The records of the Westerly Gallery measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1962 to 1966. The records document the history of the gallery through artist statements and artist files on Jean-Denis Cruchet and James Norman; Statements of policy and memberships in the gallery; one general file on exhibitions; an exhibition preview binder outlining exhibitions taking place at the gallery during a calendar year; visitor logs; clippings and exhibition announcements and catalogs; and photographs of artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Westerly Gallery measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1962 to 1966. The records document the history of the gallery through artist statements and artist files on Jean-Denis Cruchet and James Norman; Statements of policy and memberships in the gallery; one general file on exhibitions; an exhibition preview binder outlining exhibitions taking place at the gallery during a calendar year; visitor logs; clippings and exhibition announcements and catalogs; and photographs of artwork. Artist statements include artist such as Toshio Arakaki, Sydney Ball, Robert Barry, Jean-Denis Cruchet, Jerome Goldstein, Anne McGann, James Norman, Caroline Cain Roth, Abby Shahn, Roi Slamm, Pauline Thomas, Roland Tiemann, and others.
Arrangement:
the collection is arranged into one series
Series 1: Westerly Gallery Records, 1962-1966 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Cooperative art gallery; New York, N.Y. Founded by a group of young artists who had studied with Theodoros Stamos.
Provenance:
Donated 1980 by Cynthia Park.
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.
Function:
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State)
Citation:
Westerly Gallery records, 1962-1966. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
An interview of Ivan C. Karp conducted 1963 October 18, by Richard Brown Baker, for the Archives of American Art.
The interview focuses on Karp's time as co-director of the Hansa Gallery from 1956 to 1958. Karp talks about the general character and co-operative structure of the gallery; its mailing list and operation practices; how it located new talent; its sales; its location; critics and collectors who visited the gallery; coverage of the gallery in the art and general press; the make-up of its membership and his co-director Richard Bellamy. He discusses artists who were affiliated with the gallery: Richard Stankiewicz; Jane Wilson; Jan Müller; George Segal; Jean Follett; Myron Stout; Lilly Brody: Allan Kaprow; Miles Force; and Fay Lansner. He also mentions unaffiliated artists who exhibited in group shows at Hansa: Alfred Lesie, Robert Richenburg, Walasse Ting and the New Sculpture Group. Collectors mentioned are Horace Richter, Charles Carpenter, and Liz Parkinson [ph].
Biographical / Historical:
Ivan C. Karp (1926-) is an art dealer from New York, New York. Worked at the Hansa Gallery two seasons under Richard Bellamy. Later became director of the OK Harris Gallery.
General:
Part of this interview was inadvertently recorded over by the interviewer.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Richard Stankiewicz conducted by Richard Brown Baker in 1963 for the Archives of American Art, regarding the Hansa Gallery.
Biographical / Historical:
Richard Stankiewicz (1922-1983) was a sculptor and educator and Huntington, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 5 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Huntington Search this
The AC Project Room records measure 12.2 linear feet and date from 1965-2012. The collection documents the gallery's exhibitions and co-founder Paul Bloodgood's efforts to promote the work of artists such as Doug Aitken, Michel Auder, Paul Bloodgood himself, Robert Breer, Anne Chu, Aki Fujiyoshi, Isa Genzken, Joseph Grigely, Paula Hayes, Kim Jones, Byron Kim, Christina Mackie, Josiah McElheny, Arpiani Pagliarini, Kathleen Schimert, Jane and Louise Wilson, among others. The bulk of the collection dates from 1989-2001 and consists of exhibition files, artists files, guest books, press files, photographs, gallery administration and financial documentation, and sales and inventory records.
Scope and Contents:
The AC Project Room records measure 12.2 linear feet and date from 1965-2012. The collection documents the gallery's exhibitions and co-founder Paul Bloodgood's efforts to promote the work of artists such as Doug Aitken, Michel Auder, Paul Bloodgood himself, Robert Breer, Anne Chu, Aki Fujiyoshi, Isa Genzken, Joseph Grigely, Paula Hayes, Kim Jones, Byron Kim, Christina Mackie, Josiah McElheny, Arpiani Pagliarini, Kathleen Schimert, Jane and Louise Wilson, among others. The bulk of the collection dates from 1989-2001 and consists of exhibition files, artists files, guest books, press files, photographs, gallery administration and financial documentation, and sales and inventory records.
