The papers of painter, teacher and curator, Barbara Aubin, measure 5.1 linear feet and date from circa 1867-2014, with the bulk of the material dating from 1940-2014. The collection comprises biographical materials, correspondence, writings, exhibition files, professional files, printed materials,scrapbooks, artwork, and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter, teacher and curator, Barbara Aubin, measure 5.1 linear feet and date from circa 1867-2014, with the bulk of the material dating from 1940-2014. The collection comprises biographical materials consisting of student records from the Art Institute of Chicago, planners and address books, resumes, and unidentified material on electronic discs; correspondence with galleries regarding exhibitions, with friends including Kathy Kucera, and others; writings including drafts and notes for articles, and poems by Aubin; exhibition files containing planning documents, promotional material, and video recordings for Send a Postcard to Barbara (1980), Women's Day (2004, 2005), and a retrospective of Aubin's work at Elmhurst College (2008); professional files consisting of 4+ Decades of Art project material, membership records, Candidate for Professor binders, letters of support from colleagues, and a files for other professional activities; printed materials mainly featuring Aubin and her artwork; scrapbooks consisting of printed materials, photographs, and other material relating to Aubin's exhibitions and career; artwork consisting of collages by Aubin, prints, and vintage paintings; and photographic materials with slides, photographic prints, and negatives of Aubin, personal snapshots of friends and family, exhibitions, and works of art.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1952-2006 (0.2 linear feet; Boxes 1, 7)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1944-2010 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, 1960-2006 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1979-2012 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 5: Professional Files, 1966-2012 (0.8 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 6: Printed Materials, circa 1950-2014 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)
Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1950s-2000s (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 7)
Series 8: Artwork, circa 1867-circa 2000s (0.2 linear feet; Box 4)
Series 9: Photographic Materials, circa 1880s-2000s (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 4-7)
Biographical / Historical:
Barbara Aubin (1928-2014) was a painter, teacher, and curator in Chicago, Illinois known for her work with postcard art and collage.
In 1949, she received a B.A. in sociology from Carleton College in M.N. She went on to earn both a B.A. and M.A. in art education from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago in 1954 and 1955 respectively. After graduation, she traveled to France and Italy on the George D. Brown Foreign Travel Fellowship in 1955-1956 and to Haiti for a Fulbright Fellowship in 1958-1960.
Aubin taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1956-1958 and 1960-1967, Chicago State University in 1971-1991, and was a visiting artist at St. Louis Community College in 1980-1981. She was a member of the Chicago Artists Coalition, Chicago Society of Artists, and was a founder of the Chicago Women's Caucus for Art.
Provenance:
The Barbara Aubin papers were donated in 2016 by the Barbara Aubin estate via Amie Hyman, executor and in 2023 by the Union League Club of Chicago via Mark Tunney, General Manager, and Jane Stevens, trustee.
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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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.
