The records of the Dorothy Weiss Gallery measure 18.7 linear feet and date from circa 1964 to 2001 (bulk 1984-2000). The collection documents the gallery's relationships with approximately three hundred artists, through artist files, exhibition files, and subject files, and is an excellent source of information on the work of contemporary ceramic and glass sculptors.
Scope and Content Note:
The Dorothy Weiss Gallery records measure 18.7 linear feet and date from circa 1964 to 2001 (bulk 1984-2000). Although the collection includes limited records overlapping from Weiss's dealings with some artists through Meyer Breier Weiss Contemporary Crafts, Inc., its primary focus is the activities of the Dorothy Weiss Gallery. The records provide fairly extensive coverage of the gallery's relationship with approximately thirty artists, and scattered documentation of Weiss's relationship with more than two hundred other artists whose work she represented, exhibited, or had an interest in at some time during the gallery's existence. Overall, the collection is an excellent source of information on contemporary ceramic and glass sculpture and includes artist files of correspondence, administrative records, printed matter, and photographic material, as well as exhibition files and subject files.
The bulk of the collection consists of Series 1: Artist Files, which includes correspondence with artists, biographical material, printed material relating to exhibitions at the Dorothy Weiss Gallery and elsewhere, photographs of artwork, and administrative records such as price lists, inventories, and loan and consignment documentation.
Series 2: Exhibition Files contains records of approximately twenty-five group exhibitions held at the gallery, such as the Teapot Invitationals, and various exhibitions of glass artists. Records relating to exhibitions for a single artist's work can be found in Series 1: Artist Files.
Series 3: Subject Files consists of a small group of general subject files maintained by the gallery, such as correspondence with different types of clients, and records relating to specific projects outside the gallery in which Weiss participated.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into three series. The basic original arrangement was maintained throughout the collection. Records are generally arranged alphabetically by artist, subject, or exhibition, and then chronologically.
Series 1: Artist Files, circa 1964-2001(boxes 1-18, OV 21; 17.5 linear ft.)
Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1979-1999 (box 19; 0.75 linear ft.)
Series 3: Subject Files, 1983-2000 (boxes 19-20; 0.45 linear ft.)
Historical Note:
Dorothy Weiss founded the Dorothy Weiss Gallery in 1984. From 1977 Weiss had partnered with Sue Meyer and Virginia Breier in Meyer Breier Weiss Contemporary Crafts, Inc. She opened her new gallery in what was to be its permanent location at 256 Sutter Street in downtown San Francisco.
The Dorothy Weiss Gallery was renowned in San Francisco for the quality of its crafts program and the artists it represented. Weiss focused on contemporary ceramic and glass sculpture with an emphasis on non-functional, sculptural work. She also showed some paintings, drawings and monotypes, and her interests in this area expanded, particularly in the mid-1990s, when she began exhibiting works by artists such as Daniel Brice, in addition to showing drawings by artists generally known for their sculpture.
Weiss represented many of the country's most prominent and well-respected artists working in glass, including Hank Murta Adams, Dale Chihuly, Richard Marquis, William Morris, Jay Musler, Clifford Rainey, Italo Scanga, Therman Statom, and James Watkins. Glass exhibitions at the gallery included site-specific installations by artists such as Statom, Adams, and Rainey.
The gallery was also an important venue for contemporary ceramists such as Rudy Autio, Annette Corcoran, Ruth Duckworth, Michael Lucero, Beverly Mayeri, and Robert Turner. Monthly exhibitions were held on the Third floor with the Fourth floor gallery space being reserved for a variety of work by gallery artists. "Teapot Invitationals," and exhibitions of "new glass" featuring teapots and glass sculpture by a variety of artists were held regularly at the gallery.
Weiss was an active participant in the wider art community, hosting collector's groups from around the country and guests during conferences, such as a special Glass Invitational in conjunction with the Glass Art Society Conference in March 1994. As a member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association (SFADA), Weiss participated in First Thursday, holding opening receptions to new exhibitions on the first Thursday of every month and often accompanying them with artists' talks. She also participated in an annual Introductions show along with other SFADA members, representing younger, emerging artists in the Bay Area and nationwide. In addition, Weiss assisted the American Craft Museum in developing its exhibition programs, and was a Collectors Circle Affiliate for the American Craft Council.
