Search Results

Sculptor:

Samaras, Lucas 1936-2024  Search this

Medium:

Cor-Ten steel

Type:

Sculptures

Owner/Location:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Avenue New York New York 10028 Accession Number: 71.1965

Date:

1971

Topic:

Undetermined  Search this

Control number:

IAS 76002450

Data Source:

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_ari_1693

Sculptor:

Samaras, Lucas 1936-2024  Search this

Medium:

Chicken wire and acrylic paint

Type:

Sculptures-Box

Sculptures

Owner/Location:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Avenue New York New York 10028

Date:

1972

Topic:

Abstract  Search this

Control number:

IAS 35880047

Data Source:

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_ari_29186

Sculptor:

Samaras, Lucas 1936-2024  Search this

Type:

Sculptures

Owner/Location:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Avenue New York New York 10028

Date:

1965

Topic:

Abstract  Search this

Control number:

IAS 35880048

Data Source:

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_ari_29187

Creator:

Galerie Chalette  Search this

Names:

Arp, Jean, 1887-1966  Search this

Bill, Max, 1908-1994  Search this

Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this

Fangor, Wojciech, 1922-  Search this

Fuller, Sue, 1914-  Search this

Gonzalez, Roberta  Search this

González, Julio, 1876-1942  Search this

Lejwa, Arthur  Search this

Lejwa, Madeleine Chalette, 1914-1996  Search this

Moholy-Nagy, László, 1895-1946  Search this

Reimann, William  Search this

Rickey, George  Search this

Smith, Leon Polk, 1906-1996  Search this

Vasarely, Victor, 1906-1997  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Extent:

24.15 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Sound recordings

Lectures

Notebooks

Motion pictures (visual works)

Date:

1916-1999

bulk 1939-1994

Summary:

The records of the New York Galerie Chalette measure 24.15 linear feet and date from 1916-1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1939-1994. The collection documents this contemporary art gallery's operations from its founding in 1954 through Madeleine Lejwa's later years as an independent dealer. Included are correspondence, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed materials, clippings, exhibition catalogs, audio and video recordings, and motion picture film; about half of the collection consists of photographs. Arthur Lejwa's profession as a biochemist prior to becoming a gallery owner is also documented in this collection. The collection also contains personal records of the Lejwas, including correspondence, legal papers, photographs, photo albums, and printed material.

Scope and Content Note:

The records of the New York Galerie Chalette measure 24.15 linear feet and date from 1916-1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1939-1994. The collection documents this contemporary art gallery's operations from its founding in 1954 through Madeleine Lejwa's later years as an independent dealer. Included are correspondence, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed materials, clippings, exhibition catalogs, audio and video recordings, and motion picture film; about half of the collection consists of photographs. Arthur Lejwa's profession as a biochemist prior to becoming a gallery owner is also documented in this collection. The collection also contains personal records of the Lejwas, including correspondence, legal papers, photographs, photo albums, and printed material.

Among the artists represented in the artists' files are Jean Arp, Max Bill, Burgoyne Diller, Wojciech Fangor, Sue Fuller, Julio Gonzalez, Roberta Gonzalez, Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, William Reimann, George Rickey, Leon Polk Smith, Victor Varsarely, Max Weber, and various Dada artists. Many artists are represented in the large collection of photographs as is the Lejwa's personal collection. Included in the business records are invoices, receipts for works sold, yearly sales and purchase ledgers, checks for artwork purchases, and index card files recording sales. Legal records include files related to litigation, primarily Lebenstein v. Lejwa. The collection includes film reels and audio recordings of lectures, broadcasts, and exhibits from the 1960s-1990s. It also includes two film reels from a French television program about Jean Arp.

