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, which she may own in the following material: self-portrait and portrait photographs.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ramón Guerrero papers and photographs, 1978-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Includes a group photograph taken during the exhibition CUBA-USA: The First Generation-In Search of Freedom in Chicago, I.L.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, which she may own in the following material: self-portrait and portrait photographs.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ramón Guerrero papers and photographs, 1978-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, which she may own in the following material: self-portrait and portrait photographs.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ramón Guerrero papers and photographs, 1978-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
A self-portrait and photographs by Guerrero of Cuban American artists include portraits of Juan Abreu, Antonio Enrique Amaral, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Mario Bencomo, Maria Brito, Lydia Cabrera, José Martínez-Cañas, Maria Martínez-Cañas, Pablo Cano, Miguel Cubiles, Emilio Falero, Enrique Guy Garcia, Florencio Gelabert, Shirley Henderson, Lou Laurin-Lam, Raquel Lazaro, Nicolas Leiva, Guido Llinas, Fernando Luis, Laura Luna, Gina Pellon, Enrique and Noella Riverón, Lydia Rubio, Enrique Labrador-Ruiz, Guillermo Serrano, Frederic Snitzer, Cesar Trasobares, Estevan Vallejo, and Lorenzo Garcia Yega II. Also included are several photos taken in January of 1991 relating to the Cuba-USA: The Next Generation exhibition in Chicago, including one group photo and individual portraits of several of the participating artists, including Juan Boza, Maria Castagliola, Raquel Mendieta, Osvaldo Mesa, Cesar Trasobares, and Marc Zuver.
Arrangement:
Portraits of Cuban American artists are arranged alphabetically by surname.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, which she may own in the following material: self-portrait and portrait photographs.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ramón Guerrero papers and photographs, 1978-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
The Nela Arias-Misson papers measure 1.0 linear foot and date from 1916-1984. Included is biographical material, personal and professional correspondence with Hans Hofmann and others, personal business records, photographs, and rare printed material documenting the development of Arias-Misson's painting as well as her engagement with prominent art figures and movements.
Biographical / Historical:
Nela Arias-Misson (1915- 2015) was a Cuban-born painter who spent significant portions of her life in New York City, Provincetown, Massachsetts, Spain, and Miami.
Provenance:
Donated in 2020 by Flor Mayoral and Marcelo Llobell, executors and estate representatives.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Cuban born sculptor María Brito conducted 1997 October 25, by Juan A. Martínez, in Brito's home/studio, Miami, Florida, for the Archives of American Art.
Brito speaks of her birthplace, Havana, Cuba, and her early art education at the Edison School; her travels to Miami as part of the Peter Pan Project in 1961; her art studies at the Miami-Dade Community College and the University of Miami. She also comments on the Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art (MOCHA) in New York, The Decade Show, her first exhibition in Miami at Gallery 24 in 1980, and other exhibitions.
Biographical / Historical:
María Brito (1947-) is a sculptor from Miami, Florida. Born in Havana, Cuba.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 2 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
This interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Funding for the digital preservation of this interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
An interview of Arturo Rodríguez conducted 1997 November 14, by Juan A. Martínez, in Rodriquez's home/studio, Miami, Fla., for the Archives of American Art.
Rodriguez speaks of his birthplace, Ranchuelo, Cuba, his early interest in drawing, his move to Madrid at 16, and his self-directed art education. He discusses the intertwined relationship of literature, poetry, and music. He comments on Spanish realists such as Antonio Lopez Quintanilla and American expressionists Willem de Kooning and others. He also recalls his exhibitions and art collectors, particularly Judith and William Ladner. He describes his paintings as a combination of expressionism, realism, surrealism, abstraction, and a pessimistic vision of the human condition.
Biographical / Historical:
Arturo Rodríguez (1956- ) is a painter from Miami, Fla. Rodriguez is a self-taught artist born in Cuba. His wife is the painter, Demi.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound cassette. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 17 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Artists -- Florida -- Miami -- Interviews Search this
Expatriate artists -- Florida -- Miami -- Interviews Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Florida -- Miami Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
This interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Funding for the digital preservation of this interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
1 Volume (1 volume, circa 300 items on 1 microfilm reel.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Volumes
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Date:
1953-1996
Summary:
The Scull family scrapbook dates from 1953-1996 and comprises approximately 300 items including photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and other printed material regarding the artwork and public appearances of Haydée, Sahara, and Michael Scull.
Scope and Content Note:
This small collection provides scattered documentation regarding the art and public appearances of Haydée, Sahara, and Michael Scull. The collection comprises a scrapbook, and a small amount of related unbound material, including photographs, news clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and other printed material.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Scrapbook, circa 1983-1996
Series 2: Unbound Materials, 1953-1996, undated
Biographical Note:
Twin sisters Haydée and Sahara Scull were born in Havana, Cuba, and studied painting and sculpture at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Alejandro in Havana. They are best known for their humorous three-dimensional paintings and sculptures of Old Havana and trendy South Beach. Haydée's son Michael, born in 1953, collaborated with his mother and aunt as a teenager. He left Cuba in 1967 to study art in Canada, and subsequently settled in Miami. In 1969 Haydée and her daughter Elizabeth (born 1957) joined Michael in Miami and in 1973 Sahara left Cuba for Miami. They established their permanent residence and studio in the art deco district of Miami Beach. Most of their work is commissioned for private collections.
