Search Results

Collection Creator:

Archives of American Art  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection, 1813-1953, bulk 1915-1925. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection / Series 5: Art Exhibition Catalogs: M-O

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c0c4e99b-b3bf-4b6e-bc47-c2eb4710ce4f

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-archamea-ref750

Collection Creator:

Archives of American Art  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 1, Item 1

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

November 4, 1930-February 1, 1931

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection, 1813-1953, bulk 1915-1925. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection / Series 5: Art Exhibition Catalogs: M-O / Newark Museum

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9248caf85-a90e-403c-9016-6f0e2a337225

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-archamea-ref751

Collection Creator:

Archives of American Art  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 1, Item 2

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

October 20, 1931-January 31, 1932

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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:

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection, 1813-1953, bulk 1915-1925. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection

Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection / Series 5: Art Exhibition Catalogs: M-O / Newark Museum

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92ca230e8-f005-40b0-a4e6-635a542b9a3c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-archamea-ref752

Creator:

Smithsonian American Art Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2015-03-28T23:02:04.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

See more by:

americanartmuseum

Data Source:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

YouTube Channel:

americanartmuseum

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_0isp3H1Dumo

Artist:

Henry Kirke Brown, 25 Feb 1814 - 10 Jul 1886  Search this

Sitter:

Henry Clay, 12 Apr 1777 - 29 Jun 1852  Search this

Medium:

Bronze

Dimensions:

41cm x 23.8cm x 17.2cm (16 1/8" x 9 3/8" x 6 3/4"), Accurate

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

1852

Topic:

Henry Clay: Male  Search this

Henry Clay: Law and Law Enforcement\Lawyer  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Speaker of the House  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of State  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Kentucky  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\State Legislator\Kentucky  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\US Senator\Kentucky  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

26.1044

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4e900e9f5-e056-4ad8-a650-da69bbe2175f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_26.1044

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Copy after:

Jean-Antoine Houdon, 1741 - 1828  Search this

Sitter:

Benjamin Franklin, 17 Jan 1706 - 17 Apr 1790  Search this

Medium:

Bronze

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

c. 1860

Topic:

Benjamin Franklin: Male  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Literature\Writer  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Congressman\Continental congressman  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman\Signer of Declaration  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Science and Technology\Scientist  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Diplomat  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Society and Social Change\Philanthropist  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Science and Technology\Inventor  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Crafts and Trades\Printer  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Government official\Postmaster  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

26.1083

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm44fa6f4e2-3d58-455c-8bd2-b7e086e0b996

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_26.1083

Artist:

Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, 1850 - 1936  Search this

Sitter:

George Washington, 22 Feb 1732 - 14 Dec 1799  Search this

Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur Rochambeau, 1 Jul 1725 - 10 May 1807  Search this

Marquis de Lafayette, 6 Sep 1757 - 20 May 1834  Search this

Mary Ball Washington, 1708 - 1789  Search this

Medium:

Oil

Dimensions:

78.7cm x 125.7cm (31" x 49 1/2"), Accurate

Type:

Painting

Date:

1895-97

Topic:

George Washington: Male  Search this

George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Revolutionary War Army officer  Search this

George Washington: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman  Search this

George Washington: Natural Resource Occupations\Agriculturist\Farmer  Search this

George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General  Search this

George Washington: Politics and Government\President of US  Search this

George Washington: Science and Technology\Surveyor  Search this

George Washington: Congressional Gold Medal  Search this

Marquis de Lafayette: Male  Search this

Marquis de Lafayette: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer  Search this

Marquis de Lafayette: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Revolutionary War Army officer  Search this

Mary Ball Washington: Female  Search this

Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur Rochambeau: Male  Search this

Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur Rochambeau: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer  Search this

Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur Rochambeau: Politics and Government\Patriot  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

26.1257

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm43dff271b-367b-4e44-b1bb-176edc0e1a97

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_26.1257

Artist:

Joseph Pickett, 1848 - 1918  Search this

Sitter:

George Washington, 22 Feb 1732 - 14 Dec 1799  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

88.9cm x 95.3cm (35" x 37 1/2"), Accurate

Type:

Painting

Place:

United States\Pennsylvania\Bucks\New Hope

Date:

c. 1890-1918

Topic:

Exterior\Landscape  Search this

Nature & Environment\Plant\Tree  Search this

Weapon\Sword  Search this

Nature & Environment\Animal\Horse  Search this

Costume\Headgear\Hat\Tricorne  Search this

Architecture\Fence  Search this

Architecture\Building\House  Search this

Nature & Environment\Animal\Bird  Search this

Equipment\Sports Equipment\Equestrian Gear\Reins  Search this

Nature & Environment\Plant\Grass  Search this

Costume\Footwear\Boots  Search this

Equipment\Sports Equipment\Equestrian Gear\Saddle  Search this

George Washington: Male  Search this

George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Revolutionary War Army officer  Search this

George Washington: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman  Search this

George Washington: Natural Resource Occupations\Agriculturist\Farmer  Search this

George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General  Search this

George Washington: Politics and Government\President of US  Search this

George Washington: Science and Technology\Surveyor  Search this

George Washington: Congressional Gold Medal  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

31.152

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm40af68576-a656-4c38-8061-96fe5fa07805

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_31.152

Artist:

John Rogers, 30 Oct 1829 - 26 Jul 1904  Search this

Sitter:

Priscilla Mullins Alden, 1602? - before 1687  Search this

John Alden, c. 1599 - 1687  Search this

Medium:

Plaster

Dimensions:

55.9cm (22"), estimate

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

1885

Topic:

John Alden: Male  Search this

John Alden: Politics and Government\Governor\Colonial Governor  Search this

John Alden: Politics and Government\Government official\Colonial government official  Search this

John Alden: Crafts and Trades\Cooper  Search this

John Alden: Natural Resource Occupations\Pioneer\Pilgrim  Search this

Priscilla Mullins Alden: Female  Search this

Priscilla Mullins Alden: Natural Resource Occupations\Pioneer\Pilgrim  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

NJ050150

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm45874f60a-e40b-4c9b-98e8-2df386815cf6

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NJ050150

Artist:

Thomas Ball, 3 Jun 1819 - 11 Dec 1911  Search this

Sitter:

Henry Clay, 12 Apr 1777 - 29 Jun 1852  Search this

Medium:

Bronze

Dimensions:

73cm (28 3/4"), Accurate

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

1858

Topic:

Henry Clay: Male  Search this

Henry Clay: Law and Law Enforcement\Lawyer  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Speaker of the House  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of State  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Kentucky  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\State Legislator\Kentucky  Search this

Henry Clay: Politics and Government\US Senator\Kentucky  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

NJ050161

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4fcbb464d-84ed-432d-9850-bfef3770dbb5

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NJ050161

Artist:

Robert Tait McKenzie, 1867 - 1938  Search this

Sitter:

Benjamin Franklin, 17 Jan 1706 - 17 Apr 1790  Search this

Medium:

Bronze

Dimensions:

89.5cm (35 1/4"), Accurate

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

1914

Topic:

Benjamin Franklin: Male  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Literature\Writer  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Congressman\Continental congressman  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman\Signer of Declaration  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Science and Technology\Scientist  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Diplomat  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Society and Social Change\Philanthropist  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Science and Technology\Inventor  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Crafts and Trades\Printer  Search this

Benjamin Franklin: Politics and Government\Government official\Postmaster  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

NJ050169

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4b3554382-30c0-4d28-b104-f78b4e8a711e

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NJ050169

Artist:

Thomas Cowperthwaite Eakins, 25 Jul 1844 - 25 Jun 1916  Search this

Sitter:

George Washington, 22 Feb 1732 - 14 Dec 1799  Search this

Medium:

Plaster

Dimensions:

21cm (8 1/4"), Accurate

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

1877

Topic:

George Washington: Male  Search this

George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Revolutionary War Army officer  Search this

George Washington: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman  Search this

George Washington: Natural Resource Occupations\Agriculturist\Farmer  Search this

George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General  Search this

George Washington: Politics and Government\President of US  Search this

George Washington: Science and Technology\Surveyor  Search this

George Washington: Congressional Gold Medal  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: Newark Museum

Object number:

NJ050200

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm405943a72-e07c-4727-8a03-8697c4e76856

