The papers of California ceramicist, sculptor, and educator Robert Arneson measure 0.2 linear feet and date from circa 1963 to 1977. The collection provides scattered documentation of Arneson's career through through records including an artist statement, a bibliography of published material about Arneson, printed material, and correspondence with art collector Rene di Rosa and various galleries, museums, and art publications.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of California ceramicist, sculptor, and educator Robert Arneson measure 0.2 linear feet and date from circa 1963 to 1977. The collection provides scattered documentation of Arneson's career through an artist statement, a bibliography of published material about Arneson, clippings, announcements and catalogs for Arneson's exhibitions, a press release regarding an Arneson exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art, and other miscellaneous printed materials. Also found in the collection is correspondence with art collector Rene di Rosa, and various galleries, museums, and art publications, and letters regarding an NEA grant.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
California ceramicist, sculptor, and educator Robert Arneson (1930-1992) was known for introducing ceramics into the Funk art movement that began in California in the 1960s.
Arneson was born in Benicia, California where he worked as a cartoonist for the Benicia Herald. He received a B.A. from the California College of the Arts in 1954 and a M.F.A. from Mills College in 1958. In the 1980s he earned honorary doctorate degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design and San Francisco Art Institute.
Arneson was a faculty member at the University of California in Davis from 1962 to 1991, where he established the ceramic sculpture program and helping bring ceramics into the realm of fine art.
Arneson died in 1992 in Benicia.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Robert Arneson conducted on August 14-15, 1981 by Mady Jones for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
The Robert Arneson papers were donated in 1977 by Robert Arneson.
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.
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.