Among the personal records are biographical information, correspondence, legal records mostly related to the settlement of Arthur Lejwa's estate, a significant quantity of snapshots, negatives and slides, and newspaper clippings chronicling Arthur Lejwa's work as a biochemist and the Robert Gould Research Foundation. Arthur Lejwa's scientific career is also represented in biographical information, publications, research notebooks, and photographs. Much of the personal correspondence is from 1939-1951 and is written in Polish, Yiddish and German. The Lejwa's philanthropic donations, especially in Israel, are documented in correspondence, papers, and photographs. Many of the photographs and photo albums record Madeleine Lejwa's travels in the 1970s-1990s.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 8 series. The series are generally arranged alphabetically by type of material or subject, and chronologically thereafter.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1920-1995 (Boxes 1-2; 1.4 linear foot)

Series 2: Artists' Files, 1916-1996 (Boxes 2-6, 25; 4.3 linear feet)

Series 3: General Business Files, 1950-1994 (Boxes 6-8; 2.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Materials, 1931-1996 (Boxes 9-10, 25; 1.2 linear feet)

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1920s-1994 (Boxes 10-16, 24-25; 7 linear feet)

Series 6: Legal Records, 1938, 1959-1988 (Box 17; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Personal Papers of Arthur and Madeleine Chalette Lejwa, 1925-1999 (Boxes 17-21, 25; 3.7 linear feet)

Series 8: Motion Picture Film, Audio, and Video Recordings, circa 1950s-1995 (Boxes 21-23, FC 29-42; 4.3 linear feet)

Historical Note:

Art dealers and collectors Madeleine Chalette (1915-1996) and Arthur Lejwa (1895-1972) opened the Galerie Chalette in New York on 45 West 57th Street in February, 1954. The gallery originally specialized in contemporary French graphics and later shifted its focus to contemporary twentieth century European and American art, particularly the work of Jean Arp. Over the years, Galerie Chalette relocated twice. In 1957, the gallery moved to 1100 Madison Avenue and then to 9 East 88th Street in 1964.

Madeleine Chalette was born in 1915 in Paris and grew up in Poland. In 1940, after Madeleine's efforts to secure the release of her father, Leon Chalette, from Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin were successful, father and daughter traveled by boat to Shanghai. They stayed in Shanghai throughout World War II, arriving in the United States in 1946. Arthur Lejwa, a Polish-born biochemist, immigrated to the United States in 1939 and taught at Long Island University. In 1947, Madeleine and Arthur Lejwa were married in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Arthur was the Director of the Robert Gould Institute for Nutritional Research.

The gallery was very active in the 1950s and 1960s, as evidenced by the numerous exhibitions. Many of the exhibitions in the 1950s were thematic. Exhibitions in the 1960s were mostly organized around the work of a particular artist, such as Wojciech Fangor and Leon Polk Smith. In 1972, the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcased Jean Arp's work from the Lejwa's collection and a few works lent by Arp's widow, Marguerite Arp. The exhibition was expanded and traveled as "Arp 1877-1966," first exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and then shown in seven museums in the United States and six in Australia.

In the early 1970s, the Lejwas began supporting institutions in Jerusalem, including donating a 17th century Polish menorah to The Israel Museum and five sculptures to be displayed in public spaces: "The Threshold of Jerusalem" by Jean Arp, "The Loop" by Robert Engman, George Rickey's "Two Lines Oblique," "The Skedion Ekton" by Stephanie Scuris, and "Four Cubes Cut in Identical Halves" by Max Bill.

Following Arthur's death on October 27, 1972, Madeleine continued as an independent dealer and consultant and renamed the business Chalette International. In the 1980s, Madeleine Lejwa continued her philanthropic endeavors in Jerusalem, donating to a scholarship fund for Arab students. She was also a strong supporter of New York University's archeological site Aphrodisias, in southwestern Turkey. In the 1970s and 1980s, Lejwa traveled widely including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, Japan, and China. Madeleine passed away at age 81 on June 9, 1996.

Related Material:

Addition papers related to Leon Chalette and Madeleine Chalette are located at Leo Baeck Institute, New York, N.Y.