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NJ050200

Creator:

Teller, Jane  Search this

Names:

Albright-Knox Art Gallery  Search this

Montclair Art Museum  Search this

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

National Council on the Aging  Search this

Newark Museum  Search this

Noyes Museum  Search this

Parma Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Princeton Gallery of Fine Art  Search this

Squibb Gallery (Princeton, N.J.)  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Brodsky, Judith K.  Search this

Caparn, Rhys, 1909-1997  Search this

Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this

Fuller, Sue, 1914-  Search this

Gatch, Lee, 1902-1968  Search this

Johnson, Margaret K. (Margaret Kennard)  Search this

Kadish, Reuben, 1913-1992  Search this

Lamis, Leroy, 1925-  Search this

Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003  Search this

Siskind, Aaron  Search this

Extent:

8.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Interviews

Prints

Sketchbooks

Slides (photographs)

Motion pictures (visual works)

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Sound recordings

Date:

1911-1991

Summary:

The papers of printmaker and sculptor Jane Teller measure 8.6 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1991. The papers include biographical materials, correspondence, business records, notes, writings, three sketchbooks, sketches and prints, five scrapbooks, printed material, subject files, photographs, sound and video recordings, and motion picture film.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of printmaker and sculptor Jane Teller measure 8.6 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1991. The papers include biographical materials, correspondence, business records, notes, writings, three sketchbooks, sketches and prints, five scrapbooks, printed material, subject files, photographs, sound and video recordings, and motion picture film.

Biographical material includes a birth certificate, school work, and passports. General correspondence includes letters from several artists including Rhys Caparn, Sue Fuller and Lee Gatch, and from art galleries, including the Museum of Modern Art, Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Additional correspondence is found in the Subject Files.

Business records include an account book, lists of expenses and prices of art works, and sales records. Notes and writings include Teller's notes about art and travel, artists' statements, autobiographical writings, and a compilation of many artists' statements regarding "The Nine Bean Question."

Artwork includes three sketchbooks, 30 sketches and three prints primarily depicting nature and sculpture designs.

Five scrapbooks contain clippings, exbition announcements and catalogs. Additional printed material includes magazines, exhibition announcements and catalogs, a booklet by Teller entitled Art, Age and the River, published posthumously by her husband, and a manuscript of Poems or Poetic Expressions of Sculptors, collected by L. Lamis.

Subject files are arranged by name or subject and may contain letters, photographs, and printed material. Many of the files focus on galleries and museums, including the Montclair Art Museum, the Newark Museum, Noyes Museum, Parma Gallery, the Princeton Gallery of Fine Art and the Squibb Gallery. There are also subject files for associations, travel, projects, and colleagues including Margaret K. Johnson, Reuben Kadish, Ibram Lassaw, Aaron Siskind and Dorothy Dehner.

Photographs and slides depict Teller, her friends, works, gallery installations, and travels. Also included are photographs of trees, bark, and other natural formations used by Teller in her work.

The audio-visual materials include several sound recordings, videocassettes and 16 mm motion picture films. The videocassettes include television programs in which Teller, printmaker Judith Brodsky and actor Harry Hamlin are interviewed, a retrospective at Skidmore College and a film featuring Teller speaking for the National Council on Aging. Sound recordings include two interviews and a "Talk on Malta" by Teller and Joan Needham. The 16 mm films are black and white footage of Teller's first Parma Gallery show.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 11 series. Records are generally arranged by material type and chronologically thereafter.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1911-1985 (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1956-1991 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Business Records, 1961-1990 (Box 1; 5 folders)

Series 4: Notes, 1960-1987 (Box 1; 13 folders)

Series 5: Writings, 1960-1989 (Boxes 1 and 9; 5 folders)

Series 6: Artwork, circa 1950s (Boxes 1 and 9; 6 folders)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1948-1990 (Boxes 1-2; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1957-1991 (Boxes 2-3 and 9; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 9: Subject Files, 1951-1990 (Boxes 3-5; 2.5 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographs, 1934-1985 (Boxes 5-9; 2.5 linear feet)

