Search Results

Collection Creator:

Terry Dintenfass, Inc.  Search this

Container:

Box 5, Folder 25

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1969

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.

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:

Terry Dintenfass, Inc. records, 1947-1987, bulk 1961-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

See more items in:

Terry Dintenfass, Inc. records

Terry Dintenfass, Inc. records / Series 3: Exhibition Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-terrdint-ref266

Collection Creator:

Liebes, Dorothy  Search this

Container:

Box 1, Folder 52

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1969

Collection 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.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

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:

Dorothy Liebes papers, circa 1850-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of the Dorothy Liebes papers was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Funding for the digitization of the collection was provided by the Coby Foundation.

See more items in:

Dorothy Liebes papers

Dorothy Liebes papers / Series 2: Correspondence / 2.2: General Correspondence

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-liebdoro-ref1268

Collection Creator:

Thomas, Alma  Search this

Container:

Box 2, Folder 46

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1969

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies 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:

Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of the Alma Thomas paper is provided by The Walton Family Foundation and The Friends of Alma Thomas

See more items in:

Alma Thomas papers

Alma Thomas papers / Series 4: Exhibition Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref802

Interviewee:

Underhill, William, 1933-  Search this

Interviewer:

Carney, Margaret, 1949-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Alfred University -- Faculty  Search this

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Voulkos, Peter, 1924-2002  Search this

Extent:

41 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2002 June 8

Scope and Contents:

An interview of William Underhill conducted 2002 June 8, by Margaret Carney, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Wellsville, N.Y.

Underhill speaks of being born in Berkeley, California, to parents who were art teachers; the differences between the West Coast Bay Area arts and crafts movement and that of the east coast; attending California College of Arts & Crafts for two years and then transferring to the University of California at Berkeley, in 1953, to enter the architecture program; building a dome out of aluminum for the city of Oakland's parks department with other students during the summer of 1956; being drafted into the Army in 1957; working for the U.S. Army headquarters in Germany as a draftsman; prominent and influential craft artists that he knew; marrying Linn Baldwin [Underhill], a fellow classmate, in 1957, and starting a family; re-entering UC Berkeley, finishing his B.A. degree in 1960 and completing his M.A. in 1961; his studies with Peter Voulkos; making bronze bowls, which led to his idea of casting wax, modeling wax fabrication, using sheet wax, and making textured sculpture and geometric shapes; having one of his bowl pieces in the Museum of Contemporary Crafts; the Oakland Museum buying a piece of his work; his teaching position at Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M.; being in the "Young Americans" exhibit and receiving the "Best of Show" award in 1962; most teachers trying to "emulate" the style of Peter Voulkos; moving to New York; showing at the Blumenfeld Gallery; sharing a studio next to the Clay Arts Center in Port Chester, N.Y.; building a foundry and a melting facility; teaching part-time at a community adult art center in White Plains, N.Y.; his financial difficulties; teaching part-time at Pratt Institute in 1965; J. Gordon Lippincott, of the industrial firm Lippincott and Margolies, commissioning him to do large scale steel sculptures for major corporations; working as a draftsman in an architect's office in New York City to pay for rent and groceries in 1966; teaching a summer session at Columbia's Teacher's College; teaching full-time as an instructor at New York University in 1967; teaching a workshop at Alfred University, in 1963; interviewing for a teaching position at Alfred at the College Art Association meeting, in Boston, in 1968; moving in the summer of 1969 to Alfred to teach; his counter-culture lifestyle and consequent decrease in his artistic production; showing at the Lee Nordness Gallery in the 1960s; exhibiting at the Perimeter Gallery, Helen Drutt Gallery, Twining Gallery, and Garth Clark Gallery in the 1980s; creating the bronzed statue of King Alfred for Alfred University and selling his copyright to them; his signature stamp; having pieces in the American Craft Museum and in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's collection; teaching at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, the Anderson Ranch, and the Mendocino Art Center; various craft magazines including Craft Horizons and Metalsmith; being a member of the American Craft Council [ACC]; his retirement in 1997; and working at the Berkeley Art Foundry in the summer of 2002. Underhill also recalls Robert Arneson, Josephine Blumenfeld, Diane Cox, Val Cushing, Peter Dodge, Jack Earl, Andrew Jevremovic, Manuel Neri, Bill Parry, Ted Randall, Dan Rhodes, Glenn Zweygardt, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

William Underhill (1933- ) is a metalsmith from Wellsville, N.Y. Margaret Carney is an art historian from New York.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 7 min.