Administrative materials include leases for Renwick and Broome Streets; operational correspondence and correspondence with artists, dealers, and curators; a business plan and lists of operational activities; an annotated calendar; checklists; contracts; invoices; gallery floorplans; intern notebooks; notes; contact lists; project timelines and notebooks; and documentation about storage issues. Artist files include correspondence; clippings; press releases; exhibition announcements; checklists; photographic material; press packets; artist bios; catalogs; loan forms; notes; proposals; shipping invoices; inventories; and info sheets. Two artist files contain born digital media. Exhibition files include guest books; schedules of exhibitions and special events; artist statements and bios; checklists; clippings; proposals; press releases; slides, photographs, and transparencies depicting installation views and artwork; and notes. Financial records include invoices; correspondence; ledgers; operational budgets; royalty statements; and a binder documenting the gallery's finances from 2000-2001. Inventory and sales records include inventories of work by artists represented by the gallery; notes and lists related to sales; and sales receipts, invoices, and worksheets. Printed material includes clippings; exhibition catalogs and announcements; business cards and blank post cards; press packets; publications related to exhibitions; posters; and press releases. Photographic material includes color and black and white photographs, slides, transparencies, and photocopies or digital prints of events held at the gallery, installation views, works of art, and interior and exterior views of the gallery spaces. Facsimile was the gallery's most common method of communication and the bulk of correspondence found throughout the collection is faded. Original folder titles were maintained where applicable.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1976-2012 (1.00 linear feet; Box 1, OV 13)
Series 2: Artist Files, 1965-2001 (4.30 linear feet; Box 1-6)
Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1989-2001 (2.90 linear feet; Box 6-9)
Series 4: Financial Records, 1992-2001 (0.40 linear feet; Box 9)
Series 5: Inventory and Sales Records, 1992-2001 (0.30 linear feet; Box 9)
Series 6: Printed Material, 1970-2001 (1.50 linear feet; Box 9-11, OV 14)
Series 7: Photographic Material, 1973-2001 (1.80 linear feet, Box 11-12)
Biographical / Historical:
AC Project Room was an independent, artist-run commercial gallery that operated in New York City from 1990 to 2001. It was co-founded by artists Paul Bloodgood, Alissa Friedman, and Anne Chu. The gallery began in a spare room at Art Cart in 1989, an artist-run art transportation and installation company, as the Brand-X Gallery (The Art Cart Gallery), and held permanent locations at 15 Renwick Street, 585 Broome Street, and 453 West 17th Street in Manhattan. In addition to solo and group exhibitions that cut across formal and generational lines, the gallery organized performances and symposiums, collaborated with other galleries, dealers, and curators, and became an informal space for people to gather in community.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2019 by Kelly E. Adams, widow of Paul Bloodgood.
Restrictions:
This collection is temporarily closed to researchers due to archival processing. Researchers
interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use
access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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.
The Fitzgerald Gallery records measure 2.1 linear feet and date from the 1950s to 1972. The collection sheds light on the New York gallery's operations through administrative records and artist files as well as scattered exhibition files, printed material, and photographic material.
Scope and Contents:
The Fitzgerald Gallery records measure 2.1 linear feet and date from the 1950s to 1972. The collection sheds light on the New York gallery's operations through administrative records and artist files as well as scattered exhibition files, printed material, and photographic material. Several folders include a note written by Edward Fitzgerald in 1972 reflecting on the file's content. Administrative records include membership meeting minutes and notes, the gallery's reorganization agreement, guest books, a gallery scrapbook, priced exhibition lists and catalogues, and correspondence with artists, representatives from other museums and galleries, critics, and collectors. Artist files document the gallery's relationship with various artists, including Henry Hensche, Huntington Barclay, John Hawkins, Paul Russotto, Herbert Turner, Robert Maione, Nelson Shanks, James Dignon, and others. The files consist of photographic material, biographical sketches, price lists, newspaper clippings, and other printed material about the artists and exhibitions.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1950s-1972 (Box 1-2; 1.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Artist Files, 1959-1972 (Box 2, OV 3; 1 linear foot)
Biographical / Historical:
The Fitzgerald Gallery was a cooperative gallery founded in New York, New York, in 1960 by artist and gallery owner Edward Fitzgerald. Some of its early founding members include Huntington Barclay, James Dignon, Albert Handell, and Stephen Kuzma. The gallery specialized in exhibiting realist art, and early on, stated it was "a place for experimental ideas and forms, color thinking and reality." It was located at 19 E. 7th Street from 1960 to 1965, then moved uptown to 718 Madison Avenue in 1965.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1972 by gallery founder Edward Fitzgerald.