Separated Material:

Papers related to Leon Chalette's imprisonment in Sachsenhausen concentration camp were transferred to the Leo Baeck Institute, New York, N.Y. in 2010.

Provenance:

The records were donated by Robert Warshaw, executor of the Madeleine Chalette Lejwa estate in two accessions in 1997 and 2005.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access 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.

Topic:

Biochemistry  Search this

Function:

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Sound recordings

Lectures

Notebooks

Motion pictures (visual works)

Citation:

Galerie Chalette records, 1916-1996, bulk 1939-1994. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.galechal

See more items in:

Galerie Chalette records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b597c84e-8c86-44a4-a9e7-ecb2bc419f14

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-galechal

Artist:

Arp, Jean 1887-1966  Search this

Writer of supplementary textual content:

Messer, Thomas M  Search this

Host institution:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum  Search this

Author:

Smithsonian Libraries Art and Artist Files Collection  Search this

Physical description:

1 folded sheet (6 unnumbered pages) illustrations 22 x 57 cm folded to 22 x 19 cm

Type:

Exhibitions

Expositions

Exhibition catalogs

Artist files

Date:

1976

20th century

20e siècle

Topic:

Sculpture  Search this

Call number:

AAF--Arp, Jean

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_1033399

Collection Creator:

Frank Perls Gallery  Search this

Container:

Box 21, Folder 7

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1953-1975

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Frank Perls papers and Frank Perls Gallery records, circa 1920-1983, bulk 1949-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation.

See more items in:

Frank Perls papers and Frank Perls Gallery records

Frank Perls papers and Frank Perls Gallery records / Series 4: Subject Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95e2b5e15-56cd-4d4c-a96d-4f879eb29139

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-perlfran-ref615

Author:

Messer, Thomas M  Search this

Author:

San Francisco Museum of Art  Search this

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum  Search this

Subject:

Bissier, Julius (1893-1965) Catalogues d'exposition  Search this

Physical description:

62 pages illustrations (part color) 26 cm

Type:

Books

Date:

1968

Topic:

New York--Expositions  Search this

San Francisco--Expositions  Search this

Call number:

N40.1.B623 M5

ND588.B53 M4X

N40.1.B623M5

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_9929

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Ink on paper

Dimensions:

20 1/8 × 28 3/4 in. (51.1 × 73 cm)

Type:

Drawing

Date:

(c. 1932)

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Joseph H. Hirshhorn Purchase Fund, 2000

Accession Number:

00.6

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py2dabb9135-0a89-4316-ac9d-5bf90b8bd0cc

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_00.6

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

25 1/8 × 9 1/2 in. (63.7 × 24.1 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1925

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2130

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py27150a99f-ecba-4a9d-91c6-835d134a007e

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2130

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on paperboard mounted on paperboard

Dimensions:

17 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. (44.4 × 21.6 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1933

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2131

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py2f8ef3eb8-ce2b-43fb-93f7-5ed26190b278

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2131

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on burlap mounted on paperboard

Dimensions:

12 × 8 1/8 in. (30.4 × 20.4 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1936

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2133

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py284ca0025-0765-4b1c-935d-853058848230

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2133

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on fiberboard

Dimensions:

19 7/8 × 11 7/8 in. (50.5 × 30.2 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1925

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2134

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py27ffddf48-095d-4819-a486-5a4f888b573b

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2134

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvasboard

Dimensions:

12 × 9 1/8 in. (30.4 × 23 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

(c. 1936-1937)

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2136

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py242403d33-72b9-4f8b-8973-d46a436115f6

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2136

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas mounted on wood

Dimensions:

8 × 10 1/4 in. (20.3 × 25.8 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1936

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2138

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py2bbff4d67-5972-43fb-b56a-e5a305a4688c

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2138

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Pencil and crayon on paper

Dimensions:

20 3/4 × 27 11/16 in. (52.6 × 70.3 cm) [irreg.]

