Search Results

Creator:

Nasisse, Andy S., 1946-  Search this

Names:

Bailey, E. M. (Eldren M.)  Search this

Carpenter, Miles B. (Miles Burkholder), 1889-  Search this

Carroll, Tessie  Search this

Damonte, Emanuel "Litto", d. 1985  Search this

Dinsmoor, Samuel Perry, 1843-1932  Search this

Doyle, Sam, 1906-1985  Search this

Ehn, John Henry, 1896-1981  Search this

Finster, Howard, 1916-2001  Search this

Forester, Laura Pope, 1873-1953  Search this

Hall, Dilmus, 1900-1987  Search this

Hall, Irene Gibson, ca. 1895-1983  Search this

Harvey, Bessie, 1929-  Search this

McKissack, Jeff, 1902-1980  Search this

Milkovitch, John, 1912-1988  Search this

Murry, J. B. (John B.), 1908-1988  Search this

Prisbrey, Tressa  Search this

Pugh, Dow, 1906-  Search this

Ratcliffe, W. T., 1882-1956  Search this

Rice, William Carlton, 1930-2004  Search this

Robertson, Royal  Search this

St. EOM, 1908-1986  Search this

Thomas, Son, 1926-1993  Search this

Tolliver, Mose, 1920-  Search this

Van Zant, Frank, 1911-1989  Search this

Zoetl, Joseph, 1878-1961  Search this

Extent:

0.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Date:

circa 1979-circa 1986

Summary:

The Andy Nasisse files relating to self-taught artists measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1979 to 1986, with additional undated materials. Included are artist files on twenty-five self-taught artists. Files consist primarily of black and white photographs of artists, their artworks, and photographs of unidentified artworks. Also included is a letter discussing artist Howard Finster's first dealer, Jeffrey Camp, and in which Nasisse offers his advice to Finster to limit production of his work. An audio recording of an interview with Miles Carpenter conducted by Nasisse, and a documentary about J. B. Murray, A Video Documentary of an Artist and His Work, are also present in these files. The documentary features many of Murray's paintings and drawings, as well as his comments on his art and visions.

The artists included in the files are Eldren M. (E. M.) Bailey, Miles Carpenter, Tessie Carroll, Emanuel "Litto" Damonte, Samuel Perry (S.P.) Dinsmoor, Sam Doyle, John Ehn, Howard Finster, Laura Pope Forrester, Dilmus Hall, Irene Hall, Bessie Harvey, St. EOM (Eddie Owens Martin), Jeff McKissack, John Milkovitch, J. B. Murray, Grandma Tressa Prisbrey, Dow Pugh, W.T. Ratcliffe (or Ratliff), William Carlton Rice (Mr. Rice), Royal Robertson, James "Son Ford" Thomas, Mose Tolliver, Frank van Zant (Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder), and Brother Joseph Zoetl.

Scope and Contents:

The Andy Nasisse files relating to self-taught artists measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1979 to 1986, with additional undated materials. Included are artist files on twenty-five self-taught artists. Files consist primarily of black and white photographs of artists, their artworks, and photographs of unidentified artworks. Also included is a letter discussing artist Howard Finster's first dealer, Jeffrey Camp, and in which Nasisse offers his advice to Finster to limit production of his work. An audio recording of an interview with Miles Carpenter conducted by Nasisse, and a documentary about J. B. Murray, A Video Documentary of an Artist and His Work, are also present in these files. The documentary features many of Murray's paintings and drawings, as well as his comments on his art and visions.

The artists included in the files are Eldren M. (E. M.) Bailey, Miles Carpenter, Tessie Carroll, Emanuel "Litto" Damonte, Samuel Perry (S.P.) Dinsmoor, Sam Doyle, John Ehn, Howard Finster, Laura Pope Forrester, Dilmus Hall, Irene Hall, Bessie Harvey, St. EOM (Eddie Owens Martin), Jeff McKissack, John Milkovitch, J. B. Murray, Grandma Tressa Prisbrey, Dow Pugh, W.T. Ratcliffe (or Ratliff), William Carlton Rice (Mr. Rice), Royal Robertson, James "Son Ford" Thomas, Mose Tolliver, Frank van Zant (Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder), and Brother Joseph Zoetl.