Series 11: Audio-Visual Materials, 1961-1989 (Box 8, FC 10-12; 0.6 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Jane Teller (1911-1990) worked as a printmaker and sculptor primarily in New Jersey. She specialized in working with wood and studied at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Skidmore College, and Barnard College. She also attended Federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) classes in New York City, studying sculpture with Aaron J. Goodelman and wood carving with Karl Nielson. She later studied welding in the studio of Ibram Lassaw. She was also a lifelong friend of photographer Aaron Siskind. In 1960, she was awarded the Mary and Gustave Kellner Prize at the National Association of Women Artists Annual Exhibition at the National Academy of Design in New York, and in 1966 the Sculpture Prize at the Fiftieth Anniversary Exhibition, Philadelphia Art Alliance in Philadelphia. She exhibited mainly in New York and New Jersey and was married to author and editor Walter Teller.

Provenance:

The Jane Teller papers were donated by Jane Teller in 1990 and in 1991 by Walter Teller, widower of Jane Teller.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. 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.

Occupation:

Printmakers -- New Jersey  Search this

Sculptors -- New Jersey  Search this

Topic:

Printmakers -- New Jersey  Search this

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Women printmakers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Interviews

Prints

Sketchbooks

Slides (photographs)

Motion pictures (visual works)

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Sound recordings

Citation:

Jane Teller papers, 1911-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.telljane

See more items in:

Jane Teller papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95c6d3902-ef80-4ea1-ba58-b2abe402072c

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-telljane

Creator:

Benn, Ben, 1884-  Search this

Names:

Artists' Gallery (New York, N.Y)  Search this

Harry Salpeter Gallery  Search this

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

Walker Art Center  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Benn, Velida  Search this

Bluemner, Oscar, 1867-1938  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Geist, Sidney  Search this

Van Dine, S. S.  Search this

Extent:

6.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Illustrated letters

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Date:

1905-1993

Summary:

The papers of modernist painter Ben Benn measure 6.3 linear feet and date from 1906 through 1977, with the bulk of the papers dating from circa 1920 - circa 1970. The collection includes correspondence between Benn and his wife Velida Benn and letters from Oscar Bluemner, Max Weber, Joseph Stella, and other artists. Also found are sketches, sketchbooks, diaries, scrapbooks, personal business records, clippings, photographs, exhibition catalogs, art journals, and auction catalogs. Some of the printed material is quite rare.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of modernist painter Ben Benn measure 6.3 linear feet and date from 1906 through 1977, with the bulk of the papers dating from circa 1920 - circa 1970. The collection includes correspondence between Benn and his wife Velida de Benn and letters from Oscar Bluemner, Max Weber, Joseph Stella, and other artists. Also found are biographical materials, sketches, sketchbooks, diaries, scrapbooks, personal business records, clippings, photographs, exhibition catalogs, art journals, and auction catalogs. Some of the printed material is quite rare.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence files dating from 1906 through 1993, and includes personal, professional, and family correspondence of Ben Benn and wife Velida Benn, as well as personal correspondence between the Benn's. Much of the professional correspondence relates to exhibitions and other projects and is with museums, galleries, and art associations, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Artists' Gallery, and the College Art Association. Additional correspondence contains letters from friends and colleagues including Alfred Barr, Oscar Bluemner, Rita Benton, Holger Cahill, Juliana Force, Sidney Geist, Kaj Klitgaard, Audrey McMahon, Julio Osma, Harry Salpeter, Hugh Stix, Hudson D. Walker, and Marguerite Zorach, among others. Letters exchanged between Ben Benn and Velida Benn primarily relate to Benn's activities in Woodstock, N.Y., Gloucester, Ma., and St. Augustine, Fla., places he visited during the early part of his career. Many of Benn's letters are illustrated. Velida Benn's correspondence includes letters from her brother Bernard Lopez, William M. Fisher (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Bessie Beatty, Rita Benton, Sidney Geist, and Julio Osma. Also found are brief notes from Joseph Stella, Max Weber, and Marsden Hartley.

Diaries (1943-1977) contain entries by Velida Benn and reflect her activities and personal observations; also found are numerous references to Benn's exhibitions and projects. Three scrapbooks (1915-1972) document Benn's exhibitions and include copies of correspondence, announcements, checklists, price lists, and clippings; many of the items are annotated. Artwork (1937-1974) consists of sketchbooks and various loose sketches of portraits, figures, and still lifes; also included are fashion sketches by Velida Benn.