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.
Fitzgerald Gallery Records, 1950s-1972. 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.
Photographs, financial records, and printed material.
Biographical / Historical:
Artists' residence, gallery and performance space; New York, N.Y. Founded in 1970 to provide housing and support for visual and performing artists. Located at 463 West Street, New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 1981 by Nell Perret, a New York City painter and printmaker who lives at Westbeth.
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.
Visual Artists Coalition (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1964-1981
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence; insurance records; and exhibition announcements, catalogs, and posters.
Biographical / Historical:
Artists organization.
Provenance:
Donated 1982 by Marjorie Kanny, president and founder of Visual Artists Coalition.
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.
Exhibition files containing announcements with photographic reproductions, press releases, catalogs, and invitations; membership lists; and clippings. Also included are bibliographic information, writings, and clippings pertaining to Nancy Goldring, and photographs and slides of art work by Noreen Bumby.
Biographical / Historical:
A feminist cooperative art gallery, founded 1973.
Provenance:
Donated 1979 by Rachel Rolon de Clet, a director of the gallery.
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.
Denslow, Dorothea H. (Dorothea Henrietta), 1900-1971 Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 1 reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1923-1979
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, writings, notes, business records, scrapbooks, catalogs, and printed material.
REEL 2525: Letters; articles of incorporation; list of board members; a consignment book with prices; book, BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN SCULPTURE, by Saul Swarz; blueprints for a planned studio; 101 Sculpture Center, Inc. catalogs; receipts, bills and financial materials; photographs; scrapbooks of Clay Club events; and printed materials.
UNMICROFILMED: Letters; writings and notes, including poetry by George McK. Roberts and Gabriel Kohn; invoices, contracts, and price lists; and exhibition catalogs, announcements, and clippings.
Biographical / Historical:
Art society; New York, N.Y. Established 1928 by Dorthea Denslow as the Clay Club. Was located on 8th Street in Manhattan. Incorporated as the Clay Club Sculpture Center in 1944, and changed to the Sculpture Center in 1950.
Provenance:
Donated 1981-1982 by Sculpture Center. Much of this material was gathered by Cleo Hartwig, an active member of the Sculpture Center.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Topic:
Sculpture -- Societies, etc. -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The Prince Street Gallery records measure 2 linear feet and date from the 1970s to 2005. The records shed light on the gallery's operations through administrative records as well as exhibition and event files. Administrative records consist of gallery by-laws, meeting minutes and notes, consignment sheets, daily log books, scant financial records, New York State Council on the Arts grant application, tax exemption application along with letters of support from artists, the gallery newsletter, and visitor sign-in books. Exhibition and event files include announcements, press releases, and reviews from exhibitions; slides and photographs of art; artist resumes, release forms, and consignment sheets; and records from exhibitions shown at Prince Street, Bowery, and Blue Mountain Gallery, including the fundraising auction and gala held by the three galleries before their joint move in 2001.
