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Woman's Building records, 1970-1992

Creator:
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Subject:
Chicago, Judy  Search this
De Bretteville, Sheila Levrant  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Feminist Studio Workshop  Search this
Women's Graphic Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Type:
Slides
Artists' books
Citation:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Art organizations  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6347
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)215074
AAA_collcode_womabuil
Theme:
Women
Art organizations
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_215074
Online Media:

Woman's Building records

Creator:
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Names:
Feminist Studio Workshop  Search this
Women's Graphic Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Chicago, Judy, 1939-  Search this
De Bretteville, Sheila Levrant  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Extent:
32.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Slides
Artists' books
Date:
1970-1992
Summary:
The records of the Woman's Building feminist arts organization in Los Angeles measure 32.5 linear feet and date from 1970-1992. Originally founded by artist Judy Chicago, graphic designer Sheila Levant de Bretteville, and art historian Arlene Raven in 1973, the Woman's Building served as an education center and public gallery space for women artists in southern California. The records document both the educational and exhibition activities and consist of administrative records, financial and legal records, publications, curriculum files, exhibition files, grant funding records and artist's works of arts and prints. A significant portion of the collection documents the Women's Graphic Center, a typesetting, design, and printing service operated by The Woman's Building.
Scope and Content Note:
The records of the Woman's Building measure 32.5 linear feet and date from 1970 to 1992. The organization played a key role as an alternative space for women artists energized by the feminist movement in the 1970s. The records document the ways in which feminist theory shaped the Building's founding core mission and goals. During its eighteen year history, the Building served as an education center and a public gallery space for women artists in Los Angeles and southern California; the records reflect both functions of the Building's activities.

The Administrative Files series documents the daily operations of the Building, with particular emphasis on management policies, budget planning, history, cooperative relationships with outside art organizations and galleries, special building-wide programs, and relocation planning. Included in this series are the complete minutes from most Building committees from 1974 through closing, including the Board of Directors and the Advisory Council. The General Publicity and Outreach series is particularly complete, containing publicity notices from most events, exhibits, and programs held at the Woman's Building, including brochures, announcements, programs, invitations, press releases, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles.

The Woman's Building's educational programs centered on courses offered by the Feminist Studio Workshop and the Extension Program. While the Workshop provided a two-year program for women interested in fully developing their artistic talent, the Extension Program offered a broad range of classes, specifically oriented to working women interested in art and art vocations. The records fully document both programs, focusing on the course development and descriptions, teacher contracts, class evaluations, budget planning, and scholarship programs. Although the Archives does not have the entire slide library, there are files concerning the establishment and administration of the library, as well as a few folders of slides.

The Gallery Programs series houses the records of the visual, performing, literary and video arts events held at the Woman's Building. Administrative files detail the daily operation of the gallery spaces. The files in the remaining subseries are primarily arranged by event and contain proposals, announcements, publicity, and artist biographies.

The Women's Graphic Center became a profit-making arm of the Woman's Building in 1981 but the typesetting and design equipment had been used by staff and students since 1975. The records in this series focus on the work produced at the Center, including general projects and artist designs and art prints. Many of the design and printing examples were produced for Woman's Building events and programs.

The Artist's Works of Art series includes artist books, resumes, correspondence, postcards, and samples of art in the form of sketches, drawings, and prints. There is also material related to Woman's Building projects. Especially noteworthy is the "What is Feminist Art?" project where artists gave their responses in various formats and mediums from text to pieces of artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 6 series.

Series 1: Administrative Files, circa 1970-1991 (Box 1-9, 32; 9 linear feet)

Series 2: Educational Programs, 1971-1991 (Box 10-14; 4.9 linear feet)

Series 3: Gallery Programs, 1973-1991 (Box 14-20, OV 54; 5.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Women's Graphic Center, circa 1976-1989 (Box 20-23, 32, OV 33-50; 5.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Artists' Works of Art, circa 1972-1990 (Box 24-25, OV 51-53; 1.7 linear feet)

Series 6: Grants, 1974-1992 (Box 25-30; 5.3 linear feet)
Historical Note:
In 1973, artist Judy Chicago, graphic designer Sheila Levant de Bretteville, and art historian Arlene Raven founded the Feminist Studio Workshop (FSW), one of the first independent schools for women artists. The founders established the workshop as a non-profit alternative education center committed to developing art based on women's experiences. The FSW focused not only on the development of art skills, but also on the development of women's experiences and the incorporation of those experiences into their artwork. Central to this vision was the idea that art should not be separated from other activities related to the developing women's movement. In November of 1973 the founders rented workshop space in a vacated building in downtown Los Angeles and called it The Woman's Building, taking the name from the structure created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The FSW shared space with other organizations and enterprises including several performance groups, Womanspace Gallery, Sisterhood Bookstore, the National Organization of Women, and the Women's Liberation Union.