Printed material (1905-1991, bulk 1930s-1970s) includes exhibition announcements and catalogs, newspaper and magazine clippings, printed programs, reproductions, and monographs. Of particular interest are Artists' and Writers' Chap Books (1933-1935) that include the work of Ben and Velida Benn. Photographs (1920-1969) contain images of works of art, of Ben Benn, individually and with Velida, and exhibition installation shots.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into seven series based primarily on type of material. Material within each series is arranged chronologically.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1983, undated (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1906-1993, undated (Boxes 1-4; 4.0 linear ft.)

Series 3: Diaries, Notebooks, and Scrapbooks, 1915-1977, undated (Boxes 4-5; 11 folders)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1910-1979, undated (Box 5; 9 folders)

Series 5: Artwork, 1924-1974, undated (Box 5,7; 6 folders, 6 oversized items)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1911-1991, undated (Boxes 5-6; 2.0 linear ft.)

Series 7: Photographs and Negatives, 1920-1969, undated (Box 6; 6 folders)

Biographical Note:

New York painter Ben Benn was born in Russia in 1884 as Benjamin Rosenberg and died in 1983. Benn studied drawing and painting at the National Academy of Design from 1904-1908 and had his first exhibition, "Oils by Eight American Artists," at the Artists' Gallery in 1907. In 1916, Benn participated in the "Forum Exhibition of Modern American Painters" at the Anderson Galleries, along with artists Thomas Hart Benton, Oscar Bluemner, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Man Ray, Abraham Walkowitz, and others. The exhibition was important in advancing the cause of modern art in American, particularly the American avant-garde and was recreated by the Whitney in 1983.

Best known as a modern painter who assimilated in his early style the influences of Matisse, Picasso, and Kandinsky, Benn's first one-man show was held at the J. B. Neumann Gallery in 1925. Portraits, still-lifes, and landscapes formed the core of Benn's subject themes and he often shifted between abstract and figurative images. He is known for his strong joyful colors, thick brush strokes and energetic paintings.

Benn was featured in over twenty one-man exhibitions and countless group shows. Major exhibitions included Abstract Painting in America (Whitney Museum, 1935), American Painting Today (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1950), and Ben Benn, Painter (The Jewish Museum, 1965). The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. honored Benn with a one-man show on his ninetieth birthday (1974). His work is in permanent museum collections in both the U.S. and abroad including the Albany Institute of Art, the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum, the Knoxville Art Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Newark Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the Museum of Arts, Ein-Harod in Israel and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Holland.

Ben Benn was a recipient of several awards for his achievement in painting. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts honored Benn with the Henry Schiedt award (1952) and the Carol Beck Gold Medal (1965); Benn was also the recipient of the Knoxville Art Center Purchase Prize in 1961. In 1970 Benn was a beneficiary of the Childe Hassam Fund awarded through the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Benn's work is in permanent museum collections in both the U.S. and abroad including the Albany Institute of Art, the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum, the Knoxville Art Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Newark Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the Museum of Arts, Ein-Harod in Israel and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Holland.

Provenance:

The Ben Benn papers were donated by Benn's nephew Peter Rosenberg to the Archives of American Art in 1988.

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.

Topic:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painting, American -- Economic aspects  Search this

Painting, American -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Illustrated letters

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Ben Benn papers, 1905-1993. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.bennben

See more items in:

Ben Benn papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw928843ebf-2403-418a-a333-69b5b8d63fc4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bennben

Issuing body:

Newark Museum  Search this

Author:

Green, Adriana Greci  Search this

Bloom, Tricia Laughlin  Search this

Subject:

Newark Museum  Search this

Physical description:

151 pages : color illustrations ; 31cm

Type:

Exhibitions

Exhibition catalogs

Place:

New Jersey

Newark

Date:

2019

Topic:

Indian art  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Art  Search this

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_1110632

Collection Creator:

Zabriskie Gallery  Search this

Container:

Box 91, Folder 85

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1978-1987

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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

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:

Zabriskie Gallery Records, 1905-2011. 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.