Scope and Contents:
The Prince Street Gallery records measure 2 linear feet and date from the 1970s to 2005. The records shed light on the gallery's operations through administrative records as well as exhibition and event files. Administrative records consist of gallery by-laws, meeting minutes and notes, consignment sheets, daily log books, scant financial records, New York State Council on the Arts grant application, tax exemption application along with letters of support from artists, the gallery newsletter, and visitor sign-in books. Exhibition and event files include announcements, press releases, and reviews from exhibitions; slides and photographs of art; artist resumes, release forms, and consignment sheets; and records from exhibitions shown at Prince Street, Bowery, and Blue Mountain Gallery, including the fundraising auction and gala held by the three galleries before their joint move in 2001.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1970s-2005 (Box 1-2; 1.5 linear feet)
Series 2: Exhibition and Event Files, 1971-2003 (Box 2; 0.5 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The Prince Street Gallery is a cooperative gallery founded in New York, New York, in 1970 by fifteen artists. The gallery was and continues to operate as an entirely artist-run organization, initially exhibiting only figurative art but ultimately expanding to include representational and abstract art. The gallery had close ties with two other artist-run galleries, Bowery and Blue Mountain Gallery. All three applied for grants together, occupied the same buildings, and held joint benefit events. Prince Street was located in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan until its move to Chelsea in 2001. Prince street also held lectures, poetry readings, and juried exhibitions in addition to its member's shows.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2006 by Prince Street Gallery via Barbara Kulicke, the gallery's co-director.
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.
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.
Prince Street Gallery Records, 1970s-2005. 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.
The A.I.R. Gallery records measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1972 to 1979. The collection sheds light on the early years of the cooperative through gallery by-laws, artist biographies and resumes, the gallery's original building lease, notes from administrative meetings, an A.I.R. Gallery poster, writings on the gallery, exhibition records, and printed material.
Scope and Contents:
The A.I.R. Gallery records measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1972 to 1979. The collection sheds light on the early years of the cooperative through gallery by-laws, artist biographies and resumes, the gallery's original building lease, notes from administrative meetings, an A.I.R. Gallery poster, writings on the gallery, exhibition records, and printed material.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection, the records are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
A.I.R. Gallery (Artists in Residence Gallery, Inc.) was established in 1972 in New York City, as the first not-for-profit, artist-directed and maintained gallery for women artists in the United States.
The concept for the gallery was first developed by Barbara Zucker and Susan Williams who, along with co-founders Dotty Attie, Maude Boltz, Mary Grigoriadis, and Nancy Spero, sought out 14 more female artists in New York to become members of the cooperative. The initial group included Rachel bas-Cohain, Judith Bernstein, Blythe Bohnen, Agnes Denes, Daria Dorosh, Loretta Dunkelman, Harmony Hammond, Laurace James, Nancy Kitchell, Louise Kramer, Anne Healy, Rosemary Mayer, Patsy Norvell, and Howardena Pindell. At the original meeting to form the gallery on March 17, 1972, artist Howardena Pindell suggested the name 'EYRE Gallery' for Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. The artists decided on 'A.I.R. Gallery', with A.I.R. shortened from "Artists in Residence".
The group incorporated A.I.R. Gallery as a not-for-profit organization. In addition to exhibitions installed and curated by its members, A.I.R. Gallery also held lectures and workshops, and developed a videotape program to highlight the work of its artists. In 1976, Nancy Shapiro coordinated the gallery's first international exhibition, Combative Acts, Profiles, and Voices, curated by French critic Aline Dallie and comprised entirely of French female artists.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1979 and 1980 by representatives of A.I.R. Gallery.
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.
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State) -- New York
Citation:
A.I.R. Gallery records, 1972-1979. 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.
The papers of painter and educator Robin Tewes measure 8.4 linear feet and date from 1950-2016. The collection documents the life of a veteran New York artist, active in artist run galleries, such as Fifth Street Gallery, and in artists' organizations. Among the papers are biographical material, correspondence, nine notebooks, project files, teaching files, personal business records, printed material, photographic material, artwork, nine sketchbooks, and a few artifacts.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and educator Robin Tewes measure 8.4 linear feet and date from 1950-2016. The collection documents the life of a veteran New York artist, active in artist run galleries, such as Fifth Street Gallery, and in artists' organizations. Among the papers are biographical material, correspondence, nine notebooks, project files, teaching files, personal business records, printed material, photographic material, artwork, nine sketchbooks, and a few artifacts.
