Search Results

Creator:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2010-12-29T19:02:11.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Design  Search this

See more by:

cooperhewitt

Data Source:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

YouTube Channel:

cooperhewitt

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_5eUjOzx1xlM

Creator:

National Museum of the American Indian  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2015-07-15T22:50:37.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Native Americans;American Indians  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNMAI

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNMAI

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_Cda0YzPhzI0

Creator:

Smithsonian American Art Museum  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2017-10-20T20:25:31.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

See more by:

americanartmuseum

Data Source:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

YouTube Channel:

americanartmuseum

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_yNmK-UAdEZw

Interviewee:

Harris, Lyle Ashton, 1965-  Search this

Interviewer:

Fialho, Alex, 1989-  Search this

Names:

American Academy in Rome -- Students  Search this

California Institute of the Arts -- Students  Search this

Visual Arts and the AIDS Epidemic: An Oral History Project  Search this

Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.) -- Students  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Baker, Houston A., Jr., 1943-  Search this

Barton, Nancy, (Artist)  Search this

Basquiat, Jean-Michel, 1960-1988  Search this

Butler, Cornelia H.  Search this

Carby, Hazel V.  Search this

Collier, Jim  Search this

Gates, Henry Louis, Jr.  Search this

Geer, Tommy  Search this

Goldin, Nan, 1953-  Search this

Gonzalez-Torres, Felix, 1957-1996  Search this

Gray, Todd, 1954-  Search this

Grayson, John, 1943-  Search this

Hemphill, Essex  Search this

Julien, Isaac  Search this

Lord, Catherine, 1949-  Search this

Mapplethorpe, Robert  Search this

Mays, Vickie M.  Search this

O'Dench, Ellen  Search this

O'Meally, Jackie  Search this

O'Meally, Robert G., 1948-  Search this

Riggs, Marlon T.  Search this

Seeley, J.  Search this

Sekula, Allan  Search this

Tate, Greg  Search this

Tilton, Jack  Search this

Watson, Simon  Search this

Wilson, Millie  Search this

Woodman, Francesca, 1958-1981  Search this

Extent:

6 Items (Sound recording: 6 sound files (8 hr., 6 min.), digital, wav)

95 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Interviews

Sound recordings

Place:

England -- London -- Description and Travel

Ghana -- Description and Travel

Netherlands -- Amsterdam -- Description and Travel

New York (N.Y.) -- Description and Travel

Tanzania -- Description and Travel

Date:

2017 March 27-29

Scope and Contents:

An interview with Lyle Ashton Harris, conducted 2017 March 27 and 29, by Alex Fialho, for the Archives of American Art's Visual Arts and the AIDS Epidemic: An Oral History Project, at Harris's studio and home in New York, New York.

Harris speaks of his childhood in the Bronx; his family's influence on his race-consciousness; living in Tanzania for two years as a child and the effects on his understanding of race and sexuality; his grandfather's extensive photographic archive; contact with the South African diaspora through his step-father; attending Wesleyan University; formative experiences in London, Amsterdam, and New York in the mid-1980s; his education and development as a photographer; attending CalArts and encountering West Coast AIDS activism; encountering systemic racism in Los Angeles; close friendships with Marlon Riggs and Essex Hemphill; exhibitions of his work in New York in the early 1990s; the production of his Ektachrome Archive and his impulse to photograph daily life; his work on the Black Community AIDS Research and Education (Black C.A.R.E.) project in Los Angeles; participating in the Whitney Museum's Independent Study Program; being diagnosed with HIV and remaining asymptomatic; attending the Dia Black Popular Culture Conference in 1992; photographing and mounting "The Good Life" in 1994 and "The Watering Hole" in 1996; issues of blackness and queerness in his photographic work; his residency at the American Academy in Rome in 2000; moving to Accra, Ghana for seven years in 2005; his pedagogy as an art professor; his thoughts on the lack of voices of color in the Visual Arts and the AIDS Epidemic Oral History Project and in the larger power structures of the art world; and his hope that his artistic legacy will be evaluated in its proper context. Harris also recalls Jackie and Robert O'Meally, Jay Seeley, Ellen O'Dench, Francesca Woodman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jim Collier, Robert Mapplethorpe, Allan Sekula, Hazel Carby, Isaac Julien, Catherine Lord, Millie Wilson, Todd Gray, John Grayson, Tommy Gear, Marlon Riggs, Essex Hemphill, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Nancy Barton, Vickie Mays, Connie Butler, Greg Tate, Henry Louis Gates, Houston Baker, Nan Goldin, Jack Tilton, Simon Watson, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Lyle Ashton Harris (1965- ) is an artist who works in video, photography, and performance in New York, New York. Alex Fialho (1989- ) is a curator and arts writer and works as Programs Director for Visual AIDS in New York, New York.

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.

Occupation:

Performance artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Video artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

AIDS activists  Search this

AIDS (Disease) and the arts  Search this

Racism  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Artists (LGBTQ)  Search this

Gay artists  Search this

African American art -- African influences  Search this

African American educators  Search this

African American photographers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funded by the Keith Haring Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.harris17

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9559d7597-04b4-4644-b6ae-bca2bdb27f88

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-harris17

Collection Creator:

Amos, Emma, 1937-2020  Search this

Container:

Box 22, Folder 2

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

2006

Collection Restrictions:

Material regarding the Guerilla Girls is access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. 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:

Emma Amos papers, circa 1900-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Emma Amos papers

Emma Amos papers / Series 7: Other Professional Activities

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94675434b-e89e-49d3-9a3d-3714a29eaf26

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-amosemma-ref427

Collection Creator:

Amos, Emma, 1937-2020  Search this

Extent:

4 Linear feet (Boxes 20-24, 46)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

circa 1960s-2018

Scope and Contents:

The series consists of files documenting Amos's residencies and fellowships at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation in Italy, and the American Academy in Rome; memberships with the College Art Association, Guerilla Girls, National Academy of Design, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and Women's Caucus for Art; and presentations at conferences, symposiums, workshops, and as a visiting artist. An electronic diskette and one electronic disc contain material regarding other artists. Amos curated a number of exhibitions including Progressions: A Cultural Legacy (1986), also co-curated by Julia Hotton and Vivian Browne, Resisting Categories: Finding Common Ground, and Resisting Categories: Finding Common Ground. Also included are artist files, curating files, jury and panelist files, and files detailing her travels to Cuba, Brazil, German, Italy, Mexico, and South Africa.

Arrangement:

The files are arranged alphabetically by file type, then alphabetically within each type. Exhibitions are arranged in rough chronological order by exhibition date.

Collection Restrictions:

Material regarding the Guerilla Girls is access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. 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:

Emma Amos papers, circa 1900-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.amosemma, Series 7

See more items in:

Emma Amos papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ce870f61-505d-4fe5-a788-65ff0fbf74b8

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-amosemma-ref9

Creator:

National Museum of the American Indian  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2013-11-19T16:46:06.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Native Americans;American Indians  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNMAI

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNMAI

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_7TPsrgC6EoI

Creator:

Gray, Cleve  Search this

Names:

Berry-Hill Galleries  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Connecticut. Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film  Search this

Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this

Neuberger Museum of Art  Search this

Pratt Institute  Search this

Princeton University  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design  Search this

Barzun, Jacques, 1907-  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Davis, Jim, 1901-1974  Search this

Dillenberger, Jane  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this

Gabo, Naum, 1890-1977  Search this

Grace, Louise N.  Search this

Gray, Francine du Plessix  Search this

Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Richter, Hans, 1888-1976  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Villon, Jacques, 1875-1963  Search this

Weber, Nicholas Fox, 1947-  Search this

Extent:

9.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Date:

1933-2005

Summary:

The Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005, measure 9.2 linear feet. Papers include biographical material, alphabetical files, writings, artwork, audio/visual records, artifacts, printed material, and photographs. Extensive alphabetical files contain personal and professional correspondence as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Especially well-documented are: Gray's involvement with the Vietnam protest movement; and Threnody, his best-known work composed of fourteen large panels lamenting the dead of both sides sides in Vietnam, commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art.

Scope and Content Note:

The Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005, measure 9.2 linear feet. Papers include biographical material, alphabetical files, writings, artwork, audio/visual records, artifacts, printed material, and photographs. Extensive alphabetical files contain personal and professional correspondence as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Especially well-documented are: Gray's involvement with the Vietnam movement; and Threnody, his best-known work composed of fourteen large panels lamenting the dead of both sides sides in Vietnam, commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art.

Among the biographical material are award and membership certificates, biographical notes, and personal documentation.

The alphabetical files contain Cleve Gray's personal and professional correspondence, as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Correspondence is with friends and family, colleagues, publishers, museum curators and directors, art dealers, collectors, and fans. Among the correspondents of note are: Jacques Barzun, James E. Davis, Naum Gabo, Louise N. Grace, Hans and Fridel Richter, and Jacques and Gaby Villon. Other substantial correspondence includes: Berry-Hill Galleries, Betty Parsons Gallery, Connecticut Commission on the Arts, Jacques Seligmann and Co., Neuberger Museum of Art, Pratt Institute, Princeton University, and Rhode Island School of Design. Subject files mostly consist of correspondence, but include printed material and some photographs. Among the subject files are: Art Collection of Cleve and Francine Gray, Artist-Dealer Consignments and Visual Artists' Rights Act of 1989, Artists' Tax Equity Act of 1979, Promised Gifts to Museums, Threnody, Vestments, and Vietnam Protest. Of particular interest are files relating to the Estate of Hans Richter (Cleve Gray, executor), and Gray's research correspondence and illustrations for his Cosmopolitan article "Women-Leaders of Modern Art."

Writings are manuscripts and drafts, research materials, notes, and miscellaneous writings by Cleve Gray and other authors. Those by Gray include articles and catalog introductions on a wide range of art-related topics, as well as book and exhibition reviews. Also found are a book proposal, texts and notes for lectures and talks, miscellaneous notes, poems, political statements, and student papers. Of particular interest are autobiographical notes in the form of a chronology that his biographer, Nicholas Fox Weber, cited as an "autochronology."

Among the writings by other authors are pieces about Cleve Gray including Nicholas Fox Weber's manuscript Cleve Gray. A significant amount of material relates to three books edited by Gray: David Smith by David Smith: Sculpture and Writings, Hans Richter, and John Marin. Research material survives for an unpublished volume, Naum Gabo. Also included are notes relating to his translation of A l'Infinitif by Marcel Duchamp. Jane Daggett Dillenberger is represented by a lecture, "The Resurrection in Art." The remaining items by other authors are unsigned; of particular interest is a small notebook of reminiscences and notes about Jackson Pollock.

Artwork by Cleve Gray consists mostly drawings and sketches, and a small number of paintings, prints, and watercolors. Works by other artists consist are an unsigned mobile of paper cut-outs, possibly by Alexander Calder, and a pencil drawing signed Dick (probably Richard Avedon).

Audio recordings are a radio broadcast featuring Cleve Gray, several lectures by Gray on John Marin, and a lecture titled "Meaning in the Visual Arts." Other recordings are of Hans Richter and an interview with Jimmy Ernst conducted by Francine du Plessix Gray. Also found is a videocassette of "Glenville School Students at SUNY (Lincoln Center Activity)."

Artifacts are a Chinese scroll representative of those that hung in Cleve Gray's studio, two of his paintbrushes, Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association blue ribbon, and Neuberger Museum of Art Lifetime Achievement Award.

The vast majority of printed material - articles, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, reproductions of art work, etc. - are about or by Cleve Gray. Miscellaneous items and publications mentioning Gray consist of annual reports, brochures, calendars, newsletters, programs, etc. Clippings about Vietnam and Vietnam protest memorabilia reflect his passionate involvement in the anti-war movement; a small number of these items mention Gray or were written by him.

Photographs are of artwork, events, people, places, and miscellaneous subjects. Most of the art work appearing in the photographs is by Cleve Gray and includes images of destroyed paintings. Also found is an original print of Photo Abstraction by Gray, circa 1934. Of particular note are photographs of Threnody, among them preparatory drawings and views of the work in progress. Photographs of artwork by other artists include Louise N. Grace, Jacques Lipchitz, John Marin, Hans Richter, and Jacques Villon.

Photographs of people are mainly portraits of Gray, and views of him with his wife and sons. Other individuals appearing in photographs are Hans Richter and some of Richter's descendants. Pictures of places consist of Gray's studio.

Events are an unidentified exhibition opening. Miscellaneous subjects are mostly exhibition installations. Illustrations consist of photographs published in David Smith by David Smith: Sculpture and Writings. Also found are small number of negatives and color transparencies.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1943-circa 2001 (Box 1; 0.1 linear ft.)

Series 2: Alphabetical Files, 1936-2005 (Boxes 1-5, 9; 4.3 linear ft.)

Series 3: Writings, 1935-2000 (Boxes 5-6; 0.85 linear ft.)

Series 4: Artwork, circa 1933-1987 (Boxes 6, 9, OV 12; 0.45 linear ft.)

Series 5: Audio/Visual Records, 1971-1989 (Box 6; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 6: Artifacts, 1957-1999 (Box 6, RD 11; 0.45 linear ft.)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1933-2005 (Boxes 7-8; 1.25 linear ft.)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1934-2002 (Boxes 8-10; 1.15 linear ft.)

Biographical Note:

Abstract Expressionist painter, sculptor, and writer Cleve Gray (1918-2004) lived and worked in Connecticut where he was politically active in the Vietnam protest movement and other liberal causes.

Born Cleve Ginsberg in New York City (the family changed its name to Gray in 1936), he attended the Ethical Culture School and at a young age developed a fascination with color and paint. At the urging of friends, Cleve's parents allowed him to accompany a school friend for lessons with George Bellows' student Antonia Nell. She encouraged and inspired the young artist, and a still life he painted in her class was shown at the National Academy of Design's 1932 annual exhibition. Miss Nell also introduced him to Louise N. Grace, an artist who became a good friend and had a lasting influence on him. While a student at Phillips Academy, Cleve studied painting with Bartlett Hayes and aspired to paint in France. Upon his graduation in 1936, he was awarded the Samuel F. B. Morse Prize for most promising art student.

Gray's mother was always supportive of his career choice. His businessman father, who didn't understand his son's desire to be an artist, insisted on a college education. Cleve chose Princeton, where he majored in art and archaeology, and studied painting with James E. Davis. His senior thesis was on Chinese landscape painting; both Eastern philosophy and art were long-term influences on Gray's work and outlook. He graduated summa cum laude in 1940, and then spent several months painting while living at the farm of a family friend in Mendham, New Jersey.

When a doctor suggeted that a dry climate might relieve sinus and asthma problems, Gray moved to Tucson, Arizona. Once settled in the desert, he contacted Louise N. Grace, whom he had met as a young teenager through his art instructor. Miss Grace, an artist and daughter of the founder of W. R. Grace and Co., was a highly cultured and independent woman older than his parents. The summer before Gray entered Phillips Academy, she had hired him to brush ground color onto canvases for murals she was painting for "Eleven Arches," her home in Tuscon then under construction. Miss Grace invited Gray to visit "Eleven Arches" to see the completed murals, and despite the substantial age difference, their friendship deepened; Gray found in her intellectual and spiritual guidance that was lacking in his own family. He remained in Tucson until enlisting in the U. S. Army in 1942, and they corresponded frequently during the the war. When a stroke in 1948 prevented Miss Grace from participating in the extensive tour of Europe she was arranging for a small group of friends, including Gray, she provided sufficient funds and insisted he make the trip on his own. Another stroke, suffered while Gray was traveling, left her in a coma; he was not permitted to see her again. Upon her death in 1954, Gray inherited "Eleven Arches."

Between 1943 and 1946, Gray was stationed in England, France, and Germany, serving in Army Signal Intelligence. Most of his work was performed at night, and he spent his free time drawing. While in London, Gray produced many colored pencil drawings of buildings that had been bombed. In France, a Red Cross volunteered to introduce him to Jacques Villon; although unfamiliar with the artist, Gray knew of Villon's brother, Marcel Duchamp, and accepted the invitation. Jacques and Gaby Villon lived near Gray's billet and he became a frequent visitor. Their friendship was important to his development as an artist. After being discharged from the Army in 1946, Gray remained in France to work with Villon who introduced him to the study of color and the concept of intellectual quality in painting. Gray also studied informally with André Lhote, Villon's former teacher. "American Painters in Paris," an exhibition presented in 1946 at Galerie Durand-Ruel, included work by Cleve Gray.

He returned to New York City in 1946. In the tight post-war rental market Gray managed to find a small room upstairs from a grocery store on East 106th Street for use as a studio. He commenced painting the London Ruins series based on drawings he had made during the war, and began thinking about exhibiting in New York. Gray secured introductions to Pierre Matisse, Curt Valentin, and Dorothy Miller. They encouraged him, but no opportunities came his way until Germain Seligmann, whose gallery was expanding its scope to include contemporary art, followed the advice of Curt Valentin and looked at Gray's work. Gary's first solo exhibition, held at Jacques Seligmann and Co., included selections from the London Ruins series, paintings done in Maine and Arizona, and a few portraits. The New York Times called it "an auspicious first," and one of the London Ruins series was selected by Edward Alden Jewell for the "Critic's Exhibition" at Grand Central Gallery.