When the building they were renting was sold in 1975, the FSW and a few other tenants moved to a three-story brick structure, originally designed to be the administrative offices of the Standard Oil Company in the 1920s. In the 1940s, it had been converted into a warehouse and consisted of three floors of open space, conducive to publically available extension classes and exhibitions offered by the Woman's Building staff and students. By 1977, the majority of the outside tenants had left the Woman's Building, primarily because they were unable to sustain business in the new location. The new building was more expensive to maintain and the FSW staff decided to hire an administrator and to create a board structure to assume the financial, legal, and administrative responsibility for the Building. The funds to operate came from FSW tuition, memberships, fund-raising events, and grant monies.

In 1981, the Feminist Studio Workshop closed, as the demand for alternative education diminished. The education programs of the Building were restructured to better accommodate the needs of working women. The Woman's Building also began to generate its own artistic programming with outside artists, including visual arts exhibits, performance art, readings, and video productions. That same year, the Woman's Building founded the Women's Graphic Center Typesetting and Design, a profit-making enterprises designed to strengthen its financial base. Income generated from the phototypesetting, design, production, and printing services was used to support the educational and art making activities of the Building.

When the graphics business closed in 1988, the Woman's Building suffered a financial crisis from which it never fully recovered. The Building closed its gallery and performance space in 1991.
Related Material:
Among the other resources relating to the Woman's Building in the Archives of American Art is an oral history with Suzanne Lacy on March 16, 1990, March 24, 1990, and September 24, 1990. While not credited as a founding member, Lacy was among the first group of staff of the Woman's Building which she discusses in her interview.

The Getty Research Institute also holds a large collection on the Woman's Building which includes a wide range of material relating to its exhibitions, activities, and projects.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art donated 5 boxes of video tape from the collection to the Long Beach Museum of Art, Video Annex in 1994. According to documentation, this was the desire of Sandra Golvin and the Board of Directors of the Woman's Building. Printed material collected but not produced by the Woman's Building regarding feminism was transfered to Smithsonian Institution Libraries.
Provenance:
The Woman's Building records were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1991 by Sandra Golvin, President of the Board of Directors. An small addition of a set of "Cross Pollination" posters was donated in 2019 by by ONE Archives at University of Southern California Libraries via Loni Shibuyama, Archives Librarian.
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Function:
Nonprofit organizations -- California
Arts organizations -- California
Genre/Form:
Slides
Artists' books
Citation:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.womabuil
See more items in:
Woman's Building records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw938796dfe-5dbf-49e9-96e7-5a8745391f13
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-womabuil
Online Media:

Raven, Arlene

Collection Creator:
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Container:
Box 24, Folder 31
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1982
Collection Citation:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Woman's Building records
Woman's Building records / Series 5: Artist's Works of Art
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw996361e3c-91fb-4af8-ada6-cd65addbacd2
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-womabuil-ref1127

Center for Feminist Art Historical Studies

Collection Creator:
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Container:
Box 11, Folder 41
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1974
Collection Citation:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Woman's Building records
Woman's Building records / Series 2: Education Programs / 2.2: Feminist Studio Workshop
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cd962439-aad4-4865-be73-26b389dc85a3
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-womabuil-ref530
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Center for Feminist Art Historical Studies digital asset number 1

Correspondence (includes student letters)

Collection Creator:
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Container:
Box 11, Folder 45
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1977-1978
Collection Citation:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Woman's Building records
Woman's Building records / Series 2: Education Programs / 2.2: Feminist Studio Workshop
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9decceb8e-c9bb-40de-9416-fbaa983848e7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-womabuil-ref534
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Correspondence (includes student letters) digital asset number 1

Raven, Arlene

Collection Creator:
Sims, Lowery Stokes  Search this
Extent:
1 Electronic discs (CD)
Container:
Box 27, Folder 7
Type:
Archival materials
Computer Disks [31027000975371]
Electronic discs (cd)
Date:
circa 2000s
Scope and Contents:
The disc contains photographs.
Collection Restrictions:
Notebooks in Series 5 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. 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.
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:
Lowery Stokes Sims papers, 1967-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Lowery Stokes Sims papers
Lowery Stokes Sims papers / Series 9: Research Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw936b04c5c-3551-4845-a6f8-856947bc7208
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-simslowe-ref536

Raven, Arlene

Collection Creator:
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Container:
Box 16, Folder 13
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1982-1987
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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:
Lucy R. Lippard papers, 1930s-2007, bulk 1960s-1990s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Lucy R. Lippard papers
Lucy R. Lippard papers / Series 2: Correspondence / 2.1: Correspondence by Name
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c1cd6e83-0d29-47c4-93da-719dda637a17
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lipplucy-ref1877

Arlene Raven Lecture on Georgia O'Keeffe at Stanford University

Creator:
Raven, Arlene, 1944-2006  Search this
Lisle, Laurie  Search this
Type:
Sound Recording
Date:
1977
Citation:
Arlene Raven and Laurie Lisle. Arlene Raven Lecture on Georgia O'Keeffe at Stanford University, 1977. Laurie Lisle research material on Georgia O'Keeffe and Louise Nevelson, 1902-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)23913
See more items in:
Laurie Lisle research material on Georgia O'Keeffe and Louise Nevelson, 1902-1990
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_23913

Harmony Hammond response to "What is Feminist Art?"

