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Michael Simon papers, circa 1965-2020

Creator:
Simon, Michael, 1947-2021  Search this
Subject:
MacKenzie, Warren  Search this
Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this
Citation:
Michael Simon papers, circa 1965-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)22129
AAA_collcode_simomich
Theme:
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_22129

Michael Simon interview, 2018

Creator:
Ferrin, Leslie, 1958-  Search this
King, Lyndel  Search this
Subject:
Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Michael Simon interview, 2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Mingei (Art)  Search this
Ceramicists -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)17586
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)395812
AAA_collcode_ferrlesl
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_395812

Michael Simon papers

Creator:
Simon, Michael, 1947-  Search this
Names:
MacKenzie, Warren, 1924-2018  Search this
Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this
Extent:
4.3 Linear feet
50.74 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Date:
circa 1965-2020
Summary:
The Michael Simon papers measure 4.3 linear feet and 50.74 gigabytes and date from circa 1965-2020. The collection documents Simon's career as a ceramicist and educator. Included is printed material related to Simon consisting of publications, articles and exhibition ephemera; personal and professional correspondence with colleagues and galleries; letters from Warren MacKenzie; digital video recordings on his friends and mentors Warren Mackenzie and Ron Meyers; teaching files; writings by Simon and others; biographical information; exhibition checklists and forms; slides and photographs of works of art by Simon and others, Simon at work in his studio, friends, family and travel; materials relating to the book Michael Simon: Evolution edited by Susan Stokes Roberts; personal and financial information; lectures, including video and audio recordings; gallery talks and sales; kiln construction and documentation; glaze and clay body notes and recipes; and sketches. A portion of this material is in electronic format.
Scope and Contents:
The Michael Simon papers measure 4.3 linear feet and 50.74 gigabytes and date from circa 1965-2020. The collection documents Simon's career as a ceramicist and educator. Included is biographic material comprised of resumes, Simon's MFA diploma from University of Georgia and and an adapted version of an interview conducted by Mark Shapiro in September 2005 for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, as well as personal and professional correspondence with some original letters from Simon to others. Also included are wedding invitations, greeting cards and photographs from friends and family. Writings include a manuscript for his book Evolution, artist statements, lecture notes and video recordings, his M.F.A thesis, and notes on Warren Mackenzie. Also found are writings by others such as magazine article drafts and an NPR interview transcript with Warren Mackenzie where Michael Simon is mentioned. An annotated transcript and digital video recording of a University of Minnesota Panel Discussion and an annotated transcript of a Warren Mackenzie lecture and cassette tape recording at the Minnesota Historical Society is also included.

Professional Files document exhibition, publishing, financial and workshop records and recordings. Some documentation of exhibitions, and workshops are in born-digital and audio recorded form. Other materials include studio files regarding the construction and operation of kilns, as well as glaze and slip recipes. Studio files also document Michael Simon's website. Photographic materials make up the bulk of the collection and consist of photographs, including inkjet prints, negatives and slides of Michael Simon, his artwork, workshops, including his 1994 workshop and trip to Chile. Also found are photographs documenting the construction of his salt fire kiln and studio in Georgia, as well as photographs and slides of family, friends, and work by other ceramicists. The papers also include sketches and printed material consisting of magazine features and news clippings on Michael Simon, his book Evolution, and other artists including Warren Mackenzie. Additionally, there are exhibition catalogs, pamphlets, and invitation for both Simon and other ceramicists and reference books and articles on other artists. A portion of this material is in electronic format.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as eight series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1982-2006 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1; 0.087 Gigabytes: ER0001)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1968-2016 (0.4 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1965-2020 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1; 4.37 Gigabytes: ER0002-ER0003)

Series 4: Professional Files, circa 1993-2014 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1, OV ; 30.5 Gigabytes: ER0004-ER0009)

