The papers of sculptor Richard McDermott Miller measure 3.4 linear feet and date from 1962 to 2001. The papers document his work as an artist and teacher in New York City through biographical material, financial and business records, writings, subject files, and correspondence. His personal records about the National Academy of Design, of which he was an active member and president, are included.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor Richard McDermott Miller measure 3.4 linear feet and date from 1962 to 2001. The papers document his work as an artist and teacher in New York City through biographical material, financial and business records, writings, subject files, and correspondence. His personal records about the National Academy of Design, of which he was an active member and president, are included.
Biographical material consists of a resume and exhibition history, as well as notes and correspondence not involving Miller's vocation. Financial and Business records contain account books of income and expenses, records of his bronzes and a register of his work. Writings include speeches Miller prepared as he practiced for his teaching career. Also found are miscellaneous texts and drafts of unknown purpose, and musings on art. Artwork consists of one ink drawing.
Subject files reflect Miller's activities in New York City. Of particular interest is his pursuit of gallery representation, which led him to friendship and affiliation with Louis Pollack and the Peridot Gallery. There are also files relating to the Sculptors' Guild and the National Sculpture Society. Correspondence is mainly with other artists, patrons and collectors.
A significant portion of Richard McDermott Miller's papers relates to the National Academy of Design. Included are financial and legal records, correspondence, and minutes stemming from his involvement with the Academy. This series is especially rich for the period of his presidency, 1989-1992.
The small number of photographs found in this collection are mainly promotional in nature, and some are annotated.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 9 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1969-1997 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 2: Financial and Business Records, 1962-circa 2000 (Box 1: 0.4 linear ft.)
Series 3: Writings, 1968-1969 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 4: Artwork, 1985 (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 5: Subject Files, 1962-2001 (Boxes 1-2; 1.2 linear ft.)
Series 6: Correspondence, 1963-2001 (Boxes 2-3; 0.8 linear ft.)
Series 7: National Academy of Design Files, 1972-2001 (Boxes 3-4; 1.0 linear ft.)
Series 8: Photographs, circa 1981 (Box 4; 1 folder)
Biographical Note:
Richard McDermott Miller (1922-2004) was a sculptor and educator in New York, NY. Miller was born Richard Alan Miller in 1922. After studying at the Cleveland Institute of Art in the 1940s, Miller returned to his home town of New Philadelphia, Ohio, to work in the family plaque business.
At the age of 40, he and his wife, Gloria Bley Miller, moved to New York City. This transition is the focus of Miller's posthumously published autobiography, Heading for New York: A Sculptor's Journey. Upon arriving in New York, Miller began using McDermott (his mother's maiden name) as his middle name.
Countering prevailing tastes, Miller abandoned the popular abstract style to explore the human form. In addition to executing portraits and medals, his primary focus was the nude female figure. He worked with live models, creating sculpture in clay or wax, often casting in bronze. Because of his dedication to naturalistic work, Miller became known as the "Figure Sculptor of SoHo." Miller completed several large-scale commissions for public spaces across the country. He taught sculpture at Queens College, and, with his wife, wrote the textbook Figure Sculpture in Wax and Plaster.
In New York, Miller was a prominent presence among the city's sculpture organizations, writing many letters to newspapers demanding proper recognition for sculptors. He was active in the Sculptors' Guild, and active member and president (1989-1992) of the National Academy of Design, and president (1997-2000) of the National Sculpture Society. Upon his death in 2004, he bequeathed his SoHo building to the National Sculpture Society.
Related Material:
The holdings of the Archives of American Art include additional photographs of Miller among the Louise Finklestein papers, circa 1944-2000, and sound tapes and partial transcripts of the Alliance of Figurative Artists lectures and panel discussions, 1969-1970, in which Miller participated.
Provenance:
The papers were donated by Richard McDermott Miller to the Archives of American Art in 2001.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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.
Olympic Games (24th : 1988 : Seoul, Korea) Search this
United States. Department of the Treasury Search this
Extent:
1.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Blueprints
Sketchbooks
Awards
Place:
Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y.)
BuschGardens (Williamsburg, Va.)
Date:
1914-1995
Summary:
The Domenico Facci papers are dated 1914 to 1995, with the bulk falling between the years 1950 and 1984. They measure 1.2 linear feet and consist of biographical material, correspondence, artwork relating to sculpture projects, printed material, and photographs. Among the well-documented aspects of Facci's professional career are: his leadership roles in several arts organizations based in New York City, including Audubon Artists, National Sculpture Society, and Artists Equity Association; his work on the United States Treasury's 1988 Olympic Games commemorative coin competition, Brooklyn Bridge 100th Anniversary reliefs, Endangered Species Medal, and Neptune Fountain at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA.
Scope and Content Note:
The Domenico Facci papers are dated 1914 to 1995, with the bulk falling between the years 1950 and 1984. They measure 1.2 linear feet and consist of biographical material, correspondence, artwork relating to sculpture projects, printed material, and photographs. Among the well-documented aspects of Facci's professional career are: his leadership rolses in several arts organizations based in New York City, including Audubon Artists, National Sculpture Society, and Artists Equity Association; his work on the United States Treasury's 1988 Olympic Games commemorative coin competition, Brooklyn Bridge 100th Anniversary reliefs, Endangered Species Medal, and Neptune Fountain at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA.