Biographical / Historical:

Andy Nasisse (1946-) is a ceramicist sculptor, potter, and former professor at the University of Georgia. Starting in the 1970s, he visited self-taught artists and photographed their art, environments and, in some cases, conducted interviews with them. He has had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia and is the recipient of the Art Regional Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Miles Carpenter (also known as Miles Burkholder Carpenter or Miles B. Carpenter) (1889-1985) was a sculptor active in Waverly, Virginia who carved figures and animals from wood and referred to some as "advertisements."

Tessie Carroll was an Oklahoma folk artist known for her rock sculptures and carvings.

Eldren M. (E.M.) Bailey (1903-1987) was an African American sculptor and painter from Atlanta, Georgia whose sculptures were influenced from his background making grave markers.

Emanuel "Litto" Damonte (1892-1985) started collecting hubcaps in 1957 and created an art environment on his property in Napa Country, California, known as Hubcap Ranch.

Samuel Perry (S.P). Dinsmoor (1843-1932) was a Kansan sculptor who designed a sculpture garden at his home called the Garden of Eden," consisting of over 200 concrete works reflecting his religious and political beliefs.

Sam Doyle (1906-1985) was an African American artist born on St. Helena, an island off the coast of South Carolina, whose colorful paintings document the island's people and Gullah culture.

John Ehn (1887-1981) was a former trapper turned sculptor who decorated the landscape of his Californian motel, Old Trapper's Lodge, with sculptures depicting myths and the Old West.

Howard Finster (1916-2001) was a Georgian folk artist and Baptist minister known for his former home, Paradise Garden, consisting of constructions, found objects and sculptures.

Laura Pope Forrester (1873-1953) was a sculptor who created figurative works in her Georgian garden that depicted notable women and fictional characters.

Dilmus Hall (1896-1987) was an African American artist whose sculptural works are associated with religious customs that combine African traditions and Christianity.

Irene Hall was an Oklahoman artist who decorated her home with sculptural works she had made with found objects.

Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) was an African American folk artist from Tennessee who created wooden sculptures often inspired by nature.

Eddie Owens Martin "St. EOM" (1908-1986) was a Georgian artist who created a visionary art environment called Pasaquan.

Jeff McKissack (1902-1980) is the creator of The Orange Show, an art environment constructed in Houston Texas to honor his favorite fruit.

John Milkovitch (1912-1988) was a retired upholsterer who constructed the Beer Can House, by decorating his home with over 50,000 fattened beer cans.

J. B. Murry (1910-1988) (also known as J.B. Murray) was an African American painter who incorporated illegible text in his work which he interpreted with the use of a bottle of well water.

Tressa "Grandma" Prisbrey (1896-1988) constructed numerous structures out of bottles and found objects at her home creating what became known as Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village.

Dow Pugh (1906-1993) was an artist from Tennessee who created paintings and sculptural works.

W. T. Ratcliffe was an engineer who, in the 1930s created sculptures in Boulder Park in Jacumba, California.

William Carlton Rice (1930-2004) was a self-ordained minister who created a Cross Garden around his home in Alabama.

Royal Robertson (1936-1997) was an African American artist and self-proclaimed prophet from Louisiana whose work incorporated biblical themes, and references to "girlie magazines" and comic strips.

James "Son Ford" Thomas (1926- 1993) was an African American sculptor and blues musician from Mississippi who is known for his clay skull sculptures.

Mose Tolliver (1919-2006) was an African American folk painter from Alabama who painted with house paint on wood.

Frank van Zant "Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder" (1921-1989) was an Oklahoman artist who created a park in Nevada dedicated to the American Indian known as Thunder Mountain Monument.

Brother Joseph Zoettl (1878-1961) was a monk who constructed a miniature city of famous religious buildings at St. Bernard Abbey known as Ave Maria Grotto.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Photographs and videos of self-taught artists; Willie Ann Wright photographs; Howard Finster papers; John F. Turner research material on Howard Finster; Howard Finster interview and recordings; Videos and slides on Dilmus Hall, Mary T. Smith, and J.B. Murry; Willem Volkersz interviews; and J. B. Murray drawings. There is also an oral history interview with Howard Finster conducted by Liza Kirwin in 1984.

The California State University, Channel Islands holds the Prisbrey bottle village collection. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill holds the Judith McWillie papers. The University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries holds the Howard Finster collection and the Howard Finster Tapes.