Notable correspondents include Tewes' longtime friend and writer Beverly Donofrio, as well as Andrea Belag, Vija Celmins, Petah Coyne, Ilona Granet, Mark Innerst, Joyce Kozloff, Ruth Marten, Mark Tansey, Marcia Tucker, Martha Wilson, and Nina Yankowitz.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1950-2012 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1970-2016 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 3: Notebooks, 2007-2015 (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 4: Project Files, circa 1975-2015 (1.6 linear feet; Box 2-3, OV 10-11)
Series 5: Teaching Files, 1997-2015 (0.4 linear feet; Box 3-4)
Series 6: Personal Business Records, circa 1975-2010 (0.2 linear feet; Box 4)
Series 7: Printed Material, circa 1970-2015 (2.5 linear feet; Box 4-6, OV 12)
Series 8: Photographic Material, circa 1958-2015 (0.6 linear feet; Box 7, OV 13; 332 Megabytes; ER01)
Series 9: Artwork, circa 1950-2015 (0.7 linear feet; Box 7, OV 14-15)
Series 10: Sketchbooks, circa 1984-2010 (0.6 linear feet; Box 8-9)
Series 11: Artifacts, circa 2000, circa 2009 (0.2 linear feet; Box 9)
Biographical / Historical:
Robin Tewes (1950- ) is a New York painter and educator. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Tewes graduated from the High School of Art and Design in 1968 and received her BFA from Hunter College in 1978. Tewes was an original member of P.S. 122 Painting Association and founded the Fifth Street Gallery which operated on the Lower East Side in the late 1970s. Tewes has taught at several colleges and universities around New York City including Bard College, Hunter College, Pace University, Parsons the New School for Design, and the School of Visual Arts. She has been included in numerous exhibitions, both domestically and internationally.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives of American Art in 2016 by Robin Tewes.
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.
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.
The Organization of Independent Artists records measure 28.4 linear feet and date from circa 1970s to circa 2003. The records include administrative records, correspondence, exhibition and installation files, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed material, seven scrapbooks, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The Organization of Independent Artists records measure 28.4 linear feet and date from circa 1970s to circa 2003. The records include administrative records, correspondence, exhibition and installation files, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed material, seven scrapbooks, and photographs.
Administrative records include scattered files about the board of directors/trustees, the advisory board, membership, events, gallery rental space, loans, other organizations, and the general history of the OIA. Also found are exhibitions lists, schedules, and proposals, as well as drafts of OIA printed materials. Correspondence with artists, board members, donors, financial institutions, and other organizations is found in many of the files.
Exhibition and installation files comprise the bulk of the records and include files for the Annual OIA Salon Show, the OIA Sculpture Garden assembled annually on the grounds of the Manhattan Psychiatric Center on Ward's Island, several shows of Selections from the Slide Files, as well as numerous other group exhibitions and installations.
The artists' files contain a variety of materials, including photographs, and are found for Hera, Tom Klem, Mary Shaffer and a few others. Financial and legal records document the organization's many grant applications, invoices and bills paid, tax materials, and legal issues. Printed materials include OIA newsletters, show announcements and brochures, and exhibition materials and clippings. There is one clippings scrapbook and six scrapbooks of exhibition materials. Photographs depict exhibitions and installations as well as artwork; additional photographs of exhibitions are also filed with the exhibition files.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 8 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Administrative Records, circa 1976-2002 (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-4)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1976-2002 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)
Series 3: Exhibition and Installation Files, circa 1970s-circa 2003 (13 linear feet; Boxes 5-18)
Series 4: Artists' Files, circa 1980s-circa 1990s (0.2 linear feet; Box 18)
Series 5: Financial and Legal Records, circa 1970s-circa 2002 (6.9 linear feet; Boxes 18-25, 29)
Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1970s-circa 2002 (3.1 linear feet; Boxes 25-29, OV30)
Series 7: Scrapbooks, circa 1977-2000 (0.7 linear feet; Box 28)
Series 8: Photographs, circa 1980s-circa 1990s (0.2 linear feet; Box 28-29)
Biographical / Historical:
The Organization of Independent Artists (OIA) is a non-profit arts organization founded in 1976 by Warren Tanner, Arnold Wechsler, and Renee Meyer. The organization's mission is to sponsor artist-curated group shows and enable exhibitions of emerging and mid-career artists in public spaces throughout the New York City area outside of the usual commercial and alternative gallery venues.
