New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Extent:
3 Sound tape reels (Sound recording, 5 in.)
45 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 Aug. 26
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Marian Kendall conducted 1965 Aug. 26, by Betty Hoag, for the Archives of American Art. Kendall speaks of her childhood; learning how to weave; her parents; scholarship from Mrs. Vanderbilt; Baltimore, Md.; Santa Barbara, Calif.; Pasadena, Calif.; repairing woven items for the Art Association and the Museum of Man; types of fibers used in weaving; tapestries; Federal Art Project; techniques of weaving; and the benefits of the WPA.
Biographical / Historical:
Marian Kendall is a weaver from California.
General:
An interview of Eugene Chodorow conducted by B. Hoag is also on one tape.
An interview of Edwin and Isabelle Churchman conducted by B. Hoag is also on one tape.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The papers of woodturner Bob Stocksdale and fiber artist Kay Sekimachi measure 19.5 linear feet and 0.125 GB and date from circa 1900 to 2015. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, professional files, exhibition files, project files, personal business records, printed and digital material, scrapbooks, photographic material, and artwork. Of note are records from Sekimachi's forced internment during World War II at Tanforan Assembly Center and Topaz War Relocation Center from 1942 to 1944.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of woodturner Bob Stocksdale and fiber artist Kay Sekimachi measure 19.5 linear feet and 0.125 GB and date from circa 1900 to 2015. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, professional files, exhibition files, project files, personal business records, printed and digital material, scrapbooks, photographic material, and artwork. Of note are records from Sekimachi's forced internment during World War II at Tanforan Assembly Center and Topaz War Relocation Center from 1942 to 1944.
The bulk of biographical materials are from Kay Sekimachi with some originating from her time spent in forced internment at Topaz and Tanforan camps. These records include identification cards, War Relocation Authority printed materials, and school records. Also found are awards, resumes, and blank stationery. Some materials are from Stocksdale's 85th birthday and memorial service.
Letters and extensive greeting cards are from friends, family, and professional acquaintances. Correspondents include Norman Anderson, Peter Collingwood, Jack Lenor Larsen, Sam and Alfreda Maloof, Forrest L. Merrill, Miné Okubo, Barbara Shawcroft, and others.
Writings and notes are scattered and include two interviews with Kay Sekimachi, hanging instructions, and notes. Writings by others are by Jack Lenor Larsen, Tran Turner, and Yoshiko Uchida.
Sekimachi's and Stocksdale's professional activities are documented through files relating to their participation at conferences, awards ceremonies, and lectures. Also found are fiber samples, order forms for materials and equipment, and notes on techniques and design by Kay Sekimachi. Exhibition records include extensive documentation on Marriage in Form, In the Realm of Nature, and Loom and Lathe as well as files for various solo and group exhibitions for both Sekimachi and Stocksdale. Gallery and institution files include material on multiple or unnamed exhibitions. Exhibiton documentation may include correspondence, writings, proposals, printed material, financial and loan records, condition reports, and photographs. Project files contain material for proposed book projects, a retrospective, and portfolio, by and about Sekimachi and Stocksdale. Also found are three commissions files for works by Sekimachi. A proposed retrospective on the work of Bob Stocksdale by Kay Sekimachi includes a digital sound recording of recollections.
Personal business records include sales books, purchase records for works of art by others, appraisals, contracts, consignment receipts, and insurance records.
Published books, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, magazines, and newsletters are found within printed materials. Of note is a publication by the San Francisco Chronicle entitled "This World" which features illustrations by Miné Okubo.
Four scrapbooks compiled by Kay Sekimachi date from 1937 to 1944. Most of the scrapbooks contain printed material from magazines and other sources with images such as children, valentines, food, birds, clothing, and may include scattered sketches and notes by Sekimachi. One scrapbook dates from the end of Sekimachi's internment at Topaz and relocation to Cincinnati, Ohio. This scrapbook includes sketches and printed materials concerning local and global events. Loose material found in this series was likely meant to be pasted into a new or the forth scrapbook. These materials include relocation information, Japanese-American publications, maps, clippings, sketches, and printed programs.