Provenance:

The Andy Nasisse files relating to self-taught artists were donated to the Archives of American Art by Andy Nasisse in 1985.

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 audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Rights:

Video on J.B. Murray: Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce requires written permission from Andy Nasisse. Contact Reference Services for more information.

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:

Educators -- Georgia  Search this

Folk artists  Search this

Ceramicists -- Georgia  Search this

Potters -- Georgia  Search this

Topic:

Self-taught artists  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Andy Nasisse files relating to self-taught artists, circa 1979-circa 1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.nasiandy

See more items in:

Andy Nasisse files relating to self-taught artists

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw925d29844-be82-4471-9907-9d477d264625

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-nasiandy

Creator:

Nasisse, Andy S., 1946-  Search this

Subject:

Bailey, E. M. (Eldren M.)  Search this

Carpenter, Miles B. (Miles Burkholder)  Search this

Carroll, Tessie  Search this

Damonte, Emanuel "Litto"  Search this

Dinsmoor, Samuel Perry  Search this

Doyle, Sam  Search this

Ehn, John Henry  Search this

Finster, Howard  Search this

Forester, Laura Pope  Search this

Hall, Dilmus  Search this

Hall, Irene Gibson  Search this

Harvey, Bessie  Search this

Murry, J. B. (John B.)  Search this

Prisbrey, Tressa  Search this

Pugh, Dow  Search this

Rice, William Carlton  Search this

Robertson, Royal  Search this

Van Zant, Frank  Search this

St. EOM  Search this

Thomas, Son  Search this

Tolliver, Mose  Search this

Zoetl, Joseph  Search this

McKissack, Jeff  Search this

Milkovitch, John  Search this

Ratcliffe, W. T.  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Andy Nasisse files relating to self-taught artists, circa 1979-circa 1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Self-taught artists  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Theme:

African American  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9581

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211782

AAA_collcode_nasiandy

Theme:

African American

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211782

Creator:

Simon, Michael, 1947-2021  Search this

Subject:

MacKenzie, Warren  Search this

Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this

Citation:

Michael Simon papers, circa 1965-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

American studio craft movement  Search this

Theme:

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)22129

AAA_collcode_simomich

Theme:

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_22129

Creator:

Ferrin, Leslie, 1958-  Search this

King, Lyndel  Search this

Subject:

Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Citation:

Michael Simon interview, 2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Mingei (Art)  Search this

Ceramicists -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)17586

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)395812

AAA_collcode_ferrlesl

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_395812

Interviewee:

Simon, Michael, 1947-2021  Search this

Interviewer:

Shapiro, Mark, 1955-  Search this

Subject:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Michael Simon, 2005 September 27-28. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Ceramicists -- Georgia -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Ceramics  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11797

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)255546

AAA_collcode_simon05

Theme:

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_255546

Interviewee:

Simon, Michael, 1947-  Search this

Interviewer:

Shapiro, Mark, 1955-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Extent:

52 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2005 September 27-28

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Michael Simon conducted 2005 September 27-28, by Mark Shapiro, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the artist's home, in Colbert, Georgia.

Simon discusses studying at University of Minnesota with Warren MacKenzie; the counterculture and chaotic atmosphere at the university in the late 1960s; moving to Athens, Georgia, after college to open a studio on Jerry Chappelle's farm; his first pottery sales; obtaining conscientious objector status and working at a hospital in Athens; the influence of Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada on his work; developing shapes and expanding his repertoire; being inspired by Korean folk potters and by other Asian pottery; teaching at the Penland School of Arts and Crafts and being influenced by fellow potters there; art fairs in Atlanta, Florida, and elsewhere; using various materials for his pots, including Georgia kaolin and grolleg; applying for a fellowship at the University of Georgia, where he completed his Master's of Fine Arts; seeing Mark Pharis's pots in the summer of 1980, which compelled him to build his own salt kiln, which changed subsequent work dramatically; his marriage to Susan Roberts in 1992; experimenting with images on his pots, including fish and bamboo; getting a large commission for dinner plates from the Nakato Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the city's oldest sushi restaurants; visiting the Freer Sackler Galleries and being inspired by Chinese Yangshao pottery from the Neolithic period; the influence of Persian jars on his work; the success of his pottery sales with Ron Myers; going to Cortona, Italy, to teach pottery for the University of Georgia; teaching at a school in Santiago, Chile, exploring the countryside, and learning Chilean pottery techniques; the writing of Michael Cardew and its influence on his work and career; what constitutes a typical work day and what motivates him; and the community of American potters and the support he has received over the years. Simon also recalls Angel Lillo, Laurie Samuelson, Gib Krohn, Mark Pharis, Wayne Branum, Sandra Simon (née Lindstrom), Earl McCutcheon, Shoji Hamada, Cynthia Bringle, Ron Myers, Andy Nasisse, Robert Briscoe, Michael Cardew, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Michael Simon (1947-2021) was a functional ceramist from Athens, Georgia. Mark Shapiro (1955- ) is a ceramist from Worthington, Massachusetts.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 30 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Topic:

Ceramicists -- Georgia -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Ceramics  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.simon05

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw969ba1c32-e486-4229-acc3-b94141752291

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-simon05

Creator:

Selz, Peter Howard, 1919-2019  Search this

Names:

College Art Association of America  Search this

Institute of Design (Chicago, Ill.) (Faculty)  Search this

Marlborough Gallery  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.)  Search this

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (Calif.)  Search this

University of California, Berkeley. University Art Museum  Search this

Baykam, Bedri, 1957-  Search this

Beckmann, Max, 1884-1950  Search this

Benton, Fletcher, 1931-  Search this

Bergman, Ciel, 1938-  Search this

Bury, Pol, 1922-2005  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Chase-Riboud, Barbara  Search this

Christo, 1935-  Search this

Conner, Bruce, 1933-2008  Search this

Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-  Search this

Feininger, Lyonel, 1871-1956  Search this

Giacometti, Alberto, 1901-1966  Search this

Golub, Leon, 1922-2004  Search this

Graves, Morris, 1910-  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Hadzi, Dimitri, 1921-2006  Search this

Lebrun, Rico, 1900-1964  Search this

Lindner, Richard, 1901-1978  Search this

Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this

O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this

Onslow-Ford, Gordon  Search this

Paris, Harold, 1925-1979  Search this

Petlin, Irving, 1934-  Search this

Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Tinguely, Jean, 1925-  Search this

Extent:

31.5 Linear feet

0.696 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Place:

San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.)

Date:

1929-2014

bulk 1950-2005

Summary:

The papers of art historian and writer Peter Howard Selz measure 31.5 linear feet and 0.696 GB and date from 1929 to 2018, with the bulk of the materials from 1950 to 2005. The papers document Selz's long career via correspondence, writings, professional files, project files, membership and association records, artists' research files, exhibition files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, and nine scrapbooks.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of art historian and writer Peter Howard Selz measure 31.5 linear feet and 0.696 GB and date from 1929 to 2018, with the bulk of the materials from 1950 to 2005. The papers document Selz's long career via correspondence, writings, professional files, project files, membership and association records, artists' research files, exhibition files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, and scrapbooks.

Correspondence is with colleagues, artists, museums, and galleries concerning a wide variety of topics, including exhibitions and publications. The bulk of the correspondence consists of alphabetical files (two linear feet) that includes correspondence with artists. Notable correspondents include Pol Bury, Alexander Calder, Gordon Onslow Ford, Alberto Giacometti, Morris Graves, Philip Guston, Dimitri Hadzi, Jacques Lipchitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Jean Tinguely, and others. Eight additional files of chronological correspondence is with curators, arts organizations, and publishers. Additional correspondence is found in the professional files, project files, membership files, artists' research files, and exhibition files.

The bulk of the writings series is comprised of files related to Selz's books and includes typescript drafts and galleys, printed and digital material, correspondence, and publishing contracts. Files are found for Art in Our Times, Art of Engagement, Beyond the Mainstream, and Theories of Modern Art. Other writings consist of drafts of articles, essays, notes, and lectures by Selz. Also included are writings by others, including materials related to Paul Karlstrom's biography of Selz.

Professional files document curatorial and teaching positions at the Chicago Institute of Design, Pomona College, University of California, Berkeley, and the Museum of Modern Art. The series includes contracts, recommendations, syllabi, and correspondence.

Project files document Selz's professional work on specific art projects, panels, and symposiums. There is extensive documentation of Selz's work as project director of Christo's Running Fence, as well as other environmental art work projects by Christo, the Berkeley Art Project, Disney Art Project, "Funk Art" symposium, and the "Art and Politics in the 20th Century" symposium. Project files contain a wide variety of materials, such as correspondence, printed material, financial records, reports, photographs, and other documents. There are 2 tape reels, 1 VHS, and 1 sound cassette.