Provenance:
The collection was loaned to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1997 by Haydée and Sahara Scull and returned to them after filming.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
An annotated manuscript with approximately 60 designs and drawings for the book of poetry, Memento Mori, a collaboration between Alejandro Anreus who wrote the poetry, and Arturo Rodríguez who provided illustrations.
Biographical / Historical:
Alejandro Anreus (1960- ) is a Cuban born poet, curator, art historian and educator in Roselle Park, New Jersey. Arturo Rodríguez (1956- ) is a Cuban born painter in Miami, Florida.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2019 by Alejandro Anreus.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
The papers of Cuban American painter Gustavo Acosta measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1958 to 2017. Biographical material including artist statements and interviews are included, as well as documentation from Acosta's education and art production in Cuba. Correspondence is mostly professional in nature and spans from 1987 to 2012, in both Spanish and English. The professional files series includes exhibition documentation and proposals, as well as artwork inventories and a lecture including a digital slide presentation. Printed material includes exhibition announcements and catalogs as well as press clippings. Photographs include images of the artist and artwork among other subjects. The artwork series includes various drawings and sketchbooks, in addition to art source materials including numerous photographs, many with notation and traces of drawing or paint.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Cuban American painter Gustavo Acosta measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1958 to 2017. Biographical material including artist statements and interviews are included, as well as documentation from Acosta's education and art production in Cuba. Correspondence is mostly professional in nature and spans from 1987 to 2012, in both Spanish and English. The professional files series includes exhibition documentation and proposals, as well as artwork inventories and a lecture including a digital slide presentation. Printed material includes exhibition announcements and catalogs as well as press clippings. Photographs include images of the artist and artwork among other subjects. The artwork series includes various drawings and sketchbooks, in addition to art source materials including numerous photographs, many with notation and traces of drawing or paint.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in 6 series:
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1958-2012 (0.2 Linear Feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1987-2012 (0.1 Linear Feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Professional Files, circa 1993-2017 (0.2 Linear Feet; Box 1, 0.0567 GB; ER01)
Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1980-2017 (0.2 Linear Feet; Box 1)
Series 5: Photographic Material, circa 1960-2010 (0.1 Linear Feet; Box 1)
Series 6: Artwork, circa 1982-2017 (0.2 Linear Feet; Box 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Gustavo Acosta (1958- ) is a Cuban American painter in Miami, Florida. Acosta was born in Havana, Cuba in 1958. He relocated to the United States in 1993, and settled in Miami in 1994. Acosta attended art school at both the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes "San Alejandro" and the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), both in Havana. A predominant feature of Acosta's paintings is the presence of the urban architectural landscape. He has had numerous exhibtiions including a touring retrospective which began at the Caixa Cultural de Rio de Janeiro and ended at the Caixa Cultural in Sao Paulo. His artwork is featured in museums and private collections including the National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba; Wifredo Lam Center, Havana, Cuba; Museum of Contemporary Art, MOCA. Miami, Florida; Lowe Art Museum, Miami, Florida; Fort Lauderdale Art Museum, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Nassau County Museum of Art, New York; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Panama.
Provenance:
The papers were donated by Gustavo Acosta to the Archives of American Art in 2018.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate copy requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Mel Casas papers, 1963-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing and digitization of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Additional funding for the digitization of the papers was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.
This one-volume scrapbook contains clippings dating from 1937 to 1975, that document the career of Cuban American painter, Cundo Bermúdez.
Scope and Content Note:
The collection consists of a one-volume scrapbook of clippings from Cuban, American, and Puerto Rican newspapers that date from 1937 to 1975. The scrapbook provides scattered documentation of the career of Cuban American painter, Cundo Bermúdez, and primarily contains exhibition reviews.
Biographical Note:
Born in Havana in 1914, Cuban modernist painter Cundo Bermúdez exhibited his work extensively in Latin America and had his first one-man show in the United States at the Pan American Union in 1948.
Provenance:
The scrapbook was loaned to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1996 by Teresa Callava, great-niece of Cundo Bermúdez, and was returned to Callava in 1997.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
The papers of Cuban born Miami painters Demi and Arturo Rodríguez measure 6.42 linear feet and 12.79 GB and date from 1957 to 2016. The collection documents Arturo Rodríguez's career, travels, and childhood as well as the artwork of Demi, Rodriquez's wife and partner, and their relationship. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, interviews, writings, project and exhibition files, personal business records, printed and digital material, artwork, and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Cuban born Miami painters Demi and Arturo Rodríguez measure 6.42 linear feet and 12.79 GB and date from 1957 to 2016. The collection documents Arturo Rodríguez's career, travels, and childhood as well as the artwork of Demi, Rodriquez's wife and partner, and their relationship. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, interviews, writings, project and exhibition files, personal business records, printed and digital material, artwork, and photographic materials.
