An interview of Sylvester Jerry conducted 1965 June 11, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art. Jerry speaks of his first association with the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP), working as an FAP administrator in Detroit; working at finding locations for the artworks; the FAP's role in the development of furniture design; working with Holger Cahill; the Index of American Design; the relationship of art and architecture; administering the project; selecting artists for particular projects; and the project's effect on the community.
Biographical / Historical:
Sylvester Jerry (1904-1990) was a painter and art administrator from Racine, Wis.
General:
An unrelated interview of Charlotte Partridge (6/12/65) conducted by H. Phillips is also on this tape.
An unrelated interview of Leonard Thiessen (6/10/65) conducted by H. Phillips is also on this tape.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- Wisconsin -- Interviews Search this
Arts administrators -- Michigan -- Detroit -- Interviews Search this
Painters -- Michigan -- Detroit -- Interviews Search this
The records of the National Association of Women Artists measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1926 to 1971. Found are administrative and membership records from the 1960s, exhibition records, printed material, and three scrapbooks. The bulk of the collection consists of catalogs and correspondence regarding the Association's annual exhibition from 1926 to 1971.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the National Association of Women Artists measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1926 to 1971. Found are administrative and membership records from the 1960s, exhibition records, printed material, and three scrapbooks. The bulk of the collection consists of catalogs and correspondence regarding the Association's annual exhibition from 1926 to 1971.
NAWA's administrative and membership records includes general writings and notes, board meeting notes, constitution and by-laws, mailing lists, and membership forms from 1963 to 1964.
Exhibition records date from 1926 to 1971 and are not complete. Files may include artist and price lists, catalogs and printed material, correspondence, itineraries, and photographs. Notable correspondents and institutions included are Mildred Baker, Vernon Bobbitt, the Butler Institute of American Art, Sylvester Jerry, Grace Morley, the Museum of New Mexico, the Newark Museum, and the Texas Fine Arts Association.
Additional printed materials include a certificate of community service, press clippings, press releases, and printed material from other art-related sources, such as newsletters and exhibition catalogs.
Three mixed media scrapbooks date from 1951 to 1963. Scrapbooks include photographs, clippings, and exhibition catalogs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 4 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Administrative and Membership Records, 1947-1970 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Exhibition Records, 1926-1971 (Box 1; 0.7 linear feet)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1957-1967 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1951-1963 (BVs 2-4; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) was founded in 1889 and remains the oldest women's fine arts organization in the country.
Founded under the name the Woman's Art Club of New York, the National Association of Women Artists established a space for women to exhibit, create work, and learn about art. Artists Anita Ashley, Adele Frances Bedell, Elizabeth S. Cheever, Grace Fitz-Randolph, and Edith Mitchill Preilwitz established the organization in 1889. Also known as the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors from 1913, NAWA adopted its current name in 1941.
NAWA's annual exhibition of member artworks gained recognition for the association. The organization also promoted membership by sending out traveling exhibitions across the world. The National Association of Women Artist currently has hundreds of members from all across the United States.
Separated Materials:
Additional records on the National Association of Women Artists can be found at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Zimmerli Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Ryerson & Burnham Libraries, Frick Art Reference Library, New York Public Library, Film and Fine Art Library, and Library of Congress.
Provenance:
Printed material, 1926-1971, donated by Jane Gray, historian for the NAWA, 1971. Scrapbooks donated by the NAWA, 1981, and the traveling exhibition records donated by NAWA, 1980.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Wasington, 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.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Biographical information, correspondence, printed material, photographs and art work relate to Yaeger's career as an artist, including his work on the WPA Federal Art Project.
Correspondence, 1926-1968, is primarily with museums and galleries concerning loans of Yaeger's art, prizes, invitations to submit works of art, and acknowledgments of gifts, 1926-1968. Correspondents include Clyde H. Burroughs, E.P. Richardson, Robert B. Harshe, and Daniel Catton Rich.
Photographs, ca. 1935, show fellow WPA artists, among them Diego Rivera in front of his mural at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Jos(eph) Sparks, and Leonard Jungwirth; Yaeger working on a mosaic; a group photo of John Pappas, Paul McPharlin, Jerry Sylvester and Sparks; and color photos of Yaeger's mosaic work at the Scarab Club. Original art work includes a linoleum print, 1976 by Yaeger, sketches and watercolors for his WPA murals at the Ford School Library and the Brodhead Naval Armory, and 3 greeting cards from fellow artist Frederick Papsdorf, 1951-1975.
Also found are lists of paintings, 1923-1931; printed materials, 1923-1989, including exhibition announcements and catalogs, many for Annual Exhibitions for Michigan Artists; clippings, and newsletters addressed to the "Friends of Edgar Yaeger" (ca. 1988-1989).
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, mural painter, mosaicist; Detroit, Mich. His WPA mural commissions included the Brodhead Naval Armory, Ford Elementary School, the Public Lighting Commission Building, and the Grosse Pointe South High School Library.
Provenance:
Donated 1990-1991 by Edgar Yaeger.
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.
