An interview of Joni Gordon conducted 2002 July 8-Sept. 23, by Paul Karlstrom, for the Archives of American Art, in Gordon's home, Los Angeles, Calif.
She discusses her personal and educational background; the origins and purposes of Newspace Gallery; her experiences with the Ferus Gallery, Esther Robles Gallery, Frank Perls Gallery, and Felix Landau Gallery. Gordon also discusses her friendship with Betty Asher and Betty Parsons, who became her mentor in the gallery business. She relates that her interest in the promotion of local comtemporary artists led her along with her husband, Monte, and Robert Smith to organize the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA).
Biographical / Historical:
Joni Gordon (1936- ) is the owner and director of Newspace art gallery and an art collector from Los Angeles, Calif.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators. Funding for the transcription of this interview was provided by Joni Gordon.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Gallery directors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
An interview of Peter Goulds conducted 2008 Mar. 24 and July 28, by Susan Ford Morgan, for the Archives of American Art at L.A. Louver Gallery, in Venice, Calif.
Goulds discusses growing up in Islington, London U.K. and the influence of his family; his work as a youth in the London theater world and interest in jazz; his time studying at the Walthamstow School of Art, the Coventry School of Art and the Manchester School of Art; his interest in typographic art and introduction to structuralism; his interest in the fields of communication design, experimental video and film; his time teaching an introductory art and design class at UCLA; his wife Liz and the opening of his gallery L. A. Louver in Venice, California, as well as the origin of the gallery's name. Goulds also describes the growth of his gallery in Venice and subsequent expansions and renovations; the Louver Gallery in New York City and its closing in 1993; the many challenges of running a gallery in Venice in the '70s; his opinions about art fairs and the current state of the art business as contrasted with when he began along with the gallery's "Rogue Wave" program for new artists. Goulds also recalls David Hockney, Mitsuru Kataoka, Morris Zaslavsky, Jake Zeitlin, Kate Steinitz, and Lili Lakich along with Ron Kitaj, Ken Price, Mark di Suvero, Ed and Nancy Kienholz, Kimberly Davis, Chris Pate, Fred Fisher, and Sean Kelly among others.
Biographical / Historical:
Peter Goulds (1948- ) is the founding director of Louver Gallery and L.A. Louver Gallery in Venice, Calif. Susan Ford Morgan is a writer in Los Angeles, Calif.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire audio recording is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Topic:
Gallery directors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by the Art Dealers Association of America.
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Photocopies of letters to Wight from Charles Sheeler, Morris Graves, Nathan Oliveira and Hans Hofmann.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, author, gallery director, art administrator; Los Angeles, Calif. Died 1986 Was director of the University of California, Los Angeles art gallery, now called the Frederick S. Wight Galleries.
Provenance:
Photocopies discarded after microfilming.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Gallery directors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
The David Stuart papers and gallery records measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1910 to 1984. The collection sheds light on Stuart's personal and professional life through scattered correspondence, photographs, and appraisal records; and his galleries' operations through scant artist files, exhibition files, photographs, and printed material.
Scope and Contents:
The David Stuart papers and gallery records measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1910 to 1984. The collection contains Stuart's personal and professional papers as well as gallery records. Personal and professional papers include correspondence concerning Stuart's career in New Orleans jazz music; appraisal records of pre-Columbian artifacts; papers related to the Louis Armstrong Statue Fund in New Orleans; scattered family papers and personal photographs; and more. Gallery records shed light on the operations of both galleries owned by Stuart through scant artist, exhibition, collector, and gallery files; printed material such as newspapers clippings and gallery posters; and photographs of the gallery, artwork, and artists.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series.
Series 1: David Stuart Personal and Professional Papers, 1910-1984 (Box 1; 11 folders)
Series 2: Gallery Records, 1960s-1983 (Box 1-2, OV 3; 1.1 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
David Stuart (1910-1984) was a gallery owner and owner of a jazz shop and record label in Los Angeles, California. Stuart opened Jazz Man Record Shop in Hollywood in 1939, and then in 1941 started a record label, Jazz Man Records. Stuart parted ways with both the label and the shop by 1946. In 1961, David Stuart along with his friend, Edward Primus, founded the Primus-Stuart Gallery in Los Angeles, California. In the same location two years later, Stuart founded David Stuart Galleries. The gallery specialized in showing emerging contemporary artists and pre-Columbian art and artifacts. Included in the list of artists shown at Stuart's galleries is John Altoon, Oliver Andrews, Sorel Etrog, Marvin Harden, and June Harwood.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Jacqueline Anhalt Stuart in 1985.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
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.
Occupation:
Gallery directors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Art dealers -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
David Stuart Papers and Gallery Records, 1910-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
An interview of Esther Robles conducted 1981 August 24-31, by Ruth Bowman, for the Archives of American Art.
Robles speaks of her family background; early art training; opening her own gallery in the 1940s; exhibitions at the gallery and artists who exhibited; the art community in Los Angeles and some of the problems in being a dealer there; her dedication to showing a variety of artists; working on the U.S. Treasury Department's Art Advisory Panel; and the closing of her gallery. She recalls Stanton Macdonald-Wright. Also present is Robles' husband, Robert.
Biographical / Historical:
Ester Robles (1907-2001) was a gallery director from Los Angeles, Calif.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 13 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 13 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Use requires an appointment.
Occupation:
Gallery directors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
A copy of Penny's typescript "The Discipline of Freedom," 1970; two writings on Penny, 1971; an exhibition catalog, 1972; and an announcement.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and gallery director; Los Angeles and Van Nuys, Calif.
Provenance:
Donated 1973 by Aubrey Penny.
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.
Occupation:
Gallery directors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