OIA activities have included organizing public space exhibitions and displays of artwork, publishing a quarterly newsletter, maintaining a slide registry of artists' work and extensive artists' mailing lists, and arranging studio tours. The Arts in Public Spaces Program was initiated in 1976 with the passage of the Public Buildings Cooperative Usage Act, a public law that encourages the use of public space in federal buildings for cultural and educational activities. Participating professional artists have included Thornton Willis, Joan Thorne, Vincent Longo, Mimi Gross Grooms, Hannah Wilke, Nancy Spero, Richard Mock, and Joyce Kozloff, among others. By 1986, OIA had facilitated the display of more than 5,000 works of art in forty public exhibition sites, which included courthouses, libraries, building lobbies, public parks, college campuses, and hospital grounds in all five boroughs of New York City, and over 2,000 artists had participated it its Art in Public Spaces program.
Other exhibition collaborations have included Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, General Services Administration, John F. Kennedy Airport, Long Island University in Brooklyn, Longwood Arts Center in the Bronx, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Queens Museum in Flushing Meadow Park, Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island, U.S. Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, and the grounds of the South Beach Psychiatric Center on Staten Island. Since 1979, the annual OIA Sculpture Garden at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center on Ward's Island has afforded hundreds of artists the opportunity to construct and install large-scale outdoor work in an urban environment, and many artists have received individual commissions, one-person shows, and have sold art work as a direct result of their participation.
Other OIA exhibition programming has resulted in ten to twelve artist-curated shows per year, and has assisted the artist-curator by identifying and negotiating exhibition locations, as well as producing announcement cards and posters, providing insurance, hosting the artists' reception, advising and assisting with publicity, and undergoing extensive fundraising for artists' and curators' fees.
Provenance:
The Organization of Independent Artists records were donated in 2003 by the organization via Geraldine Cosentino, Director.
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.
Use of archival audiovisual recordings 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.
The records of the Guild Art Gallery measure 1.2 linear feet and date from circa 1933-1937. Operating in New York City between 1935-1937, the gallery was founded by artists Margaret Lefranc (also known as Margaret Schoonover) and Anna Walinska. Scattered records of the gallery include correspondence, including some with artists, exhibition files, financial records, a scrapbook and other printed materials, a drawing by Anna Walinska, and photographs of artwork and the gallery.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Guild Art Gallery measure 1.2 linear feet and date from circa 1933-1937. Operating in New York City between 1935-1937, the gallery was founded by artists Margaret Lefranc (also known as Margaret Schoonover) and Anna Walinska. Scattered records of the gallery include correspondence, including some with artists, exhibition files, financial records, a scrapbook and other printed materials, a drawing by Anna Walinska, and photographs of artwork and the gallery.
Correspondence is with artists, business associates, and museums. Correspondents include Alfred H. Barr, Alfred C. Barnes, Saul Baizerman, Cincinnati Art Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Paul Feeley, Arshile Gorky, Chaim Gross, Jean Liberte, Museum of Modern Art, Lloyd Raymond Ney, Philip Reisman, Theodore Roszak, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. The collection also contains financial materials such as account ledgers, receipt journals, bank records, sales invoices, and insurance forms, as well as printed material consisting of a scrapbook, newspaper and magazine clippings, calendars of art events, and journals. Additionally, there is a pen and ink drawing by Anna Walinska and black and white copy prints of artwork and orignal snphotos of the gallery.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Correspondence, 1935-1937 (11 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Exhibition records (2 folders; Box 1)
Series 3: Financial records, 1935-1937 (6 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1935-1937 (15 folders, Boxes 1-2)
Series 5: Artwork, circa 1935 (1 folder, Box 2)
Series 6: Photographs, circa 1933-1937 (3 folders; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
The Guild Art Gallery was founded in 1935 by artists Anna Walinska and Margaret Lefranc (also known as Margaret Schoonover) and operated at 37 West 57th Street in New York City until 1937. Arshile Gorky held his first New York solo exhibition there. In 1935, the founders were quoted in Art Digest as stating that the new gallery "plans to exhibit, without charge, the work of contemporary artists, whether known or unknown; to develop, through a receptive audience, a better understanding of the creative expression and the problems of creative expression and the problems of contemporary society; and to illustrate the relationship of painting with the other arts." The gallery's opening exhibition featured both Walinska and Lefranc, as well as Boris Aronson, Don Forbes, Henry Major, Rosa Newman, Philip Reisman, Ben-Shmuel, Ary Stillman, and, notably, Arshile Gorky.