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:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- New York (State)  Search this

Topic:

Art metal-work -- Study and teaching  Search this

Art metal-work -- Technique  Search this

Art -- Economic aspects  Search this

Bronze founding -- Technique  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in 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.

Identifier:

AAA.underh02

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-underh02

Collection Creator:

Withers, Margret Craver, 1907-  Search this

Container:

Box 2, Folder 16

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1972-1977

Collection 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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

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:

Margret Craver Withers papers, 1908-2016. 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.

See more items in:

Margret Craver Withers papers

Margret Craver Withers papers / Series 2: Correspondence / 2.2: Alphabetical Correspondence

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-withmarg-ref63

Creator:

Michaels, Glen, 1927-  Search this

Bertha Schaefer Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

Little Gallery (Birmingham, Mich.)  Search this

Names:

Mouliniere, Marie  Search this

Naiman, Lee  Search this

Rado, Claire, 1941-  Search this

Sterne, Jan Peter  Search this

Yamasaki, Minoru, 1912-  Search this

Extent:

2 Reels (1,540 items (on 2 microfilm reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Reels

Date:

1953-1973

Scope and Contents:

Personal and business correspondence, 1958-1972; a curriclum vitae and other biographical data; commission files containing correspondence, photos, and blueprints; files on competitions, speaking engagements, teaching assignments, and seminars; sketches, drawings, and illustrations for publications; photographs; exhibition catalogs and announcements; clippings; and articles. Among the correspondents are sculptor Jan Peter Sterne, architect Minoru Yamasaki, weavers Lee Naiman, Marie Mouliniere and Claire Rado, the Little Gallery (Birmingham, Mich.), Lee Nordness Galleries, Bertha Schaefer Gallery, and the Ann Jacobs Gallery.

Biographical / Historical:

Sculptor, assemblage artist and art instructor, Birmingham, Mich. Born Spokane, Wash. Studied at Yale University School of Music, Eastern Washington University and the Cranbrook Academy under Zoltan Sepeshy. Taught at Cranbrook, Wayne State University and University of Windsor.

Provenance:

Lent for microfilming 1974 by Glen Michaels.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Art teachers -- Michigan -- Birmingham  Search this

Assemblage artists -- Michigan -- Birmingham  Search this

Sculptors -- Michigan -- Birmingham  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.michglen

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-michglen

Creator:

Warashina, Patti, 1940-  Search this

Names:

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

Currier, Anne, 1950-  Search this

Kottler, Howard, 1930-1989  Search this

Lipofsky, Marvin, 1938-2016  Search this

Lucero, Michael, 1953-  Search this

Sperry, Robert, 1927-1998  Search this

Extent:

4.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Photographs

Date:

circa 1900-1991

bulk 1970-1989

Summary:

The papers of ceramicist and sculptor Patti Warashina (b. 1940) date from circa 1900 and 1957 through 1991, bulk 1970-1989. The collection consists of 4.8 linear feet of correspondence and printed material reflecting the many ceramic and craft exhibitions and other projects Warashina participated in throughout the United States, and her associations with other ceramicists. Also included are biographical documents, writings, art works, several photographs, and a video.

Scope and Content Note:

The Patti Warashina papers measure 4.8 linear feet and date from circa 1900 and 1957 through 1991 (bulk 1970-1989). The collection documents the artistic and teaching career of Seattle-based sculptor and ceramicist Patti Warashina predominantly through correspondence and printed material reflecting the many ceramic and craft exhibitions and other projects Warashina participated in throughout the United States, and her associations with other ceramicists. Also included are biographical documents, writings, art works, several photographs, and a video.