Creator:
Hammond, Harmony, 1944-  Search this
Subject:
Iskin, Ruth  Search this
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Type:
Writings
Date:
between 1976 and 1977
Citation:
Harmony Hammond. Harmony Hammond response to "What is Feminist Art?", between 1976 and 1977. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)12891
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_12891
Online Media:

Annette Hunt response to "What is Feminist Art?"

Creator:
Hunt, Annette  Search this
Subject:
Iskin, Ruth  Search this
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Type:
Writings
Date:
between 1976 and 1977
Citation:
Annette Hunt. Annette Hunt response to "What is Feminist Art?", between 1976 and 1977. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)12892
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_12892
Online Media:

Response to the question "What is feminist art?"

Creator:
Raven, Arlene, 1944-2006  Search this
Type:
Writings
Date:
between 1976 and 1977
Citation:
Arlene Raven. Response to the question "What is feminist art?", between 1976 and 1977. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Feminism and art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)12900
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_12900
Online Media:

Reality portrait of Arlene Raven

Photographer:
Waller, E. K.  Search this
Subject:
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Date:
between 1976 and 1977
Citation:
E. K. Waller. Reality portrait of Arlene Raven, between 1976 and 1977. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Feminism and art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)12922
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_12922
Online Media:

June Claire Wayne response to "What is Feminist Art?"

Creator:
Wayne, June Claire, 1918-2011  Search this
Raven, Arlene, 1944-2006  Search this
Subject:
Iskin, Ruth  Search this
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1975 June 12
Citation:
June Claire Wayne. June Claire Wayne response to "What is Feminist Art?", 1975 June 12. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Feminism and art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)12923
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_12923
Online Media:

Nancy Spero response to "What is feminist art?"

Creator:
Spero, Nancy, 1926-2009  Search this
Subject:
Iskin, Ruth  Search this
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Snyder, Joan  Search this
Los Angeles County Museum of Art  Search this
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Type:
Writings
Place:
Los Angeles, Calif.
Date:
1976 February
Citation:
Nancy Spero. Nancy Spero response to "What is feminist art?", 1976 February. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Feminism  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)22403
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_22403

Anita Steckel response to "What is Feminist Art?"

Creator:
Steckel, Anita  Search this
Subject:
Iskin, Ruth  Search this
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Snyder, Joan  Search this
Type:
Artworks
Date:
1977
Citation:
Anita Steckel. Anita Steckel response to "What is Feminist Art?", 1977. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)22404
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_22404
Online Media:

Athena Tacha response to "What is Feminist Art?"

Creator:
Tacha, Athena, 1936-  Search this
Subject:
Iskin, Ruth  Search this
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Snyder, Joan  Search this
Type:
Writings
Date:
1976 or 1977
Citation:
Athena Tacha. Athena Tacha response to "What is Feminist Art?", 1976 or 1977. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Feminism  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)22405
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_22405

Joan Snyder response to "What is Feminist Art?"

Creator:
Snyder, Joan, 1940-  Search this
Subject:
Iskin, Ruth  Search this
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Snyder, Joan  Search this
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Type:
Writings
Date:
1976 or 1977
Citation:
Joan Snyder. Joan Snyder response to "What is Feminist Art?", 1976 or 1977. Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Feminism  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)9983
See more items in:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_9983
Online Media:

Exposures : women & their art / text by Betty Ann Brown & Arlene Raven ; photographs by Kenna Love ; foreword by Alessandra Comini

Author:
Brown, Betty Ann 1949-  Search this
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Physical description:
115 p. : col. ill. ; 27 x 26 cm
Type:
Biography
Place:
United States
Date:
1989
20th century
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Call number:
N6512.B758 1989X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_390038

Nancy Grossman / by Arlene Raven

Author:
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Grossman, Nancy  Search this
Hillwood Art Museum  Search this
Subject:
Grossman, Nancy Catalogs  Search this
Physical description:
143 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 x 28 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1991
Call number:
N40.1.G8696 R2 1991
N40.1.G8696R2 1991
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_419993

Giftwraps by artists : paisley / introduction by Arlene Raven

Title:
Paisley
Author:
Raven, Arlene  Search this
Physical description:
[8] p., [16] p. of folded plates : ill., col. samples ; 35 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1988
Topic:
Gift wraps  Search this
Paisley design  Search this
Decoration and ornament--Plant forms--Themes, motives  Search this
Call number:
NK1575 .G54 1988
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_820306

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