Soho 20 records measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1972 to 1979. The collection includes exhibition ephemera, clippings, membership lists and mailers, two artists' files, a Soho 20 artist booklet, press releases, and scant photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
Soho 20 records measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1972 to 1979. The collection includes exhibition announcements and catalogs, a Soho 20 artist booklet, press releases, membership lists and mailers, and clippings. Also included are writings, bibliographic information, exhibition ephemera, and clippings pertaining to Nancy Goldring; and photos of artist Noreen Bumb, her artwork, and installations.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the records are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Soho 20 is an artist-run gallery founded in 1973 in New York. The gallery's founding members are Elena Borstein, Cynthia Mailman, Barbara Coleman, Maureen Conner, Mary Ann Gillies, Joan Glueckman, Eunice Golden, Margaret Helenchild, Marion Ranyak, Rachel Rolon De Clet, Marilyn Raymond, Halina Rusak, Lucy Sallick, Morgan Sanders, Rosalind Shaffer, Sylvia Sleigh, Eileen Spikol, May Stevens, Suzanne Weisberg, and Sharon Wybrants-Lynch. Soho 20's mission is to provide women and other marginalized artists with resources and opportunities. The gallery became a legal non-profit in 1989.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 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.
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.
Soho 20 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 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 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 Area Gallery measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1958-1977 (bulk dates 1959-1964). Area Gallery was one of the Tenth Street Co-ops in New York City, and operated from 1958-1965. Materials in this collection include artist bios, price lists, black and white photos of artwork; financial records with annotations; member lists, exhibition lists, and daily notes; gallery sign-in sheets; correspondence, including letters to and from the gallery and regarding rent issues; and an extensive scrapbook containing exhibition posters, photos of artwork, announcements, exhibition reviews, and clippings.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Area Gallery measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1958-1977 (bulk dates 1959-1964). Area Gallery was one of the Tenth Street Co-ops in New York City, and operated from 1958-1965. Materials in this collection include artist bios, price lists, black and white photos of artwork; financial records with annotations; member lists, exhibition lists, and daily notes; gallery sign-in sheets; correspondence, including letters to and from the gallery and regarding rent issues; and an extensive scrapbook containing exhibition posters, photos of artwork, announcements, exhibition reviews, and clippings.
Administrative records contain member lists, daily operational notes and messages, artwork loan contracts to museums, some mail received by the gallery, and all sign-in sheets for the gallery from 1962-1965. It is noted that all sign-in sheets prior to April 1962 have been lost.
Correspondence is primarily to and from the Treasurer of Area Gallery, and also contains requests for hire and exhibitions, member resignations, payments made and received. Additionally, rent correspondence contains letters regarding late or overdue payments.
The artist files and scrapbook contain black and white photographs of artwork, artist bios, price lists, and some exhibition announcements, and represent a small fraction of the number of artists who showed at Area Gallery. The scrapbook also contains exhibition review clippings and exhibition posters.
The financial records include cancelled checks, many of which have been annotated, deposit slips and bank statements, also annotated. Receipts for bills, supplies, artist payments, and dues are also included, as well as two bookkeeping ledgers.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1958-1977 (8 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1958-1965 (3 folders; Box 1)
Series 3: Artist Files, 1959-1964 (15 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Financial Records, 1958-1965 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 5: Scrapbook, 1959-1966 (0.3 linear feet; Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Area Gallery was one of the Tenth Street Co-ops in New York City, and operated from 1958-1965. From fall 1958 to summer 1962, the gallery was located at 80 East 10th Street, and then moved to 90 East 10th Street until the summer of 1965. Area Gallery's original members were: Tom Boutis, John Ireland Collins, Charles DuBack, Joe Fiore, Bernard Langlais, Ed Moses, Daphne Mumford, and Paul Yakovenko.
New York's Tenth Street Galleries were a cooperative of artist-run galleries that began opening in the early 1950s, located between 3rd and 4th Avenues, where spaces for living and studios were relatively inexpensive. It was the center for anything new and avant-garde in downtown Manhattan at this time. Galleries operated on very low budgets, artists were often members of more than one gallery, and they provided an alternative to the highly selective Madison Avenue and 57th Street galleries. The top galleries of the 10th Street Co-ops were the Tanager, Hansa, James, Camino, March, Phoenix, Brata, and Area Gallery.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is a collection relating to the Tenth Street Galleries and collection donor, Ruth Fortel. See: Joellen Bard's, Ruth Fortel's, and Helen Thomas' exhibition records of "Tenth Street Days: the Co-ops of the 50s," 1953-1977.
Provenance:
The records were donated in 1978 by Ruth Becker Fortel, Treasurer of Area Gallery.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Function:
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Citation:
Area Gallery records, 1958-1977, bulk 1959-1964. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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.
Joellen Bard's, Ruth Fortel's, and Helen Thomas' exhibition records of Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s, 1953-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Group work in art -- United States -- Exhibitions Search this
The records of artist-run collaborative exhibition and event space, Four Walls, measures 30.0 linear feet and dates from 1984-2000. The records document Four Walls activities such as artist conversations, panel discussions, exhibitions, screenings, and performances, and include photographic prints and slides, printed material and ephemera, notes and writings, correspondence, audio and video recordings, and some small artifacts. A portion of the material is in electronic format.
Biographical / Historical:
Four Walls (1984-2000) was an artist-run collaborative exhibition and event space, operated primarily by artists Adam Simon and Michael Ballou. The organization consisted of two consecutive phases: from 1984 to 1988 in Hoboken, New Jersey, and from 1991 to 2000 in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Provenance:
Donated in 2022 by founders Adam Simon and Michele Araujo and by Michael Ballou, who maintained a bulk of the material from Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York.
Restrictions:
This collection is temporarily closed to researchers due to archival processing. 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 donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own in the following material: "Dissociationism: an art movement at the end of the millennium," 1996, single-channel video, 44 min., 30 sec.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Ivan C. Karp, 1963 October 18. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
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
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 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.
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 open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Richard Stankiewicz, 1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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
55 Mercer Artists, Inc. records, 1939-2007, bulk 1970-2007, measure 5.1 linear feet. The records, which are incomplete with sizeable gaps, consist of administrative records, exhibition files, artists' files, financial records, scrapbooks, guest books, and printed material that document one of the most successful and long lived artist run cooperative galleries in SoHo. The only item pre-dating 55 Mercer Artists, Inc. is a 1939 newspaper clipping in the artists' files.
Scope and Contents:
55 Mercer Artists, Inc. records, 1939-2007, bulk 1970-2007, measure 5.1 linear feet. The records, which are incomplete with sizeable gaps, consist of administrative records, exhibition files, artists' files, financial records, scrapbooks, guest books, and printed material that document one of the most successful and long lived artist run cooperative galleries in SoHo. The only item pre-dating 55 Mercer Artists, Inc. is a 1939 newspaper clipping in the artists' files.
Administrative records include correspondence, records of board committees, exhibition schedules, membership and mailing lists, and minutes. Exhibition files consist of slides and photographs of installations and individual works of art, small amounts of correspondence, notes, and lists of works shown.
Artists' files consist of various combinations of correspondence, resumes, printed material, photographs and slides of art work of members and guest artists. Many artists are represented by just an item or two; files for Corliss Cavaliere, Peter Charlap, Joan Gardner, Irene Gennaro, Jon Gregg, Ethelyn Honig, and Lisa Ingram are more substantial.
The majority of financial records concern membership dues, rent and exhibition fees received. Also included are sporadic banking records, paid bills, treasurers' reports, insurance information and tax records. Eight scrapbooks include exhibition announcements, publicity, reviews, miscellaneous printed material, photographs, and slides.
Guest books consist of 22 volumes and loose pages that record gallery visitors, many of whom offered comments about the shows. Exhibition titles and dates are noted on the page for the day of each opening reception.
Among the printed materials are exhibition announcements, catalogs, and publicity produced by 55 Mercer Artists, Inc.; copies of every exhibition announcement, catalog, and press release issued have not survived. Also found are articles about or mentioning 55 Mercer Artists, Inc., exhibition reviews, advertisements and event listings.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series:
Series 1: Administrative Records, circa 1970-2007 (Box 1; 0.4 linear ft.)
Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1971-2007 (Box 1; 0.4 linear ft.)
Series 3: Artists' Files, 1939, 1973-2006 (Boxes 1-2; 0.6 linear ft.)
Series 4: Financial Records, 1973-2006 (Boxes 2-3; 0.8 linear ft.)
Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1977-1987 (Box 3; 0.3 linear ft.)
Series 6: Guest Books, 1972-2007 (Boxes 3-5; 1.7 linear ft.)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1973-2007 (Box 5, OV 6; 0.9 linear ft.)
Biographical / Historical:
55 Mercer Artists, Inc., an artist-run alternative to commercial galleries, was founded as 55 Mercer Gallery - also known as 55 Mercer Street Gallery and 55 Mercer - in December 1969. The earliest of a second wave of co-operative galleries in New York City, it was one of the most successful and the longest-lived.
Many of the founders and early members were active in the Art Workers' Coalition, a group formed to address artists' rights issues and promote the overhaul of the museum and gallery system to remove profit motives from art. Tom Parker, an artist friend acting on behalf of group members who aspired to open a co-operative gallery, rented the third floor of 55 Mercer Street. He reserved a room to use as a studio and sublet the remainder to the co-op. Two large galleries of nearly equal size were separated by a small, open office area, a layout that led to a tradition of tandem solo exhibitions or one large group show. The open, spare and worn space especially appealed to sculptors and attracted those who worked in large scale with recycled materials.
The inaugural exhibition in early 1970 was a group show of the ten founding members: Alice Adams, Martin Bressler, Don Cole, Gloria Greenburg, Stan Kaplan, Christy Park, Stephen Rosenthal, L. Shreve Stevenson, and Merrill Wagner; during the first year, each member also had a solo exhibition. With haphazard arrangements and no publicity or gallery guide listings, reviews were not forthcoming. Nevertheless, by the end of its first year the gallery had established a reputation as a space "of artists, by artists, and for artists" and over the years presented some of the best exhibitions in SoHo. Membership was fluid. No particular style or philosophy was ever dominant, and members found unity in their focus on quality, antipathy to commercial galleries and insistence on freedom for member and guest artists alike.
By the start of its second season, the gallery had the attention of critics and reviews were appearing regularly in art periodicals. When the co-operative gallery Ours closed at the end of 1970, Janet Fish, Diane Karol, Paul Tschinkel, and Frank Lincoln Viner were invited to join. With larger membership came the need for a definite exhibition schedule and greater organization. Over the next few years, meetings began to occur more frequently. By the mid 1970s the gallery began to receive funding from sources such as the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Officially incorporated as 55 Mercer Street Artists, Inc. in 1977, the organizations by-laws specified: "The corporation is a not-for-profit corporation whose purpose is to provide a facility for artists who seek to introduce their work to the public. The corporation maintains an exhibition space which it makes available for this purpose, both for its artists members, and for visiting artists. In addition, the corporation presents performances, discussions, workshops and other art-related events for the general public." A board of directors composed of artist members managed the affairs of the corporation assisted by a Membership Committee, Grants Committee, and Selection Committee that chose and scheduled exhibitions,
Trustees began managing the building after the owner of the 55 Mercer Street died, and 55 Mercer Artists, Inc. received an eviction notice in early 2007. Legal representation was obtained and a loophole discovered, but declining membership and the poor physical condition of the facilities eventually prompted a decision to relocate. Some members chose to join other galleries. A core group of about a dozen 55 Mercer artists found a suitable space in Long Island City; after reorganizing as an artist-initiated not-for-profit gallery, they reopened in 2008 as M55 Mercer Art.
Provenance:
Donated in 2007 by 55 Mercer Street Artists, Inc. via Ethelyn Honig.
Restrictions:
Use of original material requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Function:
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Visitors' books
Citation:
55 Mercer Artists, Inc. records, 1939-2007, bulk 1970-2007. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Joellen Bard's, Ruth Fortel's, and Helen Thomas' exhibition records of The Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1953-1977. The collection documents the research for, and organization of, this exhibition held at Amos Eno Gallery, 14 Sculptors Gallery, Noho Galley, Pleiades Galley, and Ward-Nasse Gallery, December 20, 1977 through January 7, 1978. Records consist of a grant proposal and related documentation; printed material including an exhibition catalog and poster; research files including 35-mm color slides and photographs; and 2 scrapbooks containing biographical information, printed matter, and photographs of works of art relating to the corollary exhibition, Tenth Street in 1977.
Scope and Content Note:
Joellen Bard's, Ruth Fortel's, and Helen Thomas' exhibition records of The Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1953-1977. The collection documents the research for, and organization of, this exhibition held at Amos Eno Gallery, 14 Sculptors Gallery, Noho Galley, Pleiades Galley, and Ward-Nasse Gallery, December 20, 1977 through January 7, 1978. Records consist of a grant proposal and related documentation; printed material including an exhibition catalog and poster; research files including 35-mm color slides and photographs; and 2 scrapbooks containing biographical information, printed matter, and photographs of works of art relating to the corollary exhibition, Tenth Street in 1977.
Series 1: Exhibition records of Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s, 1953-1977 (0.4 linear ft.) documents the exhibition that was held December 20, 1977 through January 7, 1978 at Amos Eno Gallery, 14 Sculptors Gallery, Noho Gallery, Pleiades Gallery, and the Ward-Nasse Gallery. Included are the grant proposal, resumes, budget, and background information on the Association of Artist-Run Galleries, exhibition catalog and other printed matter, and congratulatory telegram from John Krushenick. Research files concerning Brata Gallery, Camino Gallery, Hansa Gallery, James Gallery, and Tanager Gallery contain a variety of printed items and historical notes. Of particular interest are administrative records of Camino Gallery that include its articles of agreement and minutes; and a reminiscence of Craig Hazlet who funded Tanager Gallery for 5 years, by daughter Sally Hazlet Drummond. Research files also include artist address lists, responses to a questionnaire about Tenth Street galleries circulated by Bard, and general printed matter about Tenth Street galleries and artists. Additional exhibition records consist of 35-mm color slides of works of art, and small number of black and white photographs of galleries and artists.
Series 2: Records of Tenth Street in 1977, December 20, 1977-January 8, 1978 (0.25 linear ft.) relates to the corollary exhibition shown at Landmark Gallery, Inc., December 20, 1977 through January 8, 1978. Records consist of 2 disbound scrapbooks, arranged alphabetically by artist, that contain biographical information, miscellaneous printed matter, and photographs of works of art.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 2 series. Material in Series 1 is arranged chronologically within each folder. Series 2 is arranged alphabetically by artist.
Missing Title
Series 1: Records of -- Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s -- , 1953-1977 (Box 1 and OV; 0.4 linear ft.)
Series 2: Records of -- Tenth Street in 1977 -- , 1977 (Box 2; 0.25 linear ft.)
Biographical Note:
Tenth Street between Third and Fourth Avenues, was an artist community that was home to many of the first generation Abstract Expressionists. The neighborhood was also home to The Club and the Cedar Tavern. After 1953, many of younger artists--the second and third generations of Abstract Expressionists--came to live and work near Tenth Street. They organized and ran a number of cooperative galleries that became an important focus and provided much needed exhibition opportunities for the large number of young artists lured to New York City in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Researched and organized by painter and art instructor Joellen Bard, Ruth Fortel and Helen Thomas in co-operation with the Association of Artist-Run Galleries and Pleiades Gallery, Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s, was held at Amos Eno Gallery, 14 Sculptors Gallery, Noho Galley, Pleiades Galley, and Ward-Nasse Gallery, December 20, 1977 through January 7, 1978. A corollary exhibition, Tenth Street in 1977, was shown at Landmark Gallery, Inc., December 20, 1977 through January 8, 1978. An expanded version of the exhibition was circulated by The Gallery Association of New York State.
Provenance:
Gift of Joellen Bard, coordinator of the Association of Artist-Run Galleries and curator of Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s, 1977-1978.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
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 -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Group work in art -- United States -- Exhibitions Search this
Joellen Bard's, Ruth Fortel's, and Helen Thomas' exhibition records of Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s, 1953-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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.
The records of the Bowery Gallery, a non-profit, artist-run, cooperative gallery, measure 3.1 linear feet and 0.684 GB and date from 1969-2008. Business records, letters, exhibition files, guest registers, printed and digital material and photographs document the gallery's activities and artists.
Scope and Content Note:
The records of the Bowery Gallery, a non-profit, artist-run cooperative gallery in New York City, measure 3.1 linear feet and and 0.684 GB date from 1969-2008. Business records, letters, exhibition files, guest registers, printed material and photographs document the gallery's activities and artists.
An additional 0.4 linear feet of Bowery Gallery records dated circa 2002-2008 were accessioned in 2008 and remain unprocessed except for a digital copy of an audiovisual recording of the gallery's inaugural exhibition (October 31, 1969), which is included in Series 3. This accretion contains minutes and other business records, exhibition schedules, exhibition announcements, and Bowery Artists Tribute, Volume 1 (2008).
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series:
Series 1: Business Records, 1969-2002 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)
Series 4: Guest Registers, 1976-2001 (Boxes 1-2; 1.0 linear feet)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1969-2001 (Boxes 2-4; 0.9 linear feet)
Series 6: Photographic Materials, 1997-1999 (Box 3; 0.1 linear feet)
Historical Note:
In 1969, eighteen artists founded the Bowery Gallery as a non-profit, artist-run cooperative gallery in New York City. The gallery's original mission was to promote contemporary art and artists during a time when abstract art and pop art dominated. In 1991, Bowery Gallery began sponsoring an annual national competition and juried show for artists working in two-dimensional media.
Provenance:
Donated 2003 and 2008 by the Bowery Gallery via Barbara Grossman, and Lynda Caspe, founding members of the Bowery Gallery, and Marylou Schuck. Grossman maintained the Gallery records.
Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Use of 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.
Function:
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Video recordings
Visitors' books
Photographs
Citation:
Bowery Gallery records, 1969-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