Type:

Drawing

Date:

1943

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2146

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py24cd283bd-947e-46f8-9e71-1886f8373024

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2146

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

20 1/4 × 15 1/8 in. (51.3 × 38.4 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

(1933-1934)

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Foundation, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2148

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py20f36d98a-627b-4085-bc6a-533d8ba6e8d4

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2148

Artist:

Arshile Gorky, American, b. Dilkaya, Turkey, 1904–1948  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

38 1/8 × 25 1/8 in. (96.8 × 64 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

(c. 1943)

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.2153

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py283d053d7-efd0-429c-bca4-a8fabd5e2812

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.2153

Creator:

Falkenstein, Claire, 1908-1997  Search this

Names:

Coos Art Museum  Search this

Fresno Art Museum  Search this

Galerie Anderson-Mayer  Search this

Galerie Stadler  Search this

Jack Rutberg Fine Arts (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this

John Bolles Gallery (San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this

Los Angeles Museum of Art  Search this

Malvina Miller  Search this

Martha Jackson Gallery  Search this

Merging One Gallery  Search this

Mills College -- Faculty  Search this

Pond Farm Workshop  Search this

San Francisco Museum of Art  Search this

University of California, San Francisco. School of Fine Arts -- Faculty  Search this

Green, Ray, 1908-1997  Search this

Guggenheim, Peggy, 1898-1979  Search this

Kuh, Katharine  Search this

O'Donnell, May, 1906-2004  Search this

Sawyer, Kenneth B.  Search this

Still, Clyfford, 1904-  Search this

Still, Patricia  Search this

Tapie, Michel  Search this

Temko, Allan  Search this

Tobey, Mark  Search this

Wildenhain, Frans, 1905-1980  Search this

Extent:

42.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketchbooks

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Interviews

Date:

circa 1914-1997

bulk 1940-1990

Summary:

The papers of sculptor, painter, jewelry designer, and teacher Claire Falkenstein measure 42.8 linear feet and date from 1917 to her death in 1997. There is extensive correspondence with fellow artists, collectors, critics, friends, museums, and galleries. The collection also contains biographical materials, much of it collected and organized by Falkenstein, personal and business records, writings, diaries, exhibition files, commission files, teaching files, photographs, original artwork, scrapbooks, and printed materials. There is a short motion picture film of an interview with Falkenstein featuring the windows she designed for St. Basil's Church in Los Angeles.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of sculptor, painter, jewelry designer, and teacher Claire Falkenstein measure 42.8 linear feet and date from 1917 to her death in 1997. There is extensive correspondence with fellow artists, collectors, critics, friends, museums, and galleries. The collection also contains biographical materials, much of it collected and organized by Falkenstein, personal and business records, writings, diaries, exhibition files, commission files, teaching files, photographs, original artwork, scrapbooks, and printed materials. There is a short motion picture film of an interview with Falkenstein featuring the windows she designed for St. Basil's Church in Los Angeles.

Biographical material includes appointment calendars, awards and honorary degrees, interview transcripts, passports, resumes, wills, and scrapbooks. Scrapbooks were compiled by Falkenstein and focus primarily on her exhibitions at the Galerie Stadler and Gallery Meyer in 1959 and 1960. Also of interest are the "biography files" created and arranged by Falkenstein. These files contain material that she personally felt was the most important in documenting her activities each year. They include correspondence, exhibition catalogs, printed material, and invitations.

Measuring nine linear feet, correspondence is extensive and comprehensively documents Falkenstein's work, social life, relationships, and other business and personal activities. Correspondence dates from 1941 to 1997 and includes business letters and correspondence with friends and family. Her communications with friends, family, clients, gallery owners, collectors, museums, publishers, foundations, and grant agencies reveal many of her ideas and techniques. Individual correspondents include Ray Green, Peggy Guggenheim, Katharine Kuh, May O'Donnell, Ken Sawyer, Clyfford and Pat Still, Michel Tapie, Allan Temko, Mark Tobey, and Frans Wildenhain. Gallery and museum correspondence is with the San Francisco Museum of Art, Coos Art Museum, Los Angeles Museum of Art, Galerie Stadler (Paris), Gallery Mayer (Paris), Malvina Miller (New York), Martha Jackson Gallery (New York), Jack Rutberg Fine Arts (Los Angeles), Galerie Anderson-Mayer (Paris), and Bolles Gallery. Correspondence is also found in the Commission Files and Exhibition Files.

Personal and business records contain a wide variety of material documenting Falkenstein's business, financial, legal, professional, and personal transactions. Files are found for sales and prices, art inventories, smaller jewelry commissions, her work as a juror, her business with galleries, legal affairs and contracts, expenses, records of arts organizations to which she belonged, conferences, grants and fellowships, studio and house renovations, her Paris studio and Paris expenses, travel, donations, loans and consignments, conservation, art shipping, insurance, and taxes. Oversized visitor's logs contain comments from visitors to Falkenstein's studio in Venice, California.

Falkenstein maintained comprehensive documentation of her exhibitions from her first exhibition in the 1930s to the last one at the Merging One Gallery in 1996. Files include both a chronological record and individual record for nearly all of her exhibitions. Found with the files are correspondence, photographs, loan and shipping records, catalogs, announcements, clippings, articles, and other records. Most of the photographs related to exhibitions are found in the Photographs Series. The files for exhibitions at the Fresno Art Museum, Martha Jackson Gallery and Jack Rutberg Fine Art Gallery are particularly rich.

Commission files document nearly all of Falkenstein's public and private large-scale projects and often contain a visual record of the work, as well as correspondence, design notes, contracts, and expense reports. There is documentation of the St. Basils Church windows in Los Angeles; the Peggy Guggenheim gate in Venice, Italy; and the fountain at the California Savings and Loan, in Los Angeles; and many others. There is also a chronological record of her commissions. The bulk of the photographs of commissions are found in the Photograph series. Also, most of Falkenstein's jewelry design commissions are found in the Personal and Business Records series.

Falkenstein's work as a prolific writer, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s, is well-documented here through her numerous published articles in Arts and Architecture magazine, and the New York Herald-Tribune. Her work for Arts and Architecture was primarily written for the "Art Comments from San Francisco" section. She was living in Paris when she contributed an art news column to the New York Herald-Tribune. Also found here are five diaries and one journal dating from circa 1929-1978. The entries are inconsistent and concern mostly travel. The diaries from 1929 and 1934 are more personal. Falkenstein also maintained extensive notes and notebooks about artwork ideas, observations about art, research, and even drafts of letters. There are also many notes about various topics, including art and class notes. Additional writings are eclectic and cover a wide range of topics, including music, poetry, the script for Falkestein's film entitled Touching the Quick, and drafts of her unpublished book on murals. A handful of writings by others are found, most with annotations by Falkenstein.

Teaching files include Falkenstein's numerous lectures given while teaching at Mills College, Pond Farm Workshops, and California School of Fine Arts, and various symposiums and conferences. Also found are lesson plans, contracts, scattered correspondence, and notes. The files on her tenure at the Pond Farm Workshops are particularly interesting, with notes about her fellow teacher Frans Wildenhain and correspondence with workshop owners, Jane and Gordon Herr.

There are extensive photographs of Falkenstein, her family and friends, colleagues, commissions, exhibitions, and works of art. Included are many images of Falkenstein, of Falkenstien with her art, of Falkentstien working, and of Falkenstein's studio. There are numerous photographs of Falkenstein with friends, family, and colleagues in social or work settings. Also found are photographs of exhibition openings, installation views, and works of art exhibited. Additional photographs document Falkenstein's commissions, including images of her at work. Additional images of commissions may also be found in the Commission Series, but the bulk are filed here. There are numerous photographs of Falkenstein's works of art, including drawings, sculpture, jewelry, murals, lamps, and ceramics.