Membership and association records document Selz's involvement with or membership in various art councils, trustee boards, such as the College Art Association, Art in Chicago Advisory Committee, Bay Area Rapid Transit (B.A.R.T.) Art Council, and the San Francisco Crafts and Folk Art Museum Advisory Board, among others. Materials include meeting minutes, bulletins, correspondence, and memoranda.

Artists' Research Files consist of a wide variety of research materials Selz compiled about artists for lectures, writings, projects, exhibitions, etc. Files vary and may include original and photocopied correspondence, photographic material, resumes, printed and digital material, and writings. There is also 1 sound cassette. Files are found for Bedri Baykam, Max Beckmann, Fletcher Benton, Ciel Bergman, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Bruce Conner, Jean Dubuffet, Lyonel Feininger, Leon Golub, Dimitri Hadzi, Rico Lebrun, Harold Paris, Irving Petlin, among many others.

Exhibition files include catalogs, reviews, clippings, writings, correspondence, and other material documenting exhibitions organized by Selz. Limited materials are found for the MOMA Art Nouveau exhibition. More extensive documentation is found for Seven Decades of Modern Art, 1895-1965, The Joint Show (1967), The American Presidency in Political Cartoons (1976), American Modern Art Between the Two World Wars (1979), German Realism in the Twenties: Artist As Social Critic (1980), Twelve Artists from the German Democratic Republic (1989), a Richard Lindner Retrospective (1996), Spaces of Nature (1999), Color and Fire: Defining Moments in Studio Ceramics, 1950-2000 (2000), and a Nathan Oliviera Retrospective (2002), among others. Some of the materials are in digital format.

Personal business records are related to the Mark Rothko estate and Kate Rothko's legal case against Marlborough Gallery, Inc. Also included in this series are Peter Selz's school transcripts, bequests, royalty statements, house designs, and other material.

Printed materials include clippings, prints of articles written by Peter Selz, exhibition announcements and invitations, and photocopies of artwork images.

There are nine disbound scrapbooks dating from the 1940s up through 2012 containing clippings, exhibition announcements, and photographs of art events, Selz, and artists. This series also includes materials from the 2018 addition that may have previously been compiled in binders.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 10 series. When possible the original order of Peter Selz was maintained. However, multiple accessions were merged and integrated.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1942-2013 (2.3 linear feet; Box 1-3, Box 37)

Series 2: Writings, 1942- circa 2014 (8.3 linear feet; Box 3-10, OV 32, Box 37, 0.035 GB; ER01, ER12)

Series 3: Professional Files, 1949-2012 (1 linear feet; Box 11, Box 37)

Series 4: Project Files, 1962-2015 (2.8 linear feet; Box 12-14, OV 33, Box 37)

Series 5: Membership and Association Records, 1958-2014 (1.1 linear feet; Box 14-15, Box 37)

Series 6: Artists' Research Files, 1955-2014 (7.9 linear feet; Box 15-22, OV 34-35, 0.520 GB; ER02-ER08)

Series 7: Exhibition Files, 1959-2014 (5.2 linear feet; Box 23-27, Box 38, 0.093 GB; ER09-ER11)

Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1929-2014 (1.2 linear feet; Box 28-29, OV 36, Box 38)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1957-2014 (0.3 linear feet; Box 29, Box 38)

Series 10: Scrapbooks, 1947-2018 (1.4 linear feet, Box 29-31, Box 38)

Biographical / Historical:

Peter Howard Selz (1919-2019) was a pioneering historian of modern art, professor, and writer who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1965-1988 and founded and directed the Berkeley Art Museum from 1965-1973.

Selz was born in 1919 in Munich, Germany to Eugene Selz and Edith Drey Selz. In 1936, the family fled Nazi Germany and immigrated to the United States. Selz attended Columbia University from 1937 to 1938 and became a naturalized citizen in 1942. During World War II, Selz served in the U.S. Army in the Office of Strategic Services. He married writer Thalia Cheronis in 1948 but they later divorced in 1965; he married several times afterwards.

