Correspondence is both personal and professional in nature. Personal correspondence is with family, friends, and artists, including James Lee Byars, Merce Cunningham, Jim Dine, Grace Hartigan, Jasper Johns, Mishima Kimiyo, Jo Carol Lauder, Emilio Sanchez, Ida Shoichi, and Barbara Westman. Many letters are illustrated and holiday and greeting cards are often handmade or feature prints. Castleman also corresponded with several printmaking studios including Gemini G.E.L., Tamarind Institute, and Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE). Other professional correspondence pertains to book contracts, speaking engagements, outside exhibitions, and other activities with curators, collectors, critics and organizations including the Grolier Club, Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies, and the Museum of Modern Art. Further description can be found at the file level. Additional professional correspondence is arranged in the Writing Project Files series, including more correspondence with Jasper Johns.
Collection 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 archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Riva Castleman papers, 1871, 1930-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.