The bulk of photographic materials consist of slides of various vacation locations and homes and date from the 1960s to the 1980s. Also found are scattered portraits of Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale, as well as a photo of Miné Okubo with Roy Leeper and Cecil Thompson. Artworks are largely by Kay Sekimachi and include watercolor and pencil sketches as well as designs for fabrics and a weaving portfolio. Watercolor and pencil sketches are of Tanforan Assembly Center and date from circa 1942.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1920-2003 (1.5 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1943-2014 (7.6 linear feet; Box 2-10)
Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1960s-2008 (0.2 linear feet; Box 10)
Series 4: Professional Files, 1950s-2011 (1.1 linear feet; Box 10-11, 22)
Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1951-2015 (2.9 linear feet; Box 11-14, ER01; 0.125 GB)
Series 6: Project Files, circa 1900-2004 (0.3 linear feet; Box 14)
Series 7: Personal Business Records, 1970s-2010 (0.7 linear feet; Box 14-15)
Series 8: Printed Material, 1943-2011 (2.3 linear feet; Box 15-17, 22)
Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1937-1946 (0.9 linear feet; Box 17, 21)
Series 10: Photographic Material, circa 1950-2001 (0.9 linear feet; Box 18)
Series 11: Artwork, 1942-circa 1970 (1.1 linear feet; Box 18-20, 22-23)
Biographical / Historical:
Bob Stocksdale (1913-2003) was a woodturner active in California. He was known for bowls he formed from rare types of wood. Kay Sekimachi (1926- ) is a Japanese-American fiber artist and educator also active in California. She began her career in weaving on and off the loom and was part of the New Basketry movement.
Born in Indiana, Bob Stocksdale began his interest in carving by whittling with a pocket knife. Later, he created his own lathe with a washing machine motor and turned items such as baseball bats. During World War II, he was a conscientious objector and worked at various camps performing forestry work. It was in one of the camps that he turned his first bowl on a lathe.
After the war, Stocksdale settled in the Bay Area of California where he established his own woodturning shop in his basement. He concentrated on making bowls out of rare woods. His work has been recognized throughout the world and in 1998, he received the American Association of Woodturners Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2003, he received the James Renwick Alliance Masters of the Medium Award.
Kay Sekimachi was born in San Francisco, California in 1926. As a high school student, she was forcibly interned through Executive Order 9066 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt which incarcerated approximately 120,000 Japanese and Japanese-American citizens during World War II. Along with her mother and siblings, Kay lived at Tanforan Assembly Center and later moved to Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. She continued her schooling at Topaz and after 1944, was resettled in Cincinnati, Ohio.
After graduating from high school, Kay Sekimachi enrolled at the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts where she learned the craft of weaving under Trude Guermonprez and Jack Lenor Larsen. Her early works were tapestries and garments. She later used her weaving techniques as part of the New Basketry movement to create baskets and boxes out of fibers. Also an educator, Kay taught weaving at San Francisco Community College. She received the American Craft Council Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship in 2002.
After the dissolution of his first marriage through which he had two children, son Kim and daughter Joy Stocksdale, Bob married Kay Sekimachi in 1972. The two had been acquainted for many years as they were both craft artists living in the Bay Area. Although they married later in life, Kay and Bob travelled the world and exhibited their art together in many exhibitions including Marriage in Form and Loom and Lathe.
Bob Stocksdale died in Oakland, California in 2003. Kay Sekimachi continues to exhibit her work and lives in Berkeley, California.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are an oral history interview of Bob Stocksdale conducted February 16-March 21, 2001, by Signe Mayfield and an oral history interview of Kay Sekimachi [Stocksdale] conducted July 26-August 6, 2001, by Suzanne Baizerman. Both interviews were conducted in Berkeley, California, during the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Provenance:
The Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers were donated in 2003, 2004, and 2015 by Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of original 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.
The papers of fiber artist Norma Minkowitz (1937- ) measure 3.1 linear feet and date from 1926 to 2022 with the bulk of the papers dating from 1970 to 2022. The collection comprises biographical materials consisting of family photographs and papers, interviews with Minkowitz, awards, and a sketchbook; professional files that include gallery records, files for grant and book projects, and other professional activity files; files for the exhibitions Fiber R/Evolution (1986), Weaving the World: Contemporary Art of Linear Construction (1999), Inside the Void, Drawing and Collage by Norma Minkowitz (2014), and several others; printed materials consisting of clippings, announcements and catalogs for Minkowitz's exhibitions, flyers, a few magazines featuring crochet items by Minkowitz, and press releases; and photographic materials containing photographs, slides, negatives and transparencies of Minkowitz's works of art, as well as photographs of Minkowitz with her artwork, her mother, Joan Mondale, Lloyd Herman, and a few others.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of fiber artist Norma Minkowitz (1937- ) measure 3.1 linear feet and date from 1926 to 2022 with the bulk of the papers dating from 1970 to 2022. The collection comprises biographical materials consisting of family photographs and papers, interviews with Minkowitz, awards, and a sketchbook; professional files that include gallery records, files for grant and book projects, and other professional activity files; files for the exhibitions Fiber R/Evolution (1986), Weaving the World: Contemporary Art of Linear Construction (1999), Inside the Void, Drawing and Collage by Norma Minkowitz (2014), and several others; printed materials consisting of clippings, announcements and catalogs for Minkowitz's exhibitions, flyers, a few magazines featuring crochet items by Minkowitz, and press releases; and photographic materials containing photographs, slides, negatives and transparencies of Minkowitz's works of art, as well as photographs of Minkowitz with her artwork, her mother, Joan Mondale, Lloyd Herman, and a few others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1926-2015 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Professional Files, 1977-2022 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes1, 5
Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1985-2022 1961 (0.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1970-2016 (0.8 linear feet; Box 2, OV 6)
Series 5: Photographic Material, circa 1972-circa 2010 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 2-4)
Biographical / Historical:
Norma Minkowitz (1937- ) is a fiber artist in Westport, Connecticut.
Minkowitz was born in New York, N.Y. She attended Music and Art High School, then graduated from Cooper Union Art School in 1958. She is known for using crochet techniques in her artwork. Her work has been exhibited internationally in Poland through the U.S. Art in Embassies Program and the 9th International Triennial of Tapestry Invitational (1998), Japan, Finland, and throughout the U.S. In 2009 she received the Master of the Medium Award from the James Renwick Alliance and is a fellow of the American Craft Council.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Norma Minkowitz conducted by Patricia Malarcher on September 17, 2001 and November 16, 2001 for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Minkowitz's home in Westport, Connecticut.
Provenance:
The Norma Minkowitz papers were donated in 2016 and 2023 by Norma Minkowitz.
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.
The papers of painter and embroiderer artist Eve Peri measure 0.6 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to 1996 with the bulk of materials dating from 1939 to 1966. The papers are scattered and include biographical materials, travel documents, correspondence, financial records, printed material, designs for embroidered clothing, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and embroiderer Eve Peri measure 0.6 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to 1996 with the bulk of materials dating from 1939 to 1966. The papers are scattered and include biographical materials, travel documents, correspondence, financial records, printed material, designs for embroidered clothing, and photographs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as one series.
Series 1: Eve Peri papers, circa 1900-1996 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1, OV2-3)
Biographical / Historical:
Eve Peri (1897-1966) was a collagist, embroiderer, and painter active in New York City, New York.
Eve Peri was born in Bangor, Maine in 1897. From her mother and aunts, Peri learned traditional quilting and embroidery techniques. A largely self-trained artist, she used her skills to design clothing, tapestry, and collages and also painted. She collaborated with her husband Alfonso Umana Mendez, a designer for Fred Leighton, designing women's embroidered clothing. After divorcing in 1939, she traveled around Europe and began to exhibit her works.
Peri moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania late in life and opened a gallery in New Hope to show her works. She died in 1966.
Provenance:
The Eve Peri papers were donated by Elizabeth Bullock and Judith Stein, executor and curator of the estate in 2001.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Occupation:
Fiber artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Embroiderers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Collagists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The Zorach family papers measure 4.4 linear feet and consist of materials relating to the lives and careers of sculptor and painter William Zorach, his wife painter and weaver Marguerite, and their children, painter and multi-media artist Dahlov Ipcar and collector and art dealer Tessim Zorach. The bulk of the papers consists of letters to Tessim regarding his parent's artwork. Additional materials include scattered letters to William Zorach; writings and notes by William, Marguerite, and Tessim; a sketchbook and drawings by William; prints by Marguerite; Marguerite's scrapbook; printed materials; and photographs of the Zorach family and of William Zorach in his studio and at work.
Scope and Content Note:
The Zorach family papers measure 4.4 linear feet and consist of materials relating to the lives and careers of sculptor and painter William Zorach, his wife painter and weaver Marguerite, and their children, painter and multi-media artist Dahlov Ipcar and collector and art dealer Tessim Zorach. The bulk of the papers consists of letters to Tessim regarding his parent's artwork. Additional materials include scattered letters to William Zorach; writings and notes by William, Marguerite, and Tessim; a sketchbook and drawings by William; prints by Marguerite; Marguerite's scrapbook; printed materials; and photographs of the Zorach family and of William Zorach in his studio and at work.
The majority of correspondence is between Tessim Zorach and various museums and galleries concerning exhibitions and donations of his parents' works of art. There are scattered letters to William Zorach among the correspondence. Business records consist of materials relating to the Collection of the Zorach Children, including lists of works of art by the Zorach's, a file relating to an exhibition of Zorach artwork at the Brooklyn Museum, and photographs of works of art considered for donation.
Writings and Notes include a typescript of an article written by Marguerite Zorach, writings by William Zorach, a typescript of Young Poems by William and Marguerite, as well as articles written by others about the Zorachs. Artwork by Marguerite Zorach includes two prints and a tracing. Also found is one sketchbook, and additional drawings by William Zorach. There is one unsigned lithograph.
The majority of exhibition announcements, catalogs, and clippings concern William and Marguerite Zorach although there are two announcements for Dahlov Ipcar. There is one scrapbook of clippings about Marguerite.
The papers include photographs of Marguerite and William Zorach, their parents, baby photos of Tessim and Dahlov, family pictures of the Zorachs, and of Marguerite and William in their studios. There are several folders of William Zorach working in his studios and additional photos of him carving a relief sculpture and a sculpture for the Southwest Bank. Most of these photographs contain detailed annotations written by William Zorach about the work. There is one folder of photographs of William in France in 1910-1911, including one of Zorach in Roi Partridge's studio. There is one photograph of Zorach taken by Ansel Adams in Yosemite, a photo of Zorach working by Arnold Newman, and several taken by Imogen Cunnigham.
Other photographs are of works of art, most of which depict William's works.
Artifacts include Marguerite's batik tools and approximately fifty commercially made printing blocks.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 9 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1907-1969 (Box 1, 6; 3 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1982 (Box 1-2; 1.75 linear feet)
Series 3: Business Records, 1967-1971, circa 1960s-1970s (Box 2-3; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1930s-1973, 1987 (Box 3; 8 folders)
Series 5: Artworks, 1900-circa 1920s (Box 3, 6; 12 folders)
Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1922-1953 (Box 3; 1 folder)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1912-1982 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)
Series 8: Photographs, 1908-1966 (Box 3-5; 1.0 linear feet)
Series 9: Artifacts, circa 1910s, circa 1950s (Box 4; 0.5 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
William Zorach (1887-1966) was a modernist painter and sculptor working primarily in New York city, along with his wife Marguerite (1887-1968) who worked as a fauvist painter, printmaker, and textile artist. Their children were painter Dahlov Ipcar (1917-) and art collector Tessim Zorach (1915-1995.)
Born in Lithuania, William Zorach immigrated to the United States where his family settled in Cleveland, Ohio. An early interest in art led to a printmaking apprenticeship. He then moved to New York City and enrolled in the National Academy of Design where he studied painting and drawing. In 1910, Zorach traveled to Paris to study and where he met his wife Marguerite Thompson at the La Palette art school. Marguerite grew up in Fresno, California and studied art at Stanford University. Both artists were heavily influenced by the fauvist and cubist art movements.
Returning to America, Marguerite and William married and both continued to create and experiment with varied media. Their paintings were featured in the 1913 New York City Armory Show and they are credited with being among the first artists to introduce European modernist styles to American modernism. The Zorachs were very close both as a couple and as working active artists.
In the 1920s, Marguerite began to experiment with textiles and created large, fine art tapestries and hooked rugs. Also, she used batik dying techniques on fabrics. William also expanded his genre by creating direct sculpture in 1918, which would become his primary medium.
In 1915, William and Marguerite started a family with their son, Tessim. Two years later, their daughter Dahlov was born. The Zorachs divided the year and lived in New York City, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. In 1923, the family bought a farm on Georgetown Island, Maine where they lived, worked, and entertained friends.
Dahlov and Tessim were exposed to art from an early age. Dahlov showed artistic promise as a child and her parents supported her creativity by allowing her to express herself without formal training. Dahlov pursued painting and later became an illustrator for children's books. Additionally, she wrote fantasy novels and short stories. Dahlov married Adolf Ipcar in 1936. Like the rest of his family, Tessim Zorach developed an interest of art and along with his wife Peggy, he amassed a large private collection of ancient to modern art.
William and Marguerite continued to sculpt and paint until their deaths in 1966 and 1968, respectively.
Together, Dahlov and Tessim established the Collection of the Zorach Children which coordinated donations of their parents' art to many museums throughout the United States and the world. The artwork of both artists is found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Delaware Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Farnsworth Art Museum, Portland Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Philips Collection, and educational institutions such as Colby College, University of Vermont, Williams College, Bowdoin College, and the University of Virginia. In addition William has works associated with many public buildings, among them: Radio City Music Hall, New York City Municipal Court, the U.S. Post Office in Washington D.C. as well as Farleigh Dickinson University.