See more items in:

Zabriskie Gallery records

Zabriskie Gallery records / Series 7: Institution Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93cd0c093-52c6-44c0-b483-f0745982a4c9

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-zabrgall-ref3635

Painter:

Davis, Stuart 1892-1964  Search this

Medium:

Watercolor on paper

Type:

Paintings

Owner/Location:

Newark Museum 49 Washington Street Newark New Jersey 07101 Accession Number: 30.74

Date:

1925-1926

Topic:

Abstract  Search this

Landscape--Massachusetts--Rockport  Search this

Architecture exterior--Commercial--Gas Station  Search this

Control number:

IAP 8A080032

Data Source:

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_ari_417937

Creator:

Gray, Cleve  Search this

Names:

Berry-Hill Galleries  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Connecticut. Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film  Search this

Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this

Neuberger Museum of Art  Search this

Pratt Institute  Search this

Princeton University  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design  Search this

Barzun, Jacques, 1907-  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Davis, Jim, 1901-1974  Search this

Dillenberger, Jane  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this

Gabo, Naum, 1890-1977  Search this

Grace, Louise N.  Search this

Gray, Francine du Plessix  Search this

Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Richter, Hans, 1888-1976  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Villon, Jacques, 1875-1963  Search this

Weber, Nicholas Fox, 1947-  Search this

Extent:

9.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Date:

1933-2005

Summary:

The Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005, measure 9.2 linear feet. Papers include biographical material, alphabetical files, writings, artwork, audio/visual records, artifacts, printed material, and photographs. Extensive alphabetical files contain personal and professional correspondence as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Especially well-documented are: Gray's involvement with the Vietnam protest movement; and Threnody, his best-known work composed of fourteen large panels lamenting the dead of both sides sides in Vietnam, commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art.

Scope and Content Note:

The Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005, measure 9.2 linear feet. Papers include biographical material, alphabetical files, writings, artwork, audio/visual records, artifacts, printed material, and photographs. Extensive alphabetical files contain personal and professional correspondence as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Especially well-documented are: Gray's involvement with the Vietnam movement; and Threnody, his best-known work composed of fourteen large panels lamenting the dead of both sides sides in Vietnam, commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art.

Among the biographical material are award and membership certificates, biographical notes, and personal documentation.

The alphabetical files contain Cleve Gray's personal and professional correspondence, as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Correspondence is with friends and family, colleagues, publishers, museum curators and directors, art dealers, collectors, and fans. Among the correspondents of note are: Jacques Barzun, James E. Davis, Naum Gabo, Louise N. Grace, Hans and Fridel Richter, and Jacques and Gaby Villon. Other substantial correspondence includes: Berry-Hill Galleries, Betty Parsons Gallery, Connecticut Commission on the Arts, Jacques Seligmann and Co., Neuberger Museum of Art, Pratt Institute, Princeton University, and Rhode Island School of Design. Subject files mostly consist of correspondence, but include printed material and some photographs. Among the subject files are: Art Collection of Cleve and Francine Gray, Artist-Dealer Consignments and Visual Artists' Rights Act of 1989, Artists' Tax Equity Act of 1979, Promised Gifts to Museums, Threnody, Vestments, and Vietnam Protest. Of particular interest are files relating to the Estate of Hans Richter (Cleve Gray, executor), and Gray's research correspondence and illustrations for his Cosmopolitan article "Women-Leaders of Modern Art."

Writings are manuscripts and drafts, research materials, notes, and miscellaneous writings by Cleve Gray and other authors. Those by Gray include articles and catalog introductions on a wide range of art-related topics, as well as book and exhibition reviews. Also found are a book proposal, texts and notes for lectures and talks, miscellaneous notes, poems, political statements, and student papers. Of particular interest are autobiographical notes in the form of a chronology that his biographer, Nicholas Fox Weber, cited as an "autochronology."

Among the writings by other authors are pieces about Cleve Gray including Nicholas Fox Weber's manuscript Cleve Gray. A significant amount of material relates to three books edited by Gray: David Smith by David Smith: Sculpture and Writings, Hans Richter, and John Marin. Research material survives for an unpublished volume, Naum Gabo. Also included are notes relating to his translation of A l'Infinitif by Marcel Duchamp. Jane Daggett Dