An interview of Tom Robbins conducted 1984 March 3, in La Conner, Wash., by Martha Kingsbury, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Robbins speaks of his youth; the importance of his first trips to New York; meeting Barnett Newman and William Philip Kendrick; the influence of Oriental art; his drug experience; his research on Jackson Pollock; coming to Washington State and working as an art critic; the impact of the 1962 World's Fair on art; and style versus content in art.
Biographical / Historical:
Tom Robbins (1936- ) is a writer and critic from LaConner, Wash.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 28 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art critics -- Washington (State) -- Interviews Search this
The personal papers of Seattle area painter Kamekichi Tokita (1897-1948) measure 1.5 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to circa 2010 with the bulk of the material dating from circa 1910 to 1948. The papers include biographical materials, including documents about the closing of the War Relocation Authority's Minidoka Camp in Idaho; correspondence; three diaries written in Japanese documenting Tokita's war time experiences and forced relocation to Minidoka, two earlier notebooks, also written in Japanese, and scattered notes; a few personal business records; printed materials; one scrapbook; sketches; and one family photograph album.
Scope and Contents:
The personal papers of Seattle area painter Kamekichi Tokita (1897-1948) measure 1.5 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to circa 2010 with the bulk of the material dating from circa 1910 to 1948. The papers include biographical materials, including documents about the closing of the War Relocation Authority's Minidoka Camp in Idaho; correspondence; three diaries written in Japanese documenting Tokita's war time experiences and forced relocation to Minidoka, two earlier notebooks, also written in Japanese, and scattered notes; a few personal business records; printed materials; one scrapbook; sketches; and one family photograph album.
Biographical materials include a file on the Public Works of Art Project, a file on the War Relocation Authority and the closing of the Minidoka incarceration camp, an immigration document, and an essay on Tokita written by Shokichi and Elsie Tokita.
Correspondence is primarily professional in nature and concerns exhibitions at the Seattle Museum of Art (previously the Art Institute of Seattle) and other topics. Correspondents include Kenneth Callahan, Henry Gallery, the Seattle Art Museum, and others.
Tokita's writings consist of three diaries, two notebooks, and scattered general writings, most of which are in Japanese. The diaries were kept during World War II and document the family's incarceration at the Minidoka Relocation Camp in Idaho. Included is a transcript of the diaries which were translated from prewar to modern Japanese by Haruo Takasugi and from modern Japanese to English by Naomi Kusunoki-Martin.
Scattered business records include a patent application, records from the Cadillac Hotel, and a claim filed through the Department of Justice. A few published books in English and Japanese are about art and religion. Also found are exhibition catalogs for shows in which Tokita participated and clippings. There is one mixed media scrapbook about Tokita's exhibitions.
Artwork consists of unsigned pencil and watercolor sketches by Tokita. There is also a family photo album containing snapshots and portraits of the Tokita family and friends.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series:
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1934-1985 (Box 1; 5 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1920-1944 (Box 1; 8 folders)
Series 3: Diaries and Writings, 1923-circa 1950 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1928-1950 (Box 1; 3 folders)
Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1910-1940 (Box 1-3; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 6: Scrapbook, 1929-1933 (Box 2-3; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 7: Artwork, circa 1910-1940s (Box 2-3; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 8: Photograph Album, circa 1900-1930 (Box 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Kamekichi Tokita (1897-1948) was a Japanese American painter and businessman who emigrated from Japan in 1919 and settled in Seattle, Washington. Tokita was a member of the Seattle area progressive artists' collective known as the "Group of Twelve" and widely exhibited his artwork throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Kamekichi Tokita was born in Shizouka City, Japan and immigrated to the United States at the age of twenty-two. He settled in the Japantown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington where he opened the Noto Sign Company with business partner Kenjiro Nomura. Nomura was also an artist and encouraged Tokita's interest in oil painting. They both used the sign shop as their studio after-hours. In 1936, the Noto Sign Company closed and Tokita took over management of the Cadillac Hotel, although he continued to paint commercial signs. Tokita married Haruko Suzuki in 1932 and together they had eight children.
As a child in Japan, Tokita studied calligraphy in China. Although he attended a few art school classes in in the U.S. and went on weekend painting trips with Nomura and other Seattle artists, Tokita is considered to be a largely self-trained artist. Support and recognition came from Dorothy V. Morrison of the Henry Gallery at the University of Washington who wrote to Tokita to inquire whether a "group of Japanese artists in the city" would be interested in exhibiting their work. Although the exhibition of Japanese artists did not happen, Tokita later loaned paintings to the gallery for inclusion in an exhibition sponsored by the American Federation of Arts. Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s Tokita exhibited widely in the Seattle area. In 1935, the Seattle Daily Times touted the work of Tokita and other painters in the "Group of Twelve" that also included Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan, Walter F. Isaacs, and Ambrose and Viola Patterson, among others.
In 1942, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Kamekichi Tokita and his family (five children at the time), along with the approximately 120,000 Japanese and Japanese American citizens living on the West Coast, were ordered under President Franklin Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 to be forcibly removed to one of several incarceration camps. For the first six months of their imprisonment, the family lived at a temporary Civilian Assembly Center in Puyallup, Washington. They were transferred to the Minidoka Relocation Camp in Hunt, Idaho where they remained until their release in 1945. While incarcerated in Minidoka, Tokita worked as a sign painter and continued to privately paint, using whatever materials he could find, including beaver board. His work was featured in art shows at the camp. Many of his camp scenes are now lost or were given away.
At the end of World War II, Tokita and his family (now seven children) moved back to the Seattle-area. Unable to find housing, the Tokitas lived at a Japanese language school until Tokita was able to re-establish his business. During this period he painted very little. In 1946 Tokita and his wife purchased the New Lucky Hotel in the Chinatown area of Seattle. Shortly thereafter, Tokita fell ill and died in 1948. Many of his works are believed to have been destroyed or lost. Some of his work remains, however, and is among the permanent collections of the Seattle Art Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum.
Note: Much of this biographical note was taken from "A Biographical Resume" written by Shokichi and Elsie Y. Tokita.
Separated Materials:
A watercolor painting on paper by Kamekichi Tokita, Untitled (Still Life), 9 x 12 in. was transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2012.
Provenance:
The Kamekichi Tokita papers were donated by his son, Shokichi Tokita in 1990. He donated a third and final diary in 2017. They were collected as part of the Archives of American Art Northwest Asian American project in Seattle, Washington.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Topic:
World War, 1939-1945 -- Japanese Americans Search this
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Northwestern States Search this
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment -- 1942-1945 -- Diaries Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums
Photographs
Sketches
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Citation:
Kamekichi Tokita papers, circa 1900-circa 2010, bulk circa 1910-1948. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool. Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Lichtenstein Endowment and the Terra Endowment.
An interview of LaMar Harrington conducted 1983 November 28-1984 February 10, by Sue Ann Kendall, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Biographical / Historical:
LaMar Harrington (1917-2005) was a curator from Seattle, Washington.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
An interview of Viola Patterson conducted 1982 Oct. 22-29, by Martha Kingsbury, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project, in the artist's home in Seattle, Wash.
Patterson speaks of her education; family background; her early interest in art; studying at the University of Washington art department; the influence of Japanese artists; teaching art to children; her husband, Ambrose Patterson, and his life and career; and working on murals with Jose Clement Orozco and Diego Rivera. She recalls Alexander Archipenko. Patterson was a member of the Seattle area progressive artists' collective known as the "Group of Twelve."
Biographical / Historical:
Viola Patterson (1898-1984) was a painter from Seattle, Wash.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 33 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Topic:
Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews Search this
Contemporary Crafts Gallery (Portland, Or.) Search this
Extent:
62 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1984 August 29-31
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Maurine Hiatt Roberts conducted 1984 August 29-31, by Ken Shores, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project, at the artist's home, in Portland, Or.
Roberts speaks of her background; her childhood in Kansas; her early influences and interests including theater design and costumes; her education; the founding of the Contemporary Crafts Gallery; the influence of Lydia Herrick Hodge; the Northwest art community; various exhibits and workshops she participated in; her dedication to education and promotion of art and craft; and teaching weaving and other activities.
Biographical / Historical:
Maurine Hiatt Roberts (b. 1897 or 8) was a painter, illustrator, and teacher from Portland, Or.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
An interview of Robert Sperry conducted 1983 August 11, by LaMar Harrington, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Sperry speaks of his family background; his army service; his education; his early career in ceramics; the Oriental influence in his work; folk art; his contemporaries in ceramics; and his current plans. He recalls Peter Voulkos.
Biographical / Historical:
Robert Sperry (1927-1998) was a ceramist from Seattle, Washington.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 4 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
An interview of Carl Morris conducted 1983 Mar. 23, by Sue Ann Kendall, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project, at the artist's studio in Portland, Or.
Morris speaks of his family background; his early interest in art; his education at the Chicago Art Institute; becoming the head of the Spokane Federal Art Project; the changes in art during the 1930s; the Northwest arts community and his relationship to it; mysticism; and collectors, including Dr. Richard E. Fuller. He recalls Clyfford Still.
Biographical / Historical:
Carl Morris (1911-1993) was a painter from Portland, Or.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 42 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Topic:
Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
5 Sound cassettes (Sound recording)
69 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound cassettes
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1983 Feb. 19-20
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Rachael Griffin conducted 1983 Feb. 19-20, by Bruce Guenther, in the artist's home in Portland, Or., for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Griffin speaks of her family background and education; the WPA and the building of the Timberline Lodge; the art scene in Portland in the 1930s and 1940s; her involvement with the American Society of Aesthetics, the JOURNAL OF AESTHETICS and other organizations; her work with local artists; arts funding; and current activities.
Biographical / Historical:
Rachael Griffin (1906-1983) was a curator from Portland, Or.
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 others.
Topic:
Curators -- Oregon -- Portland -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Joanna Eckstein conducted on 1983 April 7, by Suzanne Ragen, in Seattle, Washington, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Eckstein speaks of her family background; education; the development of her art and poetry interests; the Seattle art scene prior to the opening of the Seattle Art Museum; the Museum's collecting policy and administration; art in public and private places; and her thoughts on aging well. She recalls the painter Mark Tobey. The interview is followed by Eckstein's speech on the history of the Seattle Art Museum delivered to the Docent Council at the Museum.
Biographical / Historical:
Joanna Eckstein (1903-1983) was an art patron from Seattle, Washington.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav file. Duration is 3 hr., 22 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington, and Montana.
Topic:
Art patronage -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
An interview of William Ivey conducted 1983 May 24-31, by Barbara Johns, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project,
This interview took place at the artist's studio in Seattle, Wash. Ivey speaks of his family background and education, including law school; studying at the California School of Fine Arts; studying under Clyfford Still and Mark Rothko; working at the Seattle Art Museum and the Henry Gallery; working as artist-in-residence at Reed College; founding the Artists' Gallery (Seattle, Wash.); exhibiting at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Gallery Arnaud in Paris and the Seattle Art Museum; collectors of his work; his methods and style; the current art scene; and his future plans. He recalls Ward Corley, Louis Bunce, Richard Gilkey and others.
Biographical / Historical:
William Ivey (1919-1992) was a painter from Seattle, Wash.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Topic:
Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928 Search this
Extent:
4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1946-1975
Scope and Contents:
Research material on American Artists of the Pacific Northwest, and on Arthur B. Davies.
Files, 1946-1975, concerning artists of the Pacific Northwest, including: research correspondence; typescripts of published and unpublished writings; notes; photographs, negatives, and transparencies of works of art; card files; and exhibition catalogs, clippings, and other printed material. Also included is research material, 1955-1975, relating to Arthur B. Davies and a 1962 centennial exhibition on Davies organized by Prior. Papers include: correspondence with Davies's relatives, museums, and others; printed material; slides of the paintings exhibited; 3 installation photos; a photo file and a card file on Davies's paintings, arranged by location; and a dissertation, THE GRAPHIC ART OF ARTHUR BOWEN DAVIES AND JOHN SLOAN, by Merrill Clement Rueppel, 1955.
Biographical / Historical:
Art administrator, educator; Rochester, N.Y.; b. 1911; d. 1975 Prior was director of Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, N.Y., 1962-1975.
Provenance:
Donated 1981 by Mrs. Nathaniel Whitcomb, Prior's widow.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- Rochester Search this
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- Rochester Search this
Museum directors -- New York(State) -- Rochester Search this
An interview of Kenneth Callahan conducted 1982 October 27-1982 December 19, by Sue Ann Kendall, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Callahan speaks of his childhood in Montana; his education; working as an illustrator; early shows of his work; mural commissions; the Northwest arts community, particularly Morris Graves, Guy Anderson and Mark Tobey; changes in his subject matter and interests; the increasing abstraction in his painting; the fire in his studio; his relationship with the Seattle Art Museum, where he worked as a curator for 20 years; collectors he has known; experimenting with other media; and contemporary art and its future.
Biographical / Historical:
Kenneth Callahan (1905-1986) was a painter, muralist, writer, and curator from Long Beach, Washington.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 11 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 27 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (State) -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Alden Mason conducted 1984 Jan. 13-1984 Feb. 21, by LaMar Harrington, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project, at the artist's home in Seattle, Wash.
Mason speaks of his family background; early interests; his educational background at the University of Washington; his friendship with Fred Anderson; the development of his interest in art; teaching at the University of Washington; his students; his participation in the Artists' Gallery (Seattle, Wash.); the Northwest arts community and some of the artists, dealers and galleries involved in it; his exhibitions; his methods and style; his mural in the Washington State Senate chambers; and his philosophy.
Biographical / Historical:
Alden Mason (1919-2013) was a painter in Seattle, Wash.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 54 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews Search this
An interview of LaVerne Krause conducted 1983 Apr. 17-Aug. 18, by Marian W. Kolisch, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project, at the artist's studio, in Portland, Or. Krause speaks of her youth and family background; her education at the University of Oregon; the difficulties in being a parent while trying to pursue an art career; developing her own style and avoiding trends; her economic and personal difficulties; her travels to the Southwest, Europe, and Norway; her involvement in civic and art activities; and the public's changing tastes in art. She recalls Louis Bunce.
Biographical / Historical:
LaVerne Krause (1924-1987) was a painter, printmaker, and educator from Portland, Or.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 12 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
An interview of Wesley C. Wehr conducted 1983 May 26 - September 22, by Martha Kingsbury, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project in Seattle, Washington.
Wehr speaks of meeting the artists Morris Graves and Mark Tobey, their fame, their personalities and his relationship with them; his own background and education in music, poetry, paleobotany, and painting; the Seattle art scene and changes in it during the 1960s; and important Seattle collectors.
Biographical / Historical:
Wesley C. Wehr (1929-2004) is a painter and writer from Seattle, Washington.
General:
Originally recorded on 8 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 13 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 4 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Washington (State) -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Edward B. Thomas conducted 1983 April 28-May 10, by John Olbrantz, at the artist's home in Seattle, Washington, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project. Thomas speaks of his family background and early art experiences; his education at the University of Washington; printmaking and its role in Northwest art; his role as education director at the Seattle Art Museum; the development of the museum under Richard E. Fuller; contributors to the museum; the impact of the 1962 World's Fair; the Northwest art scene; exhibitions at the museum; interaction with the Henry Gallery and other museums; and his future plans. He recalls Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, Morris Graves, and Mark Tobey.
Biographical / Historical:
Edward B. Thomas (1920-1984) was an educator and museum curator from Seattle, Washington.
General:
Originally recorded on 6 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 9 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Topic:
Prints -- 20th century -- Northwestern States Search this
An interview of Paul Thiry conducted 1983 September 15-16, by Meredith L. Clausen, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project at the artist's home.
Thiry speaks of his early years in Nome, San Francisco, Paris, and Seattle; the decision to become an architect; his early designs; the influence of Japanese architecture; his work in public housing architecture; current trends in architecture; regional influences; church design; shopping center design; the Beaux Arts style; and the importance of history and diversity in modern design.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul Thiry (1904-1993) was an architect from Seattle, Washington.
General:
Originally recorded on 6 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 16 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Architecture -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
49 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1983 August 29
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Michele Russo conducted 1983 August 29, by Jane Van Cleve, at the artist's studio in Portland, Or., for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project. Russo speaks of his youth and educational background; attending Yale University Art School; his participation in social activism; working on WPA projects; the development of his interest in painting; the lack of a gallery system on the West Coast; themes that recur in his work; the fire at the Fountain Gallery; the pressures on contemporary artists; and West Coast art styles.
Biographical / Historical:
Michele Russo (1909-2004) was a painter from Portland, Or.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 42 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Topic:
Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Anne Gerber conducted 1983 Feb. 24-Apr. 21, by Anne Focke, at the artist's home, in Seattle, Wash., for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.
Gerber speaks of her family background; her education; her marriage; her and her husband's interest in fair housing and other social issues; her early interest in art and collecting; the Seattle Art Museum, the Henry Gallery, and other galleries; and other interests, including music and architecture.
Biographical / Historical:
Anne Gerber is a collector and patron from Seattle, Wash.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Washington (State) -- Seattle -- Interviews Search this
Art patronage -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