Dorothy Weiss closed the gallery in 2000, retiring at the age of eighty. On October 4 of that year the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco opened A Tribute to Dorothy Weiss, an exhibition selected from her own collection.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art by Dorothy Weiss in 2002.
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.
Includes the Penland publications Vegetable Dyeing by Emma Conley, The Story of the Penland Weavers by Bonnie Willis Ford, Penland program catalogs, and program for the Glass Art Society's conference at Penland.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
William J. and Jane Brown papers, circa 1940-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
William J. and Jane Brown papers, circa 1940-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
William P. Daley papers, 1905-2004 (bulk 1951-2001). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Marvin Lipofsky papers, 1954-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
This series contains material relating to Lipofsky's involvement and participation with arts and glass related organizations including the American Crafts Council, Bay Area Studio Art Glass, The Glass Art Society, International Sculpture Center, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, and the World Crafts Council. Material may contain correspondence, founding documents and internal memoranda, lists and administrative information, printed material, and financial material.
Of note are files from the Glass Art Society, for which Lipofsky served on the board and as president, editor of the newsletter and journal, and as conference director. Additionally, files may be found on the establishment of the organization.
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Marvin Lipofsky papers, 1954-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Marvin Lipofsky papers, 1954-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Marvin Lipofsky papers, 1954-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Found are 108 small, spiral bound notebooks Lipofsky used as diaries while traveling abroad and throughout the United States, possibly with the World Crafts Council and the Glass Art Society. Generally, Lipofsky made quick notes about sites and people, rather than long narratives. Some have accompanying ephemera such as business cards, receipts, or printed material. Locations are typically written on the diaries including: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fresno, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, New York City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Rochester, San Diego, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa, and Tucson. International locations include: Australia, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Holland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Marvin Lipofsky papers, 1954-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Tom McGlauchlin conducted 2006 October 13, by Joan Falconer Byrd, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the Archives of American Art, Washington, D.C.
McGlauchlin speaks of his childhood in Wisconsin; receiving a B.S. and M.S. in Art from the University of Wisconsin, Madison; studying pottery with Harvey Littleton and Toshiko Takaezu; attending the first workshop for glassblowing at the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio in 1962; building his glass studio; teaching experiences at Cornell College; experiences as the Director of the Glass Program at the University of Toledo/Toledo Museum of Art; the rivalry between Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino; his relationship with galleries throughout the years including Heller Gallery, Habatat Galleries, Holsten Galleries, Vespermann Gallery, Pismo Gallery, and others; his participation in Glass Art Society and National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts; his interest in textured surfaces; being influenced by Washington Color Field painters; the strong influence jazz has on his artwork; his involvement with the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Festival in Toledo, Ohio; his plans to stop blowing glass in the near future; and his interest in working in pottery once again. McGlauchlin also recalls Clayton Bailey, Norm Schulman, Harvey Leafgreen, Otto Wittmann, Fritz Dreisbach, Russell Day, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Tom McGlauchlin (1934-2011) is an glass artist and potter from Toledo, Ohio. Joan Falconer Byrd (1939- ) is a ceramics professor from Cullowhee, North Carolina.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 58 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.
An interview of Mark Peiser conducted 2004 February 26, by Henry Halem, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Penland, North Carolina.
Peiser speaks of growing up in Chicago; his relationship with his parents; developing an early interest in music and engineering; attending Perdue University and transferring to the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology; working for a design firm in Chicago; becoming interested in glass after seeing an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago; attending a workshop at Penland School of Crafts; becoming Penland's first Artist-in-Residence in glass and developing a technique on his own; working with Fritz Dreisbach to set up the first Glass Art Society conference; making improvements to the Penland glass studio; teaching at Penland; making a living as an artist; making opal glass for the first time; choosing certain imagery and color in his work; experimenting with technique including glass casting; making his Innerspace series; his relationship with collectors; finding challenges with his latest body of work; and the influence of Zen on his art. Peiser also recalls Harvey Littleton, Bill Brown, Billy Bernstein, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Mark Peiser (1938- ) is a glass artist from Penland, North Carolina. Henry Halem (1938- ) is a glass artist from Kent, Ohio.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 55 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.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
