The papers of African American assemblage artist Noah Purifoy measure 1.2 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1998 with the bulk of the material dating from 1971 to 1998. The collection contains biographical material; correspondence; writings on Purifoy and art; material related to the California Arts Council; material related to other professional activities, including commissions and exhibitions; printed material; and scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of African American assemblage artist and arts administrator Noah Purifoy measure 1.2 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1998 with the bulk of the material dating from 1971 to 1998. The collection contains biographical material, including an award, diplomas, and resumes; correspondence with arts institutions and artists; writings on Purifoy and art; material related to the California Arts Council, including drafts for the Artists-in-Education Summer Workshop and Conference; material related to other professional activities, including a commission from the Getty Center and exhibitions; and printed material, including clippings, exhibition catalogs, and magazines. Also included are two scrapbooks, which contain photographic material, correspondence, printed material, as well as selected writings and other materials documenting Purifoy's career as an artist and arts administrator.
Series 2: Correspondence, 1971-1979, 1992-1998 (Box 1; 3 folders)
Series 3: Writings, 1974, circa 1990s, undated (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 4: California Arts Council, 1976-1980 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 5: Other Professional Activities, circa 1967-1977, 1994-1998 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 6: Printed Material, 1939, 1966-1998 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1935-1938, 1957-1997 (Box 1, OV 3; 0.5 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Noah Purifoy (1917-2004) was an African American sculptor, assemblage artist, and arts administrator in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, California.
Born in Snow Hill, Alabama, Purifoy attended Alabama State Teachers College (now Alabama State University) and Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). In 1953, Purifoy enrolled at the Chouinard Arts Institute (now CalArts) as the first full-time African American student. He earned his bachelor's of fine arts degree in 1956, just before his 40th birthday.
Purifoy co-founded the Watts Towers Art Center in Los Angeles, California and he, along with artist Judson Powell, organized the exhibition 66 Signs of Neon as a way to interpret the 1965 Watts Riots.
In 1989, Purifoy moved to the Mojave Desert, just outside of Joshua Tree, California. He spent the remainder of his life creating the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Sculpture Museum, which is composed of large-scale assemblages in the desert constructed entirely from found objects. The museum is open to the public and maintained by the Noah Purifoy Foundation.
Provenance:
Noah Purifoy donated the papers to the Archives of American Art in 1998.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Assemblage artists -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Assemblage artists -- California -- Joshua Tree Search this
Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Sculptors -- California -- Joshua Tree Search this
Noah Purifoy : Junk Dada / organized by Franklin Sirmans with Yael Lipschutz ; with essays by Yael Lipschutz, Kristine McKenna, Lowery Stokes Sims ; additional contributions by Dale Brockman Davis, Allison Glenn, Judson Powell, Ed Ruscha, Franklin Sirmans, Sue A. Welsh, C. Ian White ; and special photography by Fredrik Nilsen