Biographical material consists of artist's statements; marriage, academic, and military service records; awards; and membership cards and certificates. Correspondence consists mainly of incoming letters related to Facci's activities with arts organizations, among them Audubon Artists, American Society of Contemporary Artists, the Village Art Center, Artists Equity Association, the National Sculpture Society, and Nippon Museum.
Artwork includes two sketchbooks - one for the 1988 Olympic Games commemorative coin competition, and another concerning the Endangered Species Medal. Also found are anatomical study drawings, blueprint plans for the Neptune Fountain project, and miscellaneous sketches.
Printed materials are newspaper clippings, newsletters, exhibition catalogs, programs, press releases, announcements, and brochures. The bulk of this series is comprised of exhibition catalogs from the Audubon Artists, Painters and Sculptors Society of New Jersey, National Arts Club, and National Sculpture Society.
Photographs are of Facci and his work, including completed pieces, the artist at work in his studio and presenting sculpture demonstrations.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1914-1998 (Box 1; 0.1 linear ft.)
Series 2. Correspondence, 1954-1988 (Box 1; 0.3 linear ft.)
Series 3. Artwork, circa 1930-1985 (Box 1; OV 2-3; 0.3 linear ft.)
Series 4. Printed Material, 1933-1988 (Box 1; 0.3 linear ft.)
Series 5. Scrapbook, circa 1940-1985 (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 6. Photographs, circa 1940-1985 (Box 1; 0.2 linear ft.)
Biographical Note:
Domenico Facci (1914-1994) worked in New York City and was known primarily for commissioned portraits and public sculpture, and for holding leadership positions in several arts organizations based in New York City.
Domenico (Aurelio) Facci was born to Antonio and Grace Facci in Hooversville, Pennsylvana. on February 2, 1916, where his father, Antonio, was a coal miner. His mother was Grace Facci. When he was 10, the family relocated to Brooklyn, New York.
Facci won a scholarship to Roerich Academy (Master Institute of United Arts) where he studied under Pietro Montana and Louis Slobodkin and graduated in 1936. In 1937 he opened his first studio on Fifth Avenue at 15th Street and was immediately commissioned to do several large pieces for the 1939 World's Fair.
Many public and private commissions were executed by Facci in the New York City area, among them: carvings on the tower façade of St. Thomas's church, St. Rita sculpture in Long Island City, lobby for American Express building, 100 feet of plaques on the Brooklyn Bridge walkway, and bronze sculptures for PS 147 in the Bronx. Facci was also awarded portrait commissions of eminent public figures including: Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Bob Hope, Lowell Thomas, James Kilpatrick, and Lynn Redgrave, some of which were executed on live television and at other events. Some important commissions in other locations were: a cartouche for bronze doors for St Peter's Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA; exterior bronze for the Court of Appeals Building, Annapolis, MD; St. Paul sculpture, Fredericksburg, MD; Eagle War Monument, Rome, NY; and St. John Divine in Sewanee, TN.
Facci was the recipient of numerous important awards, including the Proctor Award from the National Academy of Design, the Richards Award from the Allied Artists, and the Liskin Award from the Knickerbocker Artists. He was also elected a fellow of the National Sculpture Society. Solo exhibitions of Facci's work were presented at the Silvermine Guild of Artists and the Village Art Center. He participated in group shows at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the National Academy of Design, Jersey City. Facci exhibited annually at numerous New York artists organization, including the Village Art Center, Knickerbocker Artists, and at the Silvermine Guild.
Facci's work is included in the permanent collections of the Florida Southern College, in Lakeland, FL, the Norfolk Museum, VA, and the Polk Museum, FL.
As an active member of numerous professional artists organizations, Facci served as the president of the Village Art Center for a decade, president of the Audubon Artists for 11 years, and president of the American Society of Contemporary Artists. In addition, he was an officer in other organizations, including: Knickerbocker Artists, Allied Artists, New Jersey Painters and Sculptors, National Sculpture Society, Silvermine Guild of Artists, New York Artists' Equity Association, Sculptors League, Salmagundi Club, National Academy of Design, and the American Society of Contemporary Artists.
In addition to his work as a sculptor, Facci was also a teacher. Between 1939 and 1972, he served on the faculty of City College of New York, the Academy of Art at Florida Southern College, Ridgewood Village Art School in New Jersey, and the Craft Student League in New York.
Domenico Facci was married to Penelope (Felicia/Penny) Facci and they had a son, Robert. Domenico Facci died on November 6, 1994.
Provenance:
Gift of Debby Friedman, 2010.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
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 National Sculpture Society celebrates the figure : in association with Port of History Museum and Drexel University Museum : Port of History Museum, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA, September 17 to November 15, 1987 / curator and editor, Jean Henry
Catalogue of the exhibition of the National Sculpture Society under the auspices of the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore : Fifth Regiment Armory, April 4th to April 25th inclusive, nineteen eight
Exhibition of sculpture under the auspices of the National Sculpture Society, open to the public April 3 to May 2, 1940 ... at the Whitney Museum of American Art ... New York city
Outdoor sculpture exhibition / sponsored by the National Academy of Design and the National Sculpture Society, May 25th, 1950 ; observing the 125th anniversary of the founding of the National Academy of Design