The collection is arranged as 9 series: Series 1: Biographical Material, 1936-2010 (Box 1, 8; 10 folders) Series 2: Correspondence, 1941-2011 (Box 1-3; 2.3 linear feet) Series 3: Project Files, 1970-2011 (Box 3-4, 8; 1.2 linear feet) Series 4: Writings by Others, circa 1940s-1994 (Box 4; 4 folders) Series 5: Printed Material, 1941-2010 (Box 4-5; 0.7 linear feet) Series 6: Photographs, circa 1940-2000 (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet) Series 7: Artwork, 1941-1947 (Box 5; 3 folders) Series 8: Scrapbooks, circa 1940-2010 (Box 5-7; 0.8 linear feet) Series 9: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1938-2020 (Box 9-13; 4.4 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Summary:
The papers of painter and author Sylvia Fein measure 10.3 linear feet and date from 1936 to 2020. The papers primarily document her friendships with other artists from the Wisconsin-based Magic Realist group, including Dudley Huppler, John Wilde, Marshall Glasier, and Karl Priebe, as well as her career as a painter and her work on the books Heidi's Horse and First Drawings: Genesis of Visual Thinking . Documentation consists of scattered biographical material, extensive correspondence, project files, writings by Huppler and others, printed material, photographs, artwork by Wilde and Glasier, and scrapbooks.
Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Use Note:
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.
Biography Note:
Sylvia Fein (1919-2023) was a painter and author in Martinez, California. She was part of the Magic Realist Group of artists that originated at the University of Wisconsin.
Fein was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and from 1938 to 1942 she studied art at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. While there she became friends with fellow artists Marshall Glasier, John Wilde, Dudley Huppler, and Karl Priebe. In 1942 she married William Scheuber and briefly had a factory job in Milwaukee testing switches for naval planes. From 1944 to 1947 Fein lived and traveled throughout Mexico. Much of the work produced during this period was included in a solo exhibition of her paintings at the Perls Galleries in 1946. She and her husband then moved to northern California and had a daughter, Heidi. During the 1950s and 1960s, Fein continued to paint in her home studio.
In 1973 Fein decided to take a break from painting and published two books, Heidi's Horse (1976) and First Drawings: Genesis of Visual Thinking (1993). These works were greatly inspired by her friendship with art educator and researcher, Henry Shaefer-Simmern. In 2003 she resumed painting. She was featured in the group show, "With Friends: Six Magic Realists, 1940-1965" at the University of Wisconsin in 2005 and in a solo retrospective at the Bakersfield Art Museum in 2007. From 1970 to 2000 Fein was also active in the community of Pleasant Hill, California, as a member of several public services commissions.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2011 by Sylvia Fein and in 2020 by Barbara Bhachu, Fein's friend.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001