After the war, Selz attended and taught at the University of Chicago where he received a Ph. D. in German Expressionism. He spent a year in Paris, 1949-1950, at the Sorbonne and École du Louvre on a Fulbright grant. He received a second Fulbright grant in 1953 to study at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Belgium. From 1953-1955, Selz also taught at the Chicago Institute of Design.

In 1955 Peter Selz accepted a position to chair the art history department at Pomona College in Claremont and relocated to California for a few years. He also became director of the college's art gallery.

In 1958 Selz moved to New York City to become curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art and was there through the transformative mid-1960s. While at MOMA, he organized several significant exhibitions of modern art, including the 1960 Jean Tinguely "Homage to New York," a sculpture that destroyed itself (and started a fire) in the sculpture garden of the museum; New Images of Man (1959), the Art Nouveau show (1960), and the Art of Assemblage (1961). He also launched important retrospectives, including the first Rodin retrospective in the United States and a comprehensive exhibition of Alberto Giacometti's work in 1965.

In 1965, Peter Selz returned to California to become the founding director of the Berkeley Art Museum at the University of California, Berkeley, a position he held until 1973. He organized exhibitions of Funk, film, and ceramicists like Peter Voulkos and Robert Arneson. Peter Selz later became project director for Christo's "Running Fence", the 24.5-mile long fabric fence over the Marin County hills in 1976. He also served concurrently as a professor of art history at UC until retiring in 1988.

Peter Selz was a member of the College Art Association's board of directors for two terms, 1958-1964 and 1966-1971. Selz is a prolific writer, and the author or co-author of numerous books, exhibition catalogs, and articles. Notable books include German Expressionist Painting (1957), Art in a Turbulent Era (1965), Art in Our Times (1981), and Sam Francis (1975).

In 1988 Peter Selz was named emeritus professor at University of California, Berkeley. In 1993 he was on the acquisitions committee of the Museums of Fine Arts, San Francisco. In 2012, Selz curated The Painted Word exhibition. Selz died in 2019 in Albany, California.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds oral history interviews of Peter Selz conducted by Paul J. Karlstrom on July 28, 1982, October 12, 1982, and November 3, 1999.

Provenance:

The Peter Howard Selz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Peter Selz in multiple installments from 1976 through 2014. Additional papers were donated in 2018 by Gabrielle Selz, Peter Selz's daughter.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Authors -- California -- Berkeley  Search this

Art historians -- California -- Berkeley  Search this

Topic:

Realism  Search this

Political cartoons  Search this

Pop art  Search this

Environment (Art)  Search this

Painting, Abstract  Search this

Ceramics  Search this

Art -- Study and teaching -- California  Search this

Art -- Political aspects  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Exhibitions  Search this

Art -- Germany  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Peter Howard Selz papers, 1929-2018, bulk 1950-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the 2014 processing of this collection was provided by the Frederick Hammersley Foundation. Funding for the processing of the 2018 addition was provided by Gerald and Bente Buck.

Identifier:

AAA.selzpete

See more items in:

Peter Howard Selz papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ce9d9d14-7599-455d-828d-57077e76ef17

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-selzpete

Creator:

Simon, Michael, 1947-  Search this

Names:

MacKenzie, Warren, 1924-2018  Search this

Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this

Extent:

4.3 Linear feet

50.74 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Date:

circa 1965-2020

Summary:

The Michael Simon papers measure 4.3 linear feet and 50.74 gigabytes and date from circa 1965-2020. The collection documents Simon's career as a ceramicist and educator. Included is printed material related to Simon consisting of publications, articles and exhibition ephemera; personal and professional correspondence with colleagues and galleries; letters from Warren MacKenzie; digital video recordings on his friends and mentors Warren Mackenzie and Ron Meyers; teaching files; writings by Simon and others; biographical information; exhibition checklists and forms; slides and photographs of works of art by Simon and others, Simon at work in his studio, friends, family and travel; materials relating to the book Michael Simon: Evolution edited by Susan Stokes Roberts; personal and financial information; lectures, including video and audio recordings; gallery talks and sales; kiln construction and documentation; glaze and clay body notes and recipes; and sketches. A portion of this material is in electronic format.

Scope and Contents:

The Michael Simon papers measure 4.3 linear feet and 50.74 gigabytes and date from circa 1965-2020. The collection documents Simon's career as a ceramicist and educator. Included is biographic material comprised of resumes, Simon's MFA diploma from University of Georgia and and an adapted version of an interview conducted by Mark Shapiro in September 2005 for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, as well as personal and professional correspondence with some original letters from Simon to others. Also included are wedding invitations, greeting cards and photographs from friends and family. Writings include a manuscript for his book Evolution, artist statements, lecture notes and video recordings, his M.F.A thesis, and notes on Warren Mackenzie. Also found are writings by others such as magazine article drafts and an NPR interview transcript with Warren Mackenzie where Michael Simon is mentioned. An annotated transcript and digital video recording of a University of Minnesota Panel Discussion and an annotated transcript of a Warren Mackenzie lecture and cassette tape recording at the Minnesota Historical Society is also included.

Professional Files document exhibition, publishing, financial and workshop records and recordings. Some documentation of exhibitions, and workshops are in born-digital and audio recorded form. Other materials include studio files regarding the construction and operation of kilns, as well as glaze and slip recipes. Studio files also document Michael Simon's website. Photographic materials make up the bulk of the collection and consist of photographs, including inkjet prints, negatives and slides of Michael Simon, his artwork, workshops, including his 1994 workshop and trip to Chile. Also found are photographs documenting the construction of his salt fire kiln and studio in Georgia, as well as photographs and slides of family, friends, and work by other ceramicists. The papers also include sketches and printed material consisting of magazine features and news clippings on Michael Simon, his book Evolution, and other artists including Warren Mackenzie. Additionally, there are exhibition catalogs, pamphlets, and invitation for both Simon and other ceramicists and reference books and articles on other artists. A portion of this material is in electronic format.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as eight series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1982-2006 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1; 0.087 Gigabytes: ER0001)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1968-2016 (0.4 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1965-2020 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1; 4.37 Gigabytes: ER0002-ER0003)

Series 4: Professional Files, circa 1993-2014 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1, OV ; 30.5 Gigabytes: ER0004-ER0009)

Series 5: Studio Records, circa 1965-2020 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1-2)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1973-2020 (0.6 Linear feet: Box 2; 8.73 Gigabytes: ER0010-ER0012)

Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1965-2020 (1.8 Linear feet: Box 2-4; 7.06 Gigabytes: ER0013-ER0018)

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1965-2020 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 4)

Biographical / Historical:

Michael Simon (1947-2021) was a functional ceramicist and educator in Georgia. Originally from Minnesota, Simon earned his B.F.A from the University of Minnesota where he was a student of Warren MacKenzie. After receiving his B.F.A in 1970, Michael moved and set up a studio in Athens, GA, and would go on to receive his M.F.A from University of Georgia in 1980. That same year he built his own kiln and began keeping a pot from each kiln load to document his work's development. Throughout his career, his works were usually fired in salt kilns featuring motifs of nature and animals. His work has been shown in multiple exhibitions including a 2011 retrospective at The Northern Clay Center entitled Michael Simon: A Life in Pots covering 30 years of his pottery. In addition to numerous exhibitions, Simon taught several workshops at schools, galleries and studios across the country including at the Arrowmont school in Tennessee, and the Penland School and Cedar Creek Gallery in North Carolina. As well as abroad in Chile and Italy.

In 2011, Simon published his book Michael Simon: Evolution which was edited, and art directed by Susan Stokes Roberts, an award-winning designer, artist and Michael Simon's wife.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds a 2005 September 27-28 oral history interview with Michael Simon.

Provenance:

Donated in 2022 by Susan S. Roberts, Michael Simon's widow.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Archival audiovisual recordings must be digitized for research access. Researchers may access digitized audiovisual materials in the Archives' Washington, D.C. or New York, N.Y. Research Centers by 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.

Occupation:

Ceramicists -- Georgia  Search this

Educators -- Georgia  Search this

Topic:

American studio craft movement  Search this

Citation:

Michael Simon papers, circa 1965-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.simomich

See more items in:

Michael Simon papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9708c3f85-c82c-46b0-b615-33ac49b693cb

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-simomich

Creator:

Cowles, Hobart E., 1923-1980  Search this

Names:

Rochester Institute of Technology  Search this

School for American Crafts  Search this

Extent:

2.5 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketchbooks

Video recordings

Interviews

Date:

1924-1980

Summary:

The papers of ceramicist and educator Hobart E. Cowles measure 2.5 linear feet and date from 1924-1980. The collection sheds light on Cowles's career through personal papers, writings and notebooks, professional files, printed material, photographs, artwork, and one video recording.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of ceramicist and educator Hobart E. Cowles measure 2.5 linear feet and date from 1924-1980. The collection sheds light on Cowles's career through personal papers, writings and notebooks, professional files, printed material, photographs, artwork, and one video recording.

Personal papers include resumes, an interview transcript, a video recording of a documentary on Cowles, and correspondence. Writings and notebooks include course notebooks, papers, and more pertaining to Cowles's undergraduate and graduate work, and an annotated outline for a slide presentation given by Cowles.

Professional files primarily deal with exhibitions, Cowles's years teaching at R.I.T., and his involvement with professional organizations.

Printed materials consist of articles and newspaper clippings, book excerpts, exhibition ephemera from solo and group shows, and an advertisement for a workshop conducted at R.I.T. Photographs are of Cowles and his family, his artwork, and events including organizational gatherings, exhibitions, and teaching at R.I.T.

Artwork consists of 5 sketchbooks as well as loose sketches and designs for various projects.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 6 series.

Series 1: Personal Papers, 1924-1980 (Box 1; 11 folders)

Series 2: Writings and Notebooks, 1947-1980 (Box 1-2; .8 linear feet)

Series 3: Professional Files, 1948-1980 (Box 2; .5 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1947-1980 (Box 2; 10 folders)

Series 5: Photographs, 1924-1980 (Box 2-3; 9 folders)

Series 6: Artwork, 1947-1980 (Box 3, OV 4; 6 folders)

Biographical / Historical:

Hobart E. Cowles (1923-1980) was a ceramicist and educator in Rochester, New York. He was an early experimenter with the firing of clay and is credited with playing an important role in the introduction of chemistry to clay processes.

Cowles, who was originally from Madison, Ohio, earned a BFA in ceramics from Wesleyan Conservatory in Macon, Georgia, in 1949, and completed his MFA at Ohio University in 1950. Cowles subsequently began teaching at Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Crafts, working alongside Frans Wildenhain. He taught courses in glaze chemistry and ceramic history at R.I.T up until his death in 1980.

Cowles began showing his work, predominantly boxes, lidded jars, and sculptures decorated with self-designed glazes, almost immediately upon his arrival in Rochester. Although he went on to have his work featured in group exhibitions around the world, including at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York and at the Brussels Worlds Fair, he focused primarily on his craft and his teaching throughout his career.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Barbara Cowles, Hobart Cowles's widow, between 1981-1982.

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.

Occupation:

Educators -- New York (State) -- Rochester  Search this

Ceramicists -- New York (State) -- Rochester  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketchbooks

Video recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Hobart E. Cowles papers, 1924-1980. 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.

Identifier:

AAA.cowlhoba

See more items in:

Hobart E. Cowles papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c62d8c6c-2e20-48e9-9dfa-dbddd1667d68

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cowlhoba

Creator:

Ferrin, Leslie  Search this

King, Lyndel  Search this

Interviewee:

Simon, Michael, 1947-  Search this

Names:

MacKenzie, Warren, 1924-2018  Search this

Roberts, Susan Stokes  Search this

Extent:

1 Item

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Sound recordings

Date:

2018

Scope and Contents:

A digital audio recording of an interview with ceramicist Michael Simon conducted February 23, 2018 by ceramics dealer Leslie Ferrin and Lyndel King, director and chief curator of the Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota at Simon's studio in Athens, Georgia. Also present is Simon's wife, Susan Roberts. They talk about Simon's pots and the development of his work. The interview was conducted by Ferrin as part of her effort to place Simon's works in private and public collections.

Also included is a conversation between King and potters Warren MacKenzie and Randy Johnston, and MacKenzie's daughter Tamsyn, March 19, 2018 regarding and exhibition being planned about MacKenzie and the Mingei tradition.

Biographical / Historical:

Leslie Ferrin (1958- ) is the director of Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, Massachusetts and Ferrin Contemporary Project Art in Cummington, Massachusetts, specializing in contemporary ceramics circa 1950 to the present by artists whose primary medium is clay.

Provenance:

Donated 2018 by Leslie Ferrin.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of born digital records with no duplicate copy requires advance notice.

Topic:

Mingei (Art)  Search this

Ceramicists -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Identifier:

AAA.ferrlesl

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-ferrlesl