Series 5: Studio Records, circa 1965-2020 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1-2)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1973-2020 (0.6 Linear feet: Box 2; 8.73 Gigabytes: ER0010-ER0012)

Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1965-2020 (1.8 Linear feet: Box 2-4; 7.06 Gigabytes: ER0013-ER0018)

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1965-2020 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 4)
Biographical / Historical:
Michael Simon (1947-2021) was a functional ceramicist and educator in Georgia. Originally from Minnesota, Simon earned his B.F.A from the University of Minnesota where he was a student of Warren MacKenzie. After receiving his B.F.A in 1970, Michael moved and set up a studio in Athens, GA, and would go on to receive his M.F.A from University of Georgia in 1980. That same year he built his own kiln and began keeping a pot from each kiln load to document his work's development. Throughout his career, his works were usually fired in salt kilns featuring motifs of nature and animals. His work has been shown in multiple exhibitions including a 2011 retrospective at The Northern Clay Center entitled Michael Simon: A Life in Pots covering 30 years of his pottery. In addition to numerous exhibitions, Simon taught several workshops at schools, galleries and studios across the country including at the Arrowmont school in Tennessee, and the Penland School and Cedar Creek Gallery in North Carolina. As well as abroad in Chile and Italy.

In 2011, Simon published his book Michael Simon: Evolution which was edited, and art directed by Susan Stokes Roberts, an award-winning designer, artist and Michael Simon's wife.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds a 2005 September 27-28 oral history interview with Michael Simon.
Provenance:
Donated in 2022 by Susan S. Roberts, Michael Simon's widow.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Archival audiovisual recordings must be digitized for research access. Researchers may access digitized audiovisual materials in the Archives' Washington, D.C. or New York, N.Y. Research Centers by 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.
Occupation:
Ceramicists -- Georgia  Search this
Educators -- Georgia  Search this
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Citation:
Michael Simon papers, circa 1965-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.simomich
See more items in:
Michael Simon papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9708c3f85-c82c-46b0-b615-33ac49b693cb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-simomich

Michael Simon interview

Creator:
Ferrin, Leslie  Search this
King, Lyndel  Search this
Interviewee:
Simon, Michael, 1947-  Search this
Names:
MacKenzie, Warren, 1924-2018  Search this
Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this
Extent:
1 Item
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2018
Scope and Contents:
A digital audio recording of an interview with ceramicist Michael Simon conducted February 23, 2018 by ceramics dealer Leslie Ferrin and Lyndel King, director and chief curator of the Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota at Simon's studio in Athens, Georgia. Also present is Simon's wife, Susan Roberts. They talk about Simon's pots and the development of his work. The interview was conducted by Ferrin as part of her effort to place Simon's works in private and public collections.
Also included is a conversation between King and potters Warren MacKenzie and Randy Johnston, and MacKenzie's daughter Tamsyn, March 19, 2018 regarding and exhibition being planned about MacKenzie and the Mingei tradition.
Biographical / Historical:
Leslie Ferrin (1958- ) is the director of Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, Massachusetts and Ferrin Contemporary Project Art in Cummington, Massachusetts, specializing in contemporary ceramics circa 1950 to the present by artists whose primary medium is clay.
Provenance:
Donated 2018 by Leslie Ferrin.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of born digital records with no duplicate copy requires advance notice.
Topic:
Mingei (Art)  Search this
Ceramicists -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.ferrlesl
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-ferrlesl

Evolution / Michel Simon ; [editor and art director Susan Stokes Roberts]

Title:
Michael Simon : evolution
Author:
Simon, Michael J 1947-  Search this
Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this
Northern Clay Center (Minneapolis, Minn.)  Search this
Subject:
Simon, Michael J 1947-  Search this
Physical description:
xii, 129 p. : ill. (col.) ; 30 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
United States
Date:
2011
21st century
Topic:
Stoneware  Search this
Pottery  Search this
Ceramics  Search this
Call number:
NK4210.S55 A4 2011
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_972412

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