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Catalog Data

Creator:
SoHo Artists Association  Search this
Names:
Artist Tenants Association (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Historic Districts Council (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
New York (N.Y.). City Planning Commission  Search this
New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Cultural Affairs  Search this
New York (State). Commission on Cultural Resources  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sound recordings
Reports
Place:
SoHo (New York, N.Y.)
Date:
1968-1978
Summary:
The records of the New York City SoHo Artists Association measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1968 to 1978. They document the Association's lobbying efforts to change New York City zoning laws to allow artists to live and work in SoHo lofts. Found within the collection are correspondence, reports, founding documents, notes, publicity and printed material, photographs, and a sound recording of the first meeting of the Association in 1970.
Scope and Contents note:
The records of the New York City SoHo Artists Association measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1968 to 1978. They document the Association's lobbying efforts to change New York City zoning laws to allow artists to live and work in SoHo lofts. Found within the collection are correspondence, reports, founding documents, notes, publicity and printed material, photographs, and a sound recording of the first meeting of the Association in 1970. The records contain documentation of the SoHo Artists Association's relationship with other organizations and city commissions, including the Artists Tenants Association, Citizens for Artists Housing, Historic Districts Council, New York City Planning Commission, New York State Commission on Cultural Resources, and Department of Cultural Affairs. The collection includes a sound recording of the Association's first official meeting held on June 5, 1970 after incorporation. Members discuss the history of negotiations, how to work with commissions and boards, membership growth, the definition of who is an artist, how much minimum space an artist needs, what an artist considers to be adequate living quarters, and how to raise visibility and support. The meeting concluded with a vote, the ballots of which are included in the records. Publicity records includes festival and tour information, the SoHo Newsletter, clippings, and other materials. Photographs are of the SoHo Artists Association meeting on June 5, 1970.
Arrangement note:
Due to the small size of this collection the records are arranged as one series. Missing Title Series 1: SoHo Artists Association Records, 1968-1978 (Box 1; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
The SoHo Artists Association was loosely formed in 1968 to centralize lobbying efforts to change New York City zoning laws to allow artists to live and work in SoHo loft spaces zoned for manufacturing. At that time, spaces that were vacated by manufacturers were being converted to studios by artists drawn by cheap rents, expansive spaces, and available natural lighting. Many artists also began to occupy their studio spaces, although zoning laws did not permit residency. The group voted to call itself the SoHo Artists Association at the same time they shortened the area designation on a city planning commission map from "South of Houston." The name for the neighborhood stuck and became a model for other neighborhood acronyms in New York City. The Association acquired its incorporation certificate on June 2, 1970 and held its first "official" meeting a few days later. In addition to negotiating with the city, the SoHo Artists Association built community support and membership through community events and festivals. They also sought financial and foundation support for artists and extended those funds to purchase buildings for artists' residences as well as exhibition and performance spaces. During negotiations and public hearings, the City placed a moratorium on evictions to allow more time to resolve the situation in a legal manner. In 1971 the Zoning Resolution was amended to permit Joint Live-Work Quarters for Artists. This law is still in effect and, for the most part, only visual artists and their families are permitted to legally live in converted lofts in SoHo.
Related Archival Materials note:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Artist Tenants Association records, 1959-1978.
Provenance:
The records were donated to the Archives of American Art by Gerhardt Liebmann, a member of the SoHo Artists Association, in 1979.
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.
Topic:
Artists -- Housing -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations
Artists' studios -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Sound recordings
Reports
Citation:
SoHo Artists Association Records, 1968-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.sohoarti
See more items in:
SoHo Artists Association records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99693b18d-4c32-4318-a7ae-2427003d7c19
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-sohoarti