Related Materials:
Also found among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are the Anna Walinska papers.
Provenance:
Margaret Lefranc (also known as Margaret Schoonover), co-founder of the Guild Art Gallery, donated the gallery records to the Archives of American Art in 1981.
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.
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.
The records of the New York City-based Cinque Gallery, a nonprofit organization, measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1959 to 2010, with the bulk of materials dating from 1976 to 2004. The gallery's mission was to exhibit African American artists, to educate the public about their work, and to offer art programs to the community. This is documented by administrative records, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed material, and photographs. Materials dated before and after the gallery's years of operation relate to African American community organizations and were compiled by former Cinque Gallery Executive Director, Ruth Jett.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the New York City-based Cinque Gallery, a nonprofit organization, measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1959 to 2010, with the bulk of materials dating from 1976 to 2004. The gallery's mission was to exhibit African American artists, to educate the public about their work, and to offer art programs to the community. This is documented by administrative records, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed material, and photographs. Materials dated before and after the gallery's years of operation relate to African American community organizations and were compiled by former Cinque Gallery Executive Director, Ruth Jett.
Administrative records consist of a broad range of material such as gallery history, an organizational outline, by-laws and articles, assorted forms, correspondence, mailing lists, and fundraising materials. Correspondence is mostly addressed to Executive Director Ruth Jett regarding business operations and funding efforts.
Artists' files consists of resumes, biographical statements, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements related to Cinque Gallery founders as well as other artists. Notable artists include Romare Bearden, Ernest Crichlow, Norman Lewis, Nadine DeLawrence, Joanne McFarland, Virginia Evans Smit, and many others.
Financial and legal records include bank statements, tax records, budget projections, price lists, ledgers, and contribution receipts.
Printed material consists of announcements, invitations, and catalogs of group and solo exhibitions held at Cinque Gallery. Some of the artists featured in the exhibitions are Romare Bearden, Ernest Crichlow, Edward Clark, and Charles Alston. Also found are a brochure, newsletter, press releases, and clippings. Other printed items relating to Cinque Gallery are a brochure, exhibition reviews, and clippings.
Photographs are mostly of Cinque Gallery events, exhibition openings and galas. Some of the photographs have annotations on the verso. Among the identified individuals are Ernest Crichlow, Ruth Jett, Romare Bearden, and Norman Lewis. This series also contains a small number of negatives and a few slides of artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series:
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1969-2010 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Artists' Files, 1983-2009 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 3: Financial and Legal Records, 1969-2005 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1959-2007, bulk 1976-2007 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 5: Photographs, circa 1987-2003 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The Cinque Gallery (est. 1969, closed 2004) was a nonprofit art gallery in New York City founded by African American artists Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, and Ernest Crichlow. It was established to exhibit the work of both new and established African American artists, and to provide community educational programs.
In 1981, co-founder Ernest Crichlow invited Ruth Jett, an accomplished administrator and long-time arts supporter, to serve on the gallery's Board of Directors. One year later, Jett was appointed Executive Director of Cinque Gallery. Jett has been described as the glue that held the Cinque Gallery together during its prodigious programs and exhibitions of the 1980s and 1990s.
Cinque sponsored more than 350 exhibitions in a number of New York City venues, as well as travelling exhibitions in the New York and New England areas before closing in 2004. The Gallery was funded by public and individual contributors, such as the Romare Bearden Foundation, Philip Morris Companies and the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Although Cinque Gallery closed its doors in 2004, some of its central programs are still continued by the Romare Bearden Foundation in New York City.
Provenance:
The records were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2013 by Ruth M. Jett, former Executive Director of Cinque Gallery.
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.