Gray found New York City too frenetic. In 1949 he bought a large, old house in Warren, Connecticut, and lived and worked at "Graystones" for the remainder of his life. Half of a 6-car garage was converted to a studio; many years later, his studio moved to a barn, its renovation and design planned by sculptor and architect Tony Smith.

He married Francine du Plessix in 1957. Always interested in literature and philosophy, in the 1960s Francine du Plessix Gray began contributing articles to The New Yorker and is still affiliated with the magazine. Her reviews and articles appeared in prominent publications, and she wrote several award-winning novels and biographies. Their sons, Thaddeus and Luke (now a painter), were born in 1959 and 1961. Francine's mother, Tatiana du Plessix (the hat designer Tatiana of Saks), and step-father, the sculptor Alexander Liberman (also former art director of Vogue and later editorial director of Condé Nast publications) became Cleve Gray's closest friends.

The paintings and drawings of Cleve Gray - first consisting of figures and portraits, and then abstract compositions - were often produced in series. The earliest series, London Ruins, grew from the colored pencil drawings made while stationed in London during World War II. Travels to France, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Hawaii, Spain, Egypt, Japan, and Czechoslovakia, inspired many series, among them: Etruscan, Augury, Ceres, Demeter Landscape, Hera, Morocco, Hawaii, Ramses, Perne, Hatshepsut, Roman Walls, Zen, and Prague. His hometown, the Holocaust, and musicians inspired other series: Warren, Sleepers Awake!, Bela Bartok, and Four Heads of Anton Bruckner. Some series were works on paper, others were collage canvases, and a few series later spawned prints. Gray began using acrylics in the 1940s. Although the medium offered many benefits, he did not always like its appearance and frequently returned to oils. Around 1966 Gray was painting almost exclusively with acrylic, and eventually developed a technique of thinning the paint and applying successive layers of color (sometimes by pouring or with a sponge) on cotton duck rather than traditional canvas.

Gray was attracted to sculpture, too, working in that medium at different points in his career. His first sculpture, in plaster, was completed in 1959. In the early 1960s he visited a commercial sand-casting foundry and became excited about learning to cast in bronze. He made about a dozen sculptures to cast in sand, but due to too much undercutting, their casting became too difficult a problem. Lava flows seen while in Hawaii during 1970 and 1971 inspired a return to sculpture. This time, he used wood, papier maché, and metal. Gray then decided these pieces should be cast in bronze, and he was determined to do it himself. Friends taught him the lost wax process and he began working at the Tallix Foundry in Peekskill, New York where, over the next year, he cast about forty bronzes.

Gray's best known work is Threnody, a lament for the dead of both sides in Vietnam. In 1972, Gray received a commission to fill a very large gallery of the soon-to-open Neuberger Museum of Art (State University of New York, College at Purchase) designed by Philip Johnson. Friends of the Neuberger Museum paid his expenses and Gray, who was enormously excited about the project he considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, donated his time. Developing plans for the execution of Threnody consumed most of his time during 1972 and 1973. Composed of a series of fourteen panels, each approximately twenty feet square, the piece presented a number of technical challenges. It was constructed and painted in situ during the summer and early fall of 1973. Since then, Threnody has been reinstalled at the Neuberger Museum of Art on several occasions.

Gray was commissioned to design liturgical vestments for two Episcopal churches in Connecticut in the 1970s. A chasuble, stoles, and a mitre were commissioned by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut in 1984.

He won the "Outdoor Art at the Station Competition," for Union Station, Hartford, Connecticut. His very large porcelain enamel tile mural, Movement in Space, was installed on the façade of the transportation center in 1988.

Gray began writing occasional articles and exhibition reviews in the late 1940s. His concern with rational structure in art led him to question Abstract Expressionism and write "Narcissus in Chaos." This article, published in 1959 by The American Scholar, drew considerable attention. In 1960, Cosmopolitan published "Women - Leaders of Modern Art" that featured Nell Blaine, Joan Brown, Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Sonia Gretchoff, Grace Hartigan, Ethel Magafan, Louise Nevelson, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Between 1960 and 1970, Gray was a contributing editor of Art In America, producing numerous articles (a few co-authored with Francine) and reviews for the periodical. He edited three books, David Smith by David Smith: Scupture and Writings, Hans Richter, and John Marin, all published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, and translated Marcel Duchamp's A l'Infinitif.

During the early 1960s, Gray became intensely focused on the situation in Vietnam. His first artistic response came in 1963 with Reverend Quan Duc, painted to commemorate a Buddhist monk who had immolated himself. Francine, too, felt strongly about the issue and over time the couple became increasingly active in the anti-war movement. They joined a number of organizations and helped to found a local chapter of Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. The years 1968 and 1969 were an especially intense and active period for the Grays. They protested, wrote and spoke out against the war, raised funds to support anti-war political candidates, and on a few occasions were arrested and jailed. Writing for Art in America, editing the book series, and anti-war activities left little time for his art. In 1970 Gray refocused his attention on painting.

Beginning in 1947, Gray was always represented by a New York Gallery: Jacques Seligmann and Co. (1947-1959), Staempfli Gallery (1960-1965), Saidenberg Gallery (1965-1968), Betty Parsons Gallery (1968-1983), Armstrong Gallery (1984-1987), and Berry-Hill Galleries (1988-2003). He was represented by galleries in other cities, as well, but not as consistently or for such long periods.

He exhibited extensively in group and solo exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally. In addition to numerous solo exhibitions presented by the dealers who represented Gray, there were retrospective exhibitions at: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, Columbus Museum of Art, Krannert Art Museum (University of Illinois, Champaign), Princeton University Art Museum, Rhode Island School of Design, and Wadsworth Atheneum.

Many museums' permanent collections include the work of Cleve Gray, among them: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Butler Institute of American Art, Columbus Museum of Art, Neuberger Museum of Art (SUNY, College at Purchase), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Newark Museum, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Phillips Collection, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), Smithsonian Institution, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Yale University Art Gallery.

Cleve Gray served as artist-in-residence at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in 1963 and at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 1970, both sponsored by Ford Foundation programs. In 1980, he was appointed an artist-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome, where Francine concurrently served as a writer-in-residence; they returned for shorter periods during each of the subsequent seven years. Cleve Gray was presented the Connecticut Arts Award in 1987, and the Neuberger Museum of Art Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. He was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Hartford in 1992, and was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1998. In addition, he was a trustee of the Neuberger Museum of Art, New York Studio School, Rhode Island School of Design, and Wadsworth Atheneum.

Cleve Gray hit his head and suffered a massive subdural hematoma after falling on ice outside of his home. He died the following day, December 8, 2004.

Separated Material:

Exhibition catalogs and announcements and two scrapbooks donated to the Archives in 1967 and 1968 were microfilmed on reels D314-D315. Items on reel D315, transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum Library in 1975, are not described in this finding aid.

Provenance:

The Cleve Gray papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Mr. Gray in 1967 and 1968. The bulk of the collection was given by his widow, Francine du Plessix Gray, in 2007 and 2008.

Restrictions:

Use of original material requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordigs with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

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:

Sculptors -- Connecticut  Search this

Painters -- Connecticut  Search this

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest Movements -- United States  Search this

Designers  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Citation:

Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.grayclev

See more items in:

Cleve Gray papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92d3d47d0-baa3-4085-80f2-9b5d1730c052

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-grayclev

Creator:

Gugler, Eric, 1889-1974  Search this

Names:

Cornell, Katharine, 1893-1974  Search this

Gugler, Frida  Search this

Manship, Paul, 1885-1966  Search this

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this

Extent:

34.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketches

Watercolors

Glass plate negatives

Paintings

Photographs

Blueprints

Date:

1889-1977

Summary:

The papers of architect and painter Eric Gugler measure 34.4 linear feet and date from 1889-1977. Found within the papers are biographical materials, including papers relating to the Gugler family, personal and business correspondence, writings, project files for commercial and residential commissions, personal business records, photographic materials, including 180 glass plate slides, and artwork.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of architect and painter Eric Gugler measure 34.4 linear feet and date from 1889-1977. Found within the papers are biographical materials, including papers relating to the Gugler family, personal and business correspondence, writings, project files for commercial and residential commissions, personal business records, photographic materials, including 180 glass plate slides, and artwork.

Biographical materials include certificates, official documents, curriculum vitae, and histories of the Gugler family. Correspondence consists of professional letters regarding prospective and active projects, and personal correspondence from friends and family, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Katherine Cornell, and Paul Manship. Writings include book proposal drafts, essays, notes, speeches, and writings by others.

Project files consist of correspondence, architectural sketches, blueprints, and photographic and printed materials related to Gugler's work on commercial, residential, governmental, and memorial commissions. Renderings of specific design objects, sculptures, and Gugler's collaborative work on preservation efforts are also included.

Personal business records include correspondence related to Gugler's firm, including office leases, prospective client lists, and service fees. Printed material consists of clippings, exhibition material, postcards, and other miscellaneous items.

Photographic materials are of Eric Gugler and members of the Gugler family. Artwork includes sketches, watercolors, paintings, photographs of artwork, and artwork by Frida Gugler.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 8 series. Glass plate slides are housed separately and closed to researchers, but listed where they fall intellectually within the collection.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1898-1975 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1, OV 33)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1906-1974 (4 linear feet; Boxes 1-5, 20, OV 33)

Series 3: Writings, 1932-1973 (16 folders; Box 5)

Series 4: Project Files, 1889-1977 (28.2 linear feet; Boxes 5-18, 20-24, 70-72, OV 25-31, OV 33-49, RD 50-51, 53-69)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1928-1972 (0.3 linear feet; Box 18)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1923-1977 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 19, 24)

Series 7: Photographic Materials, 1890-1966 (9 folders; Box 19)

Series 8: Artwork, 1895-1970 (0.4 linear feet; Box 19, OV 32)

Biographical / Historical:

Architect and painter Eric Gugler (1889-1974) lived and worked in New York City, New York. Known for his work on monuments and memorials, Gugler was selected by President Roosevelt to head the redesign and building of the White House's West Wing in 1934.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to lithographer Julius Gugler and his wife, Bertha Bremer, Gugler attended Columbia University and received a three year scholarship to continue his studies at the American Academy in Rome. In 1919, he opened his architectural firm on Park Avenue in New York City and began accepting residential and commercial commissions. In addition to designing buildings and houses for clients, Gugler also completed smaller design objects for ceiling details, sculptures, murals, and decorative structures. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, his firm won commissions to complete World War I Memorials in New York and Chicago, Illinois, and also received a major commission to design the Educational Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Around this time, Gugler married Broadway actress and dancer Anne Tonetti and designed a second residence in the artist's community of Sneden's Landing, New York.

Gugler's interest and willingness to work on large scale memorials and institutional buildings aided in his appointment to a number of prominent commissions in the 1930s to the 1950s. These include the design of the White House's West Wing and the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Italy, new construction and renovations to the Forman School (Conn.) and Wabash College (Ind.), and the building of residential houses for Katherine Cornell, Barry Faukner, and Paul Manship. In the 1960s, he was selected to head memorial designs for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt Memorials in Washington, D.C., and also spent considerable time and energy developing the "Hall of Our History" project. Gugler remained active designing and working on projects until his death in 1974.

Related Materials:

The White House Historical Association's Office of the Curator holds additional Eric Gugler Papers related to the expansion and redesign of the West Wing in 1934.

Provenance:

The papers were donated in 1977 by Gugler's wife, Anne Tonetti Gugler. Additional materials were donated between 1979 and 1980 by Gugler's business associate, Ferdinand Eiseman.

Restrictions:

Use of 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:

Architects as artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Architecture -- Designs and plans  Search this

Architecture, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Architects -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketches

Watercolors

Glass plate negatives

Paintings

Photographs

Blueprints

Citation:

Eric Gugler papers, 1889-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.gugleric

See more items in:

Eric Gugler papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a729ea25-2ca9-4693-95a4-2f15b5651aab

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-gugleric

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Sitter:

Erling F. Iversen, 1910 - 1990  Search this

Medium:

Graphite?

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Drawing

Date:

1940?

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Erling F. Iversen: Visual Arts\Artist  Search this

Erling F. Iversen: Male  Search this

Erling F. Iversen: Visual Arts\Architect  Search this

Erling F. Iversen: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Port.1

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d015db8c-a24f-41ac-b798-95b782c33f62

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Port.1

Artist:

Robert Berkeley Green, 1909 - 2007  Search this

Sitter:

George T. Licht, 1907 - 1997  Search this

Medium:

Graphite?

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Drawing

Date:

1937?

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses  Search this

Costume\Jewelry\Pin\Tie pin  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

George T. Licht: Male  Search this

George T. Licht: Visual Arts\Architect  Search this

George T. Licht: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.10

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4aa9d43ee-2bd5-4766-87c4-165aa8f27eed

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.10

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Sitter:

Christopher G. Bennett, born c. late 20th century  Search this

Medium:

Pencil on paper or board

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Drawing

Date:

2008

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Christopher G. Bennett: Male  Search this

Christopher G. Bennett: Education and Scholarship\Scholar\Historian  Search this

Christopher G. Bennett: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.119

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4c236e1d7-98e2-4bed-928f-96c3a898f415

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.119

Artist:

Frank Perley Fairbanks, 1875 - 1939  Search this

Sitter:

Donald Magnus Mattison, 1905 - 1975  Search this

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Drawing

Date:

1931?

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Donald Magnus Mattison: Male  Search this

Donald Magnus Mattison: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this

Donald Magnus Mattison: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.12

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm42e7394b6-6ce7-4b10-9545-5b11d9651053

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.12

Artist:

Frank Perley Fairbanks, 1875 - 1939  Search this

Sitter:

Harry I. Stickroth, 1890 - 1922  Search this

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Drawing

Date:

1916?

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Artist's Effects\Palette  Search this

Artist's Effects\Paintbrush  Search this

Harry I. Stickroth: Visual Arts\Artist  Search this

Harry I. Stickroth: Male  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.14

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4396bb4b9-11b5-44d2-8192-317c990fef26

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.14

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Sitter:

Vittorio Giannini, 1903 - 1966  Search this

Medium:

Pencil

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Drawing

Date:

1936

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Vittorio Giannini: Male  Search this

Vittorio Giannini: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer  Search this

Vittorio Giannini: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.140

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm49bc72aa2-3d6f-4a52-8546-a304a5df67c2

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.140

Artist:

Frank Perley Fairbanks, 1875 - 1939  Search this

Sitter:

Alexander Lang Steinert, 1900 - 1982  Search this

Medium:

Watercolor on paper or board (possibly)

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Painting

Date:

1930

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Handkerchief  Search this

Alexander Lang Steinert: Male  Search this

Alexander Lang Steinert: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer  Search this

Alexander Lang Steinert: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist  Search this

Alexander Lang Steinert: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Conductor  Search this

Alexander Lang Steinert: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.147

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4b551e74e-6472-4dc9-90ab-66433288dcd8

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.147

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Possible attribution:

Frank Perley Fairbanks, 1875 - 1939  Search this

Sitter:

Howard Harold Hanson, 1896 - 1981  Search this

Medium:

Watercolor on paper or board (possibly)

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Painting

Date:

1924

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Goatee  Search this

Howard Harold Hanson: Male  Search this

Howard Harold Hanson: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer  Search this

Howard Harold Hanson: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.148

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4a4944b0f-0ac8-4e62-ac25-d7faa7f206e2

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.148

Artist:

Robert Berkeley Green, 1909 - 2007  Search this

Sitter:

Samuel Barber, 9 Mar 1910 - 24 Jan 1981  Search this

Medium:

Pastel (?) on paper or board

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Drawing

Date:

1937?

Topic:

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Samuel Barber: Male  Search this

Samuel Barber: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer  Search this

Samuel Barber: Pulitzer Prize  Search this

Samuel Barber: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.153

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4ec907a01-82c0-49ee-812b-4d7d3185fec7

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.153

Artist:

Frank Perley Fairbanks, 1875 - 1939  Search this

Sitter:

Roger Sessions, 1896 - 1985  Search this

Medium:

Watercolor on paper or board (possibly)

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Painting

Date:

1931?

Topic:

Music\Musical instrument\Piano  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses  Search this

Printed Material\Papers  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Roger Sessions: Male  Search this

Roger Sessions: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer  Search this

Roger Sessions: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.154

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm412a3dd08-3874-4bbb-8614-9acb4a0793ee

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.154

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Sitter:

Robert Knight Ryland, 1873 - 1951  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas (?)

Dimensions:

Not available

Type:

Painting

Date:

1906?

Topic:

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie  Search this

Robert Knight Ryland: Visual Arts\Artist  Search this

Robert Knight Ryland: Male  Search this

Robert Knight Ryland: Arts Award\Rome Prize  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: American Academy in Rome

Object number:

AAR.FW.Portr.16

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4b7c2d8e4-9eb9-41a4-98ba-66f121c584ed

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_AAR.FW.Portr.16