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Catalog Data

Creator:
Cruz, Emilio, 1938-  Search this
Names:
Black Artists' Group  Search this
Looker, Ben  Search this
Extent:
5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Photographs
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Date:
1961-2008
Summary:
The papers of African American artist and writer Emilio Cruz measure 5 linear feet and date from 1961 to 2008. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, exhibition and project files, printed material, and photographic material.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of African American artist and writer Emilio Cruz measure 5 linear feet and date from 1961 to 2008. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, exhibition and project files, printed material, and photographic material. Biographical material includes Cruz's career narratives, an interview with Ben Looker for a book about the Black Artists' Group, an address book, and a recording of Emilio Cruz's memorial service. Correspondence includes drafts and final copies of correspondence sent and received by Cruz. Though primarily professional in nature, some letters include Cruz's theories regarding art and literature. Writings includes two subseries: general writings as well as literary work and performance material. General writings consist of Emilio Cruz's writings about art, exhibition text, and other essays and writing. Literary work and performance material includes poems, short stories, novels, and plays, as well as materials related to the performance of these works. This subseries includes audiovisual material in a variety of formats related to Cruz's performances. Personal business records include shipping invoices and a small number of gallery records. Exhibition and project files include correspondence, planning documents, financial documents, printed material, and photographic material related to Emilio Cruz's exhibitions and projects. Printed material includes publications in which Emilio Cruz's writing was published or in which he was written about; exhibition and performance catalogs, programs, and invitations; and clippings of reviews. Photographic material includes photographs of Emilio Cruz and slides of his artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in seven series. Series 1: Biographical Material, 1988, 2001-2005, undated (Box 1; 4 folders) Series 2: Correspondence, 1965-2008 (Box 1, 0.9 linear feet) Series 3: Writings, 1969-2004 (Boxes 1-3, FC 5-6, Box 7-9; 2.5 linear feet) Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1989-2000 (Box 3; 5 folders) Series 5: Exhibition and Project Files: 1963-2004 (Boxes 3-4; 1.2 linear feet) Series 6: Printed Material, 1964-2003 (Box 4; 0.6 feet) Series 7: Photographic Material, 1961-2003 (Box 10, OV 11; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Emilio Cruz (1938-2004) was an African American artist, playwright, and novelist of Cuban descent. He was born in the Bronx and spent much of his life in New York. He taught at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1970s and was active in the Chicago art scene. In the 1980s he returned to New York where he continued to exhibit. He later taught at Pratt Institute and New York University. His two plays Homeostasis: Once More the Scorpion and The Absence Held Fast to Its Presence were first performed in New York in 1981, and later in Europe as part of the World Theater Festival. Throughout his career, Cruz received a number of honors and awards, including a John Hay Whitney Fellowship and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Emilio Cruz died in 2004.
Provenance:
The Emilio Cruz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Patricia Cruz, Emilio Cruz's widow, in 2016.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of electronic records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that she may own, in the following material: Emilio Cruz's unpublished short stories, poems, plays, and novels.
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:
Dramatists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Art -- Philosophy  Search this
Cuban American artists  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Latino and Latin American artists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Photographs
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Citation:
Emilio Cruz papers, 1961-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.cruzemil
See more items in:
Emilio Cruz papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw911f826a1-4c14-46d6-9d1b-a4d3b76d064f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cruzemil