Biographical material includes family trees, diplomas, awards, and documents relating to Warashina's family Japanese internment during WWII. Correspondence, 1968-1991, relating to exhibitions and other projects, is with galleries, museums, purchasers, publishers, and others, among them the Lee Nordness Gallery (N.Y.), Morgan Gallery (Kansas City), and Theo Portney Gallery (Seattle). Additional correspondence files contain letters received, 1977-1990, many addressed to Warashina and her husband Bob (Robert Sperry), from friends, colleagues, former students and family members, including Nancy Carmen, Anne Currier, Deborah Horrell, Matthew Kangas, Howard Kottler, Marvin Lipofsky, Michael Lucero, and others.

Ten photographs, circa 1900-1944, are portraits of Warashina's relatives and family, and several snapshots, circa 1970s, are of former students and works of art. Printed material, 1961-1990, includes newspaper and magazine clippings, programs, journals, newsletters, exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, and workshop announcements for Warashina's various sculpture and ceramic lectures. Writings include both published and unpublished works by Warashina, including an artist's statement for a possible lecture at the 1986 conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). Also found here are handwritten notes on a panel discussion titled Cultural and Racial Heritage: Sources and Imagery in which Warashina was a participant along with artists Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson, María Brito Avellana, and Indira Johnson. Art work consists of blue line drawings for her sculpture "Red Earth," 1986 as well as a pen and ink sketch of Warashina by an unidentified artist. A videocassette, 1987, is of the television program "The Big A: Different Ways of Seeing", in which Warashina appears briefly.

Arrangement:

The Patti Warashina papers are arranged as seven series based primarily on type of material. The correspondence in Series 2 is arranged chronologically for exhibitions and projects and general letters received. Additional letters received are arranged by name of author.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1974-1991, undated (Box 1; 3 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1957, 1967-1991, undated (Boxes 1-3; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 3: Photographs, circa 1900- circa 1959, 1971, undated (Box 3; 3 folders)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1961-1990, undated (Boxes 3-6, OV 7; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 5: Writings and Notes, 1984, 1986, 1989, undated (Box 6; 4 folders)

Series 6: Artwork, 1986, undated (Box 6; 2 folders)

Series 7: Miscellany, 1987, undated (Box 6; 2 folders)

Biographical Note:

Patti Warashina is a Japanese American ceramicist and sculptor. She was born in 1940 as Masae Patricia Warashina in Spokane, Washington to third generation Japanese emigrants. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, Seattle, where she studied with sculptors Robert Sperry, Harold Myers, Rudy Autio, Shoji Hamada, Shinsaku Hamada, and Ruth Penington. She received her first solo exhibition in 1962 at the Phoenix Art Gallery in Seattle the same year she graduated with an M.F.A. from the University of Washington. Warashina later married fellow student Fred Bauer and from 1964 to 1970 exhibited as Patti Bauer.

Influences in Warashina's art include California funk and sculptural ceramics. Her work is best known for its whimsical themes expressed through low-fire highly colored figurative images. Together with fellow artists Robert Sperry, Howard Kottler and Fred Bauer, she brought national recognition to the department of ceramics at the University of Washington's School of Art beginning in the 1980s.

Patti Warashina is a recipient of several awards for achievements in the field of crafts, most recently the Twining Humber Award granted by Seattle's Artists Trust in 2002. She received the Governor's Award of Special Commendation for the Arts in 1980 in addition to grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in both 1975 and 1986. In 1978, Warashina was awarded a World Craft Council Travel Grant which allowed her to conduct research on the ceramic arts process in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Bali and the Philippines. Warashina's teaching career spans over 30 years and includes positions at the University of Wisconsin, Eastern Michigan University, and at her alma mater where she has taught for over 25 years. Her work is featured in several museum collections in both the U.S. and abroad including the American Craft Museum in New York, the Seattle Art Museum and Henry Art Gallery, the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery (Washington, DC), the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and the Ichon World Ceramic Center in Korea. Since her marriage to ceramicist Robert Sperry in 1976, she has used Patti Warashina as her professional name. Patti Warashina is a resident of Seattle, Washington.

Provenance:

The Patti Warashina papers were donated by the artist to the Archives of American Art in 1991.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use 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.

Occupation:

Ceramicists -- Washington (State) -- Seattle  Search this

Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle  Search this

Topic:

Japanese American families -- Photographs  Search this

Asian American art  Search this

Asian American artists  Search this

Asian American women artists  Search this

Japanese American art  Search this

Japanese American artists  Search this

Japanese American women artists  Search this

Asian American sculptors  Search this

Asian American ceramicists  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women ceramicists  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Photographs

Citation:

Patti Warashina papers, circa 1990-1991, bulk 1970-1989. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.warapatt

See more items in:

Patti Warashina papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-warapatt

Collection Creator:

Kington, L. Brent (Louis Brent), 1934-2013  Search this

Extent:

(box 1-3; 1.6 linear ft.)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1956-2005, undated

Scope and Contents note:

This series provides subject access to records concerning specific aspects of Kington's career. As in Series 1, the majority of the records found here are correspondence and researchers should note that supplementary material relating to any of these subjects may be found in Series 1.

Three folders of material relating to Kintgon's education at Cranbrook Academy of Art contain photographs of artwork by Kington including images of a commission for the Detroit auto show, furniture designs, silverware, and jewelry. Of particular note are several color sketches of jewelry designs done by Kington during his time at Cranbrook.

The series documents Kington's involvement with various professional organizations such as the American Craft Council (ACC), and the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). ACC records include information regarding annual award ceremonies and symposiums, and various awards bestowed on Kington by the organization. SNAG records including minutes of the forming executive committee meetings and information about the founding of the society and annual conferences.

Kington's career as an educator is also documented here through records of arrangements for his conference presentations, his activities as a juror and a visiting artist at various institutions and craft schools, and his administrative and faculty duties as a professor at Southern Illinois University. The folder concerning the Penland School of Crafts, in which Kington participated in 1971, includes Kington's answers to a questionnaire which provide insight into his attitudes towards such opportunities to work alongside other artists.

Letters to Kington from SIU alumni, such as Elizabeth Y. Akamatsu, Phillip Baldwin, Jan Brooks, Harlan W. Butt, Stephen Miller, Noellyn Popos, Rachelle Thiewes and Claudia Widdis, can also be found in this series in addition to postcards from Phillip Baldwin, Robert Ebendorf, Glen Gardner, Paula Garrett, Mary Lee Hu, Arthur Johns, Liza Littlefield, Kris Patzlaff, Sarah Perkins, Mary Ann and Sam Scherr, Jim Wallace and others.

Consignments and sales of Kington's work at galleries such as J.J. Klejman, and The Sculptors Gallery, as well as his relationships with Lee Nordness Galleries, Gilman Galleries, and Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery during the 1960s, are also documented here. Records relating to Lee Nordness Galleries concern the gallery's interest in Kington's works as Nordness expanded his interest in contemporary American objects by "master craftsmen." This material also deals briefly with Kington's representation in the Objects USA crafts exhibition which opened at the Smithsonian Institution in 1969. Records relating to the Theo Portnoy Gallery document Kington's exhibition, The Weathervane: A Kinetic Form (1978), as well as other consignments and sales through the gallery from 1977 to 1981.

The series also includes a résumé, with a career summary and an artist statement. A folder of material on the Second International Seminar on Craft Art and Religion includes three photographs of Kington and other attendees.

Arrangement note:

Files are arranged alphabetically by subject using the basic arrangement supplied by Kington. In some cases, files have been further broken down and subject headings have been adapted for clarification and ease of access.

Collection Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.

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:

L. Brent Kington papers, 1944-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.kinglbre, Series 2

See more items in:

L. Brent Kington papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-kinglbre-ref18

Collection Creator:

Kington, L. Brent (Louis Brent), 1934-2013  Search this

Container:

Box 2, Folder 22

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1963-1969, 1977, undated

Collection Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.

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:

L. Brent Kington papers, 1944-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

L. Brent Kington papers

L. Brent Kington papers / Series 2: Subject Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-kinglbre-ref43

Creator:

Warashina, Patti, 1940-  Search this

Warashina, Patti, 1940-  Search this

Subject:

Lipofsky, Marvin  Search this

Lucero, Michael  Search this

Kottler, Howard  Search this

Sperry, Robert  Search this

Currier, Anne  Search this

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

Type:

Video recordings

Photographs

Topic:

Japanese American families -- Photographs  Search this

Asian American art  Search this

Asian American artists  Search this

Asian American women artists  Search this

Japanese American art  Search this

Japanese American artists  Search this

Japanese American women artists  Search this

Asian American sculptors  Search this

Asian American ceramicists  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women ceramicists  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Women  Search this

Asian American  Search this

Lives of American Artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)5577

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214325

AAA_collcode_warapatt

Theme:

Craft

Women

Asian American

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214325

Interviewee:

Underhill, William, 1933-  Search this

Underhill, William, 1933-  Search this

Interviewer:

Carney, Margaret, 1949-  Search this

Subject:

Voulkos, Peter  Search this

Alfred University  Search this

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Topic:

Art metal-work -- Study and teaching  Search this

Art metal-work -- Technique  Search this

Art -- Economic aspects  Search this

Bronze founding -- Technique  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)12395

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)237765

AAA_collcode_underh02

Theme:

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_237765

Creator:

Nordness, Lee, 1922-1995  Search this

Nordness, Lee, 1922-1995  Search this

Subject:

Gibran, Kahlil  Search this

Grippe, Peter  Search this

Gikow, Ruth  Search this

D'Arista, Robert  Search this

Hebald, Milton  Search this

Guglielmi, Louis  Search this

Kearns, James  Search this

Kachadoorian, Zubel  Search this

Meigs, Walter  Search this

Prestopino, Gregorio  Search this

Lebrun, Rico  Search this

Levi, Julian E. (Julian Edwin)  Search this

Williams, Hiram  Search this

Zerbe, Karl  Search this

Crawford, Ralston  Search this

Aronson, David  Search this

Blaustein, Al H.  Search this

Collie, Alberto  Search this

Metromedia, Inc.  Search this

Johnson Wax  Search this

Cooper-Hewitt Museum.  Search this

Little Studio  Search this

Talent Discovery Company  Search this

Forms and Objects (Firm)  Search this

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

American Art Expositions (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Nordness Gallery  Search this

Type:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Theme:

Art Market  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7232

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209372

AAA_collcode_nordlee

Theme:

Art Market

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209372

Creator:

Michaels, Glen, 1927-  Search this

Bertha Schaefer Gallery  Search this

Michaels, Glen, 1927-  Search this

Subject:

Mouliniere, Marie  Search this

Rado, Claire  Search this

Sterne, Jan Peter  Search this

Yamasaki, Minoru  Search this

Naiman, Lee  Search this

Theme:

Lives of American Artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7983

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210152

AAA_collcode_michglen

Theme:

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210152

Creator:

Fisch, Arline M., 1931-  Search this

Fisch, Arline M., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Antunes, Edith  Search this

American Craftsmen's Council  Search this

Boston University  Search this

Electrum (Gallery : London, England)  Search this

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

National Endowment for the Arts  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

San Diego State University  Search this

Skidmore College  Search this

Society of North American Goldsmiths  Search this

World Crafts Council  Search this

Internationale Handwerksmesse  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Video recordings

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Theme:

Women  Search this

Lives of American Artists  Search this

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11056

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)245834

AAA_collcode_fiscarli

Theme:

Women

Lives of American Artists

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_245834

Creator:

Nordness, Lee  Search this

Names:

American Art Expositions (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Cooper-Hewitt Museum.  Search this

Forms and Objects (Firm)  Search this

Johnson Wax  Search this

Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this

Little Studio  Search this

Metromedia, Inc.  Search this

Nordness Gallery  Search this

Talent Discovery Company  Search this

Aronson, David, 1923-2015  Search this

Blaustein, Al H., 1924-2004  Search this

Collie, Alberto  Search this

Crawford, Ralston, 1906-1978  Search this

D'Arista, Robert, 1929-  Search this

Gibran, Kahlil, 1922-  Search this

Gikow, Ruth, 1915-1982  Search this

Grippe, Peter, 1912-  Search this

Guglielmi, Louis, 1906-1956  Search this

Hebald, Milton  Search this

Kachadoorian, Zubel, 1924-  Search this

Kearns, James  Search this

Lebrun, Rico, 1900-1964  Search this

Levi, Julian E. (Julian Edwin), 1900-1982  Search this

Meigs, Walter, 1918-1988  Search this

Prestopino, Gregorio  Search this

Williams, Hiram  Search this

Zerbe, Karl, 1903-1972  Search this

Extent:

117.5 Linear feet (Boxes 1-121)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Date:

circa 1931-1992

bulk 1954-1984

Summary:

The Lee Nordness business records and papers measure 117.5 linear feet and date from circa 1931 to 1992 with the bulk of materials dating from 1954 to 1984. The records document seven New York City art-related companies with which Nordness was involved: Talent Discovery Company, The Little Studio, Ltd., American Art Expositions, Inc., Nordness Gallery, Inc., Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc., Lee Nordness Galleries Exhibition Section, Inc., and Forms & Objects, Inc. Records include correspondence, artist's files, business and legal records, inventories, financial and sales records, printed materials, scrapbooks, and photographic materials. Also found is a small group of personal papers.

Scope and Contents:

The Lee Nordness business records and papers measure 117.5 linear feet and date from circa 1931 to 1992 with the bulk of materials dating from 1954 to 1984. The records document seven New York City art-related companies with which Nordness was involved: Talent Discovery Company, The Little Studio, Ltd., American Art Expositions, Inc., Nordness Gallery, Inc., Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc., Lee Nordness Galleries Exhibition Section, Inc., and Forms & Objects, Inc. Records include correspondence, artist's files, business and legal records, inventories, financial and sales records, printed materials, scrapbooks, and photographic materials. Also found is a small group of personal papers.

More than half of the collection documents Lee Nordness' primary businesses, Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc. Business correspondence, artist's files, extensive project files, business and legal records, financial and sales records, inventories, printed materials, scrapbooks, and photographic materials reveal Nordness' role as an art dealer of contemporary American artwork and art consultant to companies and organizations. The records document his ability to adapt to changing external markets as well as his own interests, from dealing primarily in paintings and sculpture to promoting American fine crafts. Artists from Nordness' permanent roster are represented, including David Aronson, Al Blaustein, Alberto Collie, Ralston Crawford, Robert D'Arista, Kahlil Gibran, Ruth Gikow, Peter Grippe, Louis Guglielmi, Milton Hebald, Zubel Kachadoorian, James Kearns, Rico Lebrun, Julian Levi, Walter Meigs, Gregorio Prestopino, Hiram Williams, and Karl Zerbe. Companies and organizations represented include S.C. Johnson & Son, Co., Metromedia, and Cooper-Hewitt, National Museum of Design. Because materials from Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Art Advisory Section were often interfiled and related, the records were not separated into different series.

The records of Lee Nordness Galleries Exhibition Section, Inc. document the exhibition and sale of artwork through correspondence, artist's files, business records, financial and sales records, and scrapbooks for artists and exhibition seasons. Forms & Objects, Inc. contains correspondence, lecture notes, public relations files, business records, financial and sales records, scrapbooks and photographic materials related to American fine crafts.

The organization and press surrounding the monumental exhibitions Art:USA:58 and Art:USA:59 are illustrated in the correspondence, banking records, founding documents, newspaper clippings, paid bill receipts, and sales invoices of the American Art Expositions, Inc. records. Photographs of the Art:USA:59 artists taken by Fred Darrah are also found here.

The bulk of the records of The Little Studio, Inc. are financial records and sales invoices. Lee Nordness' involvement in the gallery is also documented through correspondence and business records. The records of Talent Discovery Company are primarily financial, including banking records, receipts, and tax records. Also found are shipping records, correspondence, and inventory cards.

There are few personal papers of Lee Nordness, the bulk of which are related to his involvement with his tenant cooperative. Also found is scattered correspondence, a scrapbook, and travel documents.

Records for the various companies were co-mingled upon accession. AAA has attempted to place papers in Nordness' original order based on discussions with Nordness and evidence from the records. However, researchers should note there is significant interfiling of the companies' records throughout the collection, especially scrapbooks and photographs. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use dates and keywords to help discover related materials throughout all series.

Abbreviations were often written by the gallery in the upper left-hand corner of a document to indicate to which company the record should be filed. Abbreviations used include: Nordness Gallery, "NG" or "LN"; Art Advisory Section, "AA" or "LN"; Exhibition Section, "ES" or "E/S"; Forms & Objects, "F/O"; American Art Expositions, "AAE"; The Little Studio, "TLS"; and, Talent Discovery Company, "TDC."

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc., circa 1938-1992, bulk 1958-1982 (67.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-67, 117-119)

Series 2: Lee Nordness Galleries Exhibition Section, Inc., 1938-1985 (25.5 linear feet; Boxes 68-93, 120, FC 122)

Series 3: Forms & Objects, Inc., circa 1931, circa 1959-1984 (13.5 linear feet; Boxes 93-106, 120)

Series 4: American Art Expositions, Inc., 1955-1968 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 106-107)

Series 5: The Little Studio, Inc., 1947-1969 (7.7 linear feet; Boxes 108-115, 121)

Series 6: Talent Discovery Company, 1953-1957 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 115-116, 121)

Series 7: Personal Papers of Lee Nordness, 1948-1976 (0.7 linear feet; Box 116)

Biographical / Historical:

New York City gallerist and entrepreneur Lee Nordness (1922-1995) was born in Olympia, Washington. He studied art in college and received a bachelor's degree from Uppsala University in Sweden. From 1954-1956, Nordness ran a small gallery, Talent Discovery Company, out of his apartment in New York City. Around 1955, Nordness became the director of The Little Studio, Ltd., a gallery started by Richard Kollmer in 1952 to showcase moderately priced artwork by young artists. Nordness took over the business in 1957; it closed in April 1963.

In 1958, Nordness incorporated American Art Expositions, Inc. to organize Art:USA:58, a large exposition of contemporary American art held at Madison Square Garden. The following year Art:USA:59 was held at the New York Coliseum.

Lee Nordness opened his own gallery, Nordness Gallery, Inc., in December 1957 on Madison Avenue. The gallery promoted a roster of contemporary painters and sculptors, including David Aronson, Al Blaustein, Alberto Collie, Ralston Crawford, Robert D'Arista, Kahlil Gibran, Ruth Gikow, Peter Grippe, Milton Hebald, Zubel Kachadoorian, James Kearns, Julian Levi, Walter Meigs, Gregorio Prestopino, Hiram Williams, Karl Zerbe, and the estates of Louis Guglielmi and Rico Lebrun. In 1966, Lee Nordness reorganized his businesses. He closed Nordness Gallery and opened Lee Nordness Art Advisory Section, an art consulting service to corporations, collectors, museums, and individuals, and Lee Nordness Galleries Exhibition Sections, Inc. to handle exhibitions and the sale of paintings and sculptures.

Lee Nordness had an interest in American crafts and, beginning in 1968, he added a permanent roster of American craftmakers to exhibit alongside paintings and sculpture. He opened Forms & Objects, Inc. to handle the exhibition and sales of fine crafts such as ceramics, fiber, glass, metal and wood. With a need for additional exhibition space, the gallery moved a few blocks off Madison Avenue to 236-238 East 75th Street.

Nordness traveled the globe to assemble prominent collections for clients, such as Art:USA, a collection of contemporary works by 102 American artists for S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Art:USA traveled throughout the United States and Europe in the mid-late 1960s before being donated to the National Collection of Fine Arts (Smithsonian Institution). In the late 1960s, he assembled a collection of 300 American craft objects for S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. called Objects:USA, which toured throughout the United States and Europe. This collection was disassembled in the late 1970s, many of the works donated to the Museum of Arts and Design, formerly the Museum of Contemporary Craft.

Nordness closed his New York galleries in the mid-1980s. Soon after, he moved to Belfair, Washington and opened Lee Nordness Galleries, Inc. in 1986. He passed away in 1995 in Washington.

Separated Materials:

Three microfilm reels of material were loaned to the Archives of American Art by Lee Nordness in 1959 regarding American Art Exposition, Inc.'s Art:USA 58 and Art:USA:59. Microfilm includes correspondence, catalogs, visitor lists, press releases, lists of artwork, financial records, and advertising materials and is available on reels NAU1, NAU2 and NAU3.

Later, in 1964 and 1969, Lee Nordness loaned original materials for microfilming compiled by Nordness Gallery about the careers of Gregorio Prestopino, Julian E. Levi, and Lee Gatch, including correspondence, exhibition materials, biographical information, clippings, and photographs. Loaned material is available on reels N69-21 and D169. Original materials were returned to Nordness, but some may have been included in later donations and those originals have been integrated with the other donated records.

The contents of microfilm reels are not described in the container listing of this finding aid.

Provenance:

The Lee Nordness business records and papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in several increments by Lee Nordness in 1976, 1986 and as a bequest in 1996. Original materials were also lent by Nordness in 1964 and 1969 for microfilming, some of which may have been included in subsequent donations.

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.

Occupation:

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Citation:

Lee Nordness business records and papers, circa 1931-1992, bulk 1954-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund

Identifier:

AAA.nordlee

See more items in:

Lee Nordness business records and papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-nordlee

Collection Creator:

Nordness, Lee  Search this

Container:

Box 30, Folder 34-35

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

circa 1980

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Lee Nordness business records and papers, circa 1931-1992, bulk 1954-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Lee Nordness business records and papers

Lee Nordness business records and papers / Series 1: Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc. / 1.3: Project Files / 1.3.5: Council House Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-nordlee-ref1000

Collection Creator:

Nordness, Lee  Search this

Container:

Box 30, Folder 36

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

circa 1978-1979

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Lee Nordness business records and papers, circa 1931-1992, bulk 1954-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Lee Nordness business records and papers

Lee Nordness business records and papers / Series 1: Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc. / 1.3: Project Files / 1.3.5: Council House Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-nordlee-ref1001

Collection Creator:

Nordness, Lee  Search this

Container:

Box 30, Folder 37

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1979

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Lee Nordness business records and papers, circa 1931-1992, bulk 1954-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Lee Nordness business records and papers

Lee Nordness business records and papers / Series 1: Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc. / 1.3: Project Files / 1.3.5: Council House Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-nordlee-ref1002

Collection Creator:

Nordness, Lee  Search this

Container:

Box 30, Folder 38

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1977-1978

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Lee Nordness business records and papers, circa 1931-1992, bulk 1954-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Lee Nordness business records and papers

Lee Nordness business records and papers / Series 1: Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc. / 1.3: Project Files / 1.3.5: Council House Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-nordlee-ref1003

Collection Creator:

Nordness, Lee  Search this

Container:

Box 30, Folder 39-41

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1977-1983

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Lee Nordness business records and papers, circa 1931-1992, bulk 1954-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Lee Nordness business records and papers

Lee Nordness business records and papers / Series 1: Nordness Gallery, Inc. and Lee Nordness Galleries Art Advisory Section, Inc. / 1.3: Project Files / 1.3.5: Council House Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-nordlee-ref1004