Personal and professional correspondence is with artists, curators, galleries, museums, art historians, and collectors, including Shifra M. Goldman, Cris Hassold, Helen L. Kohen, collectors Judith and Bill Ladner, Minuca Villaverde, and others. Interviews include video and sound recordings of Demi and Arturo discussing lives and artwork, as well as one interview with Carlos Verdecia Jr. about Arturo. Writings include statements on artwork and autobiographical essays, lectures and talks, and notes. Project files concern the exhibitions The Rage of Children (1991), Walls & Murals: Mike Glier, Arturo Rodríguez & David Wojnarowitz, and Far from Cuba. Other documentation includes a project overview for the Joan Mitchell Foundation, artwork for music album covers, and plans for a retrospective of Demi and Arturo's work that was cancelled due to lack of support.
Personal business records consist of files for donations, financial investments, gallery consignments, receipts, sales lists, and collector information. Printed material includes clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, journal and magazines, posters, programs, and several children's books illustrated by Arturo using the pseudonym Hieronimus Fromm. Artwork includes drawings and comics by Arturo, collages, drawings and sketches, and 30 sketchbooks belonging to Demi and Arturo. Photographic materials depict Demi and Arturo together and with others, Demi and Arturo's home and studio, exhibitions, still lives, travel, and works of art.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1957-2013 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1978-2015 (Box 1; 0.8 linear feet, ER01; 0.023 GB)
Series 3: Interviews, 1991-2010 (Boxes 1-2; 0.5 linear feet, ER02-ER07; 6.01 GB)
Series 4: Writings, circa 1975-2015 (Box 2; 0.3 linear feet, ER08; 0.012 GB)
Series 5: Project and Exhibition Files, 1986-2015 (Box 2; 0.8 linear feet, ER09-ER11; 0.607 GB)
Series 6: Personal Business Records, 1988-2012 (Boxes 2-3; 0.4 linear feet; ER12; 0.007 GB)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1979-2016 (Boxes 3-4, 7, OV 8; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 8: Artwork, 1963-2016 (Boxes 4-5, 7, OV 8; 1.5 linear feet)
Series 9: Photographic Material, 1977-2012 (Boxes 5-7; 1.5 linear feet, ER13-ER29; 6.13 GB)
Biographical / Historical:
Demi (1955- ) and Arturo Rodríguez (1956- ) are painters in Miami, Florida.
Demi was born in Camagüey, Cuba. In 1961, her father was executed by the Cuban government. Demi's mother struggled to take care of Demi and her sisters alone and Demi was sent to live with relatives in Puerto Rico in 1962. She came to the U.S. in 1971 where she was able to join her sisters and mother. Eventually Demi settled in Miami in 1978. She attended Miami-Dade College where she studied drama with the Prometeo Theater Group. In 1980, she met Arturo at one of his exhibitions. They married in 1984. Demi worked as a bookkeeper before she knew she could draw and paint. Her first attempts at creating art were in 1984 using a wedding photograph of herself and Arturo as her subject. Her first exhibition was in 1987 at the Cuban Museum in Miami. As she developed as an artist, children became the prime subjects in Demi's paintings. She was the recipient of the Florida State Visual Artist Grant for 1992 to 1993.
Arturo Rodríguez was born in Ranchuelo, Cuba, and showed an interest in art as a small child. Arturo and his family were exiled to Spain in 1971. While in Spain, his visits to see the paintings of Goya and Velázquez at the Prado Museum helped solidify his interest in art. Rodríguez settled in Miami with his family in 1973 where he eventually attended Miami Dade College. Arturo's works are often influenced by his relationship with Demi. In 1995, he created a series of collages using images of Demi as a way to deal with her cancer diagnosis. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Cintas Foundation Fellowship, Florida Arts Council Fellowships, and a Joan Mitchell Foundation grant.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Demi conducted on November 20, 1997 and an oral history interview with Arturo Rodríguez conducted on November 14, 1997 at Demi and Arturo's home/studio in Miami, F.L. by Juan A. Martínez for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
The papers were donated by Demi and Arturo Rodríguez in increments from 1997 to 2016.
Restrictions:
One folder of samples of payments for sales is ACCESS RESTRICTED; use requires written permission. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Rights:
Photograph of Demi by Ramon Guerrero: Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from Demi. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
An interview with Cundo Bermúdez conducted 1997 December 13, by Juan A. Martínez, in Bermudez's home/studio, Miami, Florida, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Cundo Bermúdez (1914-2008) was a Cuban American painter. Born in Havana, 1914.
General:
Originally recorded 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 45 min.
Poor sound quality.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.
Topic:
Painters -- Florida -- Miami -- Interviews Search this
Artists -- Florida -- Miami -- Interviews Search this
Expatriate artists -- Florida -- Miami -- Interviews Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Florida -- Miami Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
This interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Funding for the digital preservation of this interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
