Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Online Media

Catalog Data

Creator:
New Arts (Art gallery)  Search this
Names:
Bess, Forrest, 1911-1977  Search this
Boynton, Jack, 1928-2010  Search this
Calcagno, Lawrence, 1913-  Search this
Cornell, Joseph  Search this
Emmerich, AndrĂ©  Search this
Ernst, Max, 1891-1976  Search this
Kuhlman, Walter  Search this
Plagens, Peter  Search this
Smith, Hassel, 1915-2007  Search this
Steinberg, Richard  Search this
Varda, Jean  Search this
Extent:
1.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1950-1979
Summary:
The New Arts records measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1950 to 1979. The collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through correspondence, exhibition files, printed material, artists' files, and more.
Scope and Contents:
The New Arts records measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1950 to 1979. The collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through administrative records and artists' files. Administrative records include artwork authentification records, correspondence with museums, galleries, and private collectors, exhibition files, ephemera from exhibitions held elsewhere, and editions of the Contemporary Arts Council calendar. Artists' files consist of correspondence, price lists, photos of artwork and installations, exhibition ephemera, reviews, some resumes, and more. Artists covered include Forrest Bess, James Boynton, Lawrence Calcagno, Joseph Cornell, Max Ernst, Walter Kuhlman, Peter Plagens, Hassel Smith, Richard Steinberg, and Jean Varda.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series. Series 1: Administrative Records, 1952-1970 (Box 1; .4 linear feet) Series 2: Artists' Files, 1950-1979 (Box 1-2, OV 3; .9 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The New Arts was founded in 1956 in Houston, Texas by Kathryn Swenson. The gallery was initially established to exhibit and sell pre-Columbian artwork, the bulk of which came from Andre Emmerich's private collection. Swenson asked friend and museum specialist Jermayne MacAgy to help with the exhibition display, and then sometime in the next two years, the gallery began to show established local artists. Pre-Columbian shows persisted throughout The New Arts' existence, but the gallery shifted its focus towards exhibiting a wide range of contemporary painters and sculptors by the late 1950s. Artists exhibited at The New Arts include Jack Boynton, Forest Bess, Hassel Smith, Max Ernst, Walter Kuhlman, Lawrence Calcagno, Joseph Cornell, Peter Plagens, and Jean Varda. The New Arts closed in 1974.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Marc Moldawer, Kathryn Swenson, and Robert Wilson conducted by Sandra Curtis Levy, August 15, 1984.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1979 by gallery owner and director Kathryn Swenson.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference 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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- Texas
Citation:
The New Arts records, 1950-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.newarts
See more items in:
The New Arts records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a39948fd-d2c8-40d2-b43e-791a3938ecb6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-newarts