Falkenstein's papers include a large amount of sketches, sketchbooks, and drawings. Many of the sketches and drawings relate to her ideas about commissions and large sculpture, jewelry designs, and general sketches. Sketches are also found in the Commission Files. Also included are drawings by Mark Tobey and Michel Tapie, and others.

Finally, printed materials include general exhibition catalogs, newspapers clippings, and clippings of articles by and about Falkenstein. Also included are books that have been inscribed and signed by the author.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1934-1997 (Box 1-4, 41; 4.3 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1931-1997 (Box 5-13; 9 linear feet)

Series 3: Personal and Business Records, 1936-1997 (Box 14-17, 41, 46-49; 4.2 linear feet)

Series 4: Exhibitions, 1930-1996 (Box 18-21, 42, OV 50; 3.3 linear feet)

Series 5. Commissions, 1930-1992 (Box 21-22, OV 50-54 ; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 6: Writings, circa 1929-1993 (Box 22-26, 42, 55; 4.6 linear feet)

Series 7: Teaching Files, 1929-1995 (Box 26; .8 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1917-1997 (Box 27-35, 43, 55-56; 9.5 linear feet)

Series 9: Artwork, circa 1937-1995 (Box 36-37, 44, 57; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 10: Printed Materials, circa 1914-1990 (Box 37-40, 45, 58; 3.9 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Claire Falkenstein (1908-1997) spent the majority of her life working as an artist, sculptor, jewelry designer, teacher, and writer in California.

Claire Falkenstein was born in 1908 and grew up in Coos Bay, Oregon. In 1920, Falkenstein and her family moved to Berkeley, California, where she attended high school and then college at the University of California at Berkeley, studying philosophy, anthropology, and art. She graduated in 1930. Falkenstein had her first solo show at the East-West Gallery in San Francisco in 1930, the only member of her class to have an exhibition before graduation.

During the early 1930s, Falkenstein studied at Mills College with modernist sculptor Alexander Archipenko. There she also met Bauhaus artists Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Gyorgy Kepes. Falkenstein married her high school sweetheart, Richard McCarthy in 1936.

In 1944, Falkenstein had her first New York exhibition at the Bonestall Gallery. At that time, Falkenstein's primary mediums were stone and wood. However, she became increasingly experimental with new materials that included sheet aluminum, Cor-Ten steel, glass, plastics, and welded wire rods while maintaining a connection to organic and natural forms. Her work in jewelry design was an outlet for exploring these new materials, forms, and techniques on a small scale. As her work grew physically larger, so did her recognition and it was her work in sculpture that won her a faculty appointment at the California School of Fine Arts from 1947-1949. It was here that she met Patricia and Clyfford Still, Hassel Smith, and Richard Diebenkorn.

In 1948, Falkenstein was invited to exhibit at the Salon des Realites Nouvelle in Paris, her first European show. She eventually moved to Europe in 1950 and had studios in Paris, Venice, and Rome. While in Europe, Falkenstein executed a number of large scale commissions, including the stair screen for Galerie Stadler (1955), grotto gates for Princess Pignatelli's villa in Rome (1957), and the bronze, steel, and the glass gate at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice (1961). While in Paris, she became acquainted with noted art critic Michel Tapie, with whom she maintained a life-long friendship.

During the 1940s and 1950s Falkenstein was a regular contributor to Arts and Architecture magazine, most often writing the "Art Comments from San Francisco" section. While in Paris, she also wrote a column on art news for the New York Herald Tribune.

Falkenstein returned to the United States in 1962, eventually renovating a studio space in Venice, California. It was here that she conceived her largest commissions. In 1965, Falkenstein received a commission from the California Savings and Loan to create a sculpture for a large fountain at the front of the bank in downtown Los Angeles. The copper tube fountain, entitled "Structure and Flow #2," was the first of many large scale public art commissions that Falkenstein completed during her years in California. Her most important commission in the United States, completed in 1969, was for the doors, rectory gates and grills and stained-glass windows for St. Basil's Church on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. The eight doors and fifteen rectory screens, including 80 foot high windows in the nave, were an expansion of the "never ending screen" concept that Falkenstein executed with the Pignatelli commission in Rome. She continued to use this motif in her work throughout her career.

Claire Falkenstein worked as an arts instructor, visiting artist, and guest lecturer at many colleges, workshops, and schools in California. Her first position was at Mills College from 1946-1947. Shortly thereafter, she was appointed to the faculty at the California School of Fine Arts and later taught in the Extension Divisions of the University of California, Berkeley. She taught classes at California State Polytechnic University, California State University at Davis, and the Anna Head School. Falkenstein also taught art at the Pond Farm Workshops in California, and lectured at numerous colleges and museums. She served on many juried art shows in Southern California.

Falkenstein was acquainted with many artists, writers, instructors, collectors, gallery owners, and critics. Close friends included Esther and Bob Robles, Clyfford and Patricia Still, Michel Tapie, Allan Temko, Mark Tobey, Frans Wildenhain, and other notable figures in the art world.

Falkenstein continued to complete large scale private and public commissioned sculptures during the 1960s through the 1980s, including work for the University of Southern California, Hyland Biological Laboratory, California State University at Dominquez Hills and the California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Throughout her career, Falkenstein's work was featured in numerous exhibitions across the country. Her sculpture and other artwork can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Coos Art Museum, Harvard University Art Museum, University of Southern California Fisher Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Tate Gallery.

Falkenstein died in 1997 at the age of 89.

Related Material:

The Archives of American Art also holds two oral history interviews with Claire Falkenstein. The interview on April 13, 1965 was conducted by Betty Hoag and the one on March 2 and 21, 1995 was conducted by Paul Karlstrom.

Provenance:

The Claire Falkenstein papers were donated in 1997 by Steffan Wacholtz and Nancy Kendall, trustees for the Claire Falkenstein Trust.

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.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- California  Search this

Painters -- California  Search this

Jewelers -- California  Search this

Educators -- California  Search this

Authors -- California  Search this

Topic:

Art patronage  Search this

Artists' studios  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women designers  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Women authors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketchbooks

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Interviews

Citation:

Claire Falkenstein papers, circa 1914-1997, bulk 1940-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.falkclai

See more items in:

Claire Falkenstein papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9911c74ff-413b-4b54-9280-89c8b0480495

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-falkclai

Maker:

Kongo artist  Search this

Medium:

Pineapple fiber

Dimensions:

H x W x D: 10.2 x 15.2 x 15.2 cm (4 x 6 x 6 in.)

Type:

Textile and Fiber Arts

Geography:

Mayombe region, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Date:

Early 20th century

Topic:

Leadership  Search this

Status  Search this

Adornment  Search this

Male use  Search this

Female use  Search this

geometric motif  Search this

male  Search this

Credit Line:

Museum purchase

Object number:

84-6-4

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Museum of African Art Collection

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys78789c1a9-6c47-4a6d-a29e-358c3647a989

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmafa_84-6-4

Maker:

Chokwe artist  Search this

Medium:

Plant fiber, seed, stone, horn, shell, bone, metal, feather, camwood

Dimensions:

H x W x D: 10.2 x 30.7 x 30.7 cm (4 x 12 1/16 x 12 1/16 in.)

Type:

Sculpture

Geography:

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Angola

Date:

Mid-19th to early 20th century

Topic:

Divination  Search this

male  Search this

Credit Line:

Museum purchase

Object number:

86-12-17.1

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Museum of African Art Collection

Exhibition:

Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts

On View:

NMAfA, Second Level Gallery (2193)

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7a28d2f05-77b4-4ea8-9bdb-653fa50799fe

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmafa_86-12-17.1