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art holds the Dahlov Ipcar papers, 1906-1997. Also found is one oral history interview with William Zorach conducted by by John D. Morse on April 2, 1959 and an oral history interview with Dahlov Ipcar conducted by Robert F. Brown on November 13, 1979.
The bulk of William Zorach's papers are held by the Library of Congress.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming on reels NY59-1-NY59-4 and NY59-19. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are now held by the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division. This material is not described in the collection container inventory or finding aid.
Provenance:
William Zorach lent papers for microfilming to the Archives of American Art in 1959. Tessim Zorach donated materials between 1976-1987.
Restrictions:
Use of originals 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:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The papers of artist Paulus Berensohn measure 7.7 linear feet and 9.1 GB and date from circa 1950-2017, bulk 1976-2010. The collection documents his career as a poet, ceramic artist, dancer, and educator in Penland, North Carolina, through biographical material, correspondence, writings, teaching files, printed materials, photographs of artwork, and works of art on paper and mail art.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of artist Paulus Berensohn measure 8.6 linear feet and 9.1 GB and date from circa 1950-2017, bulk 1976-2010. The collection documents his career as a poet, ceramic artist, dancer, and educator in Penland, North Carolina, through biographical material, correspondence, writings, teaching files, printed materials, photographs of artwork, and works of art on paper and mail art.
The biographical material series includes digital video and audio interviews as well as a daily planner from the mid-1990s and various awards and resumes.
Correspondence includes letters from notable individuals as well as letters of recommendation. Also found are examples of correspondence art between Berensohn and his artistic community, many the result of workshops on creating envelopes and binding.
Writings include lecture journals Berensohn used to organize his talks, draft manuscripts of books and articles, as well as writings by others including poetry by M.C. Richards. Also included are sound recordings by Berensohn on his tapestry making.
Teaching files include instruction materials and lesson plans for the topics of pottery, movement, journaling, and making envelopes. Also included are materials related to Berensohn's Pebble Ritual, including a sound recording that would have been played during this instruction and ritual.
The printed material series includes various source materials including articles and journals, as well as promotional material for Berensohn's workshops and printed material regarding collaborators and friends.
Photographic material includes printed photographs, snapshots, slides and negatives of the artist, instructional events, nature and artwork. Also included are digital photographs of the same subjects.
Artwork includes works on paper by Berensohn, handmade cards, enveloped and bound booklets, and works by others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in seven series:
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1990-2017 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1, 7.21 gigabytes; ER01-ER03)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1956-2017 (bulk 1985-2010) (0.8 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1970-2016 (2.4 linear feet; Boxes 204, 11, 0.072 gigabytes; ER04-ER06)
Series 4: Teaching Files, circa 1970s-2005 (0.3 linear feet; Box 4, 0.152 gigabytes; ER07)
Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1970s-2009 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 4-5, OV13)
Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1950-2011 (2.6 linear feet; Boxes 5, 7-12, 1.659 gigabytes; ER08-ER19)
Series 7: Artwork, circa 1980s-2010 (1.7 linear feet; Boxes 5-6, 12, OV14)
Biographical / Historical:
Paulus Berensohn (1933-2017) was a ceramicist, dancer, and arts instructor in Penland, North Carolina.
Berensohn was born Paul Bernsohn in New York City in 1933. Despite being dyslexic as a child, he was accepted into Yale University before dropping out in his first semester to attend Juilliard School, and later Bennington College. While in college, Paulus was finally able to pursue his childhood interest in modern dance and upon returning to New York City studied with Merce Cunningham and performed for Martha Graham.
Berensohn was first inspired to study pottery during a visit to the Land commune, a community of artists near Stony Point, N.Y., where he met the potters Karen Karnes and M.C. Richards. Richards would become a lifelong friend and collaborator. In the late 1960s Berensohn settled at the Penland School of Craft in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina where he taught workshops in pottery, movement, and journaling. Berensohn purposely avoided becoming a commercial artist, and for years refused to fire his clay works, often returning them to the earth. He became well-known particularly for his pinch pottery technique, and he published the book Finding One's Way with Clay: Pinched Pottery and the Color of Clay in 1972. He travelled extensively throughout the 1990s and early 2000s teaching workshops and lecturing on various topics. Later in his life he lectured frequently on the environmental and ecological philosophical topic of deep ecology, and how it related to his lifelong endeavors in the arts.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American art is an oral history interview with Paulus Berensohn, 2009 March 20-21, conducted by Mark Shapiro.
Provenance:
Donated in 2017 by Paulus Berensohn Estate via Jon Ellenbogen, executor.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate 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.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- North Carolina -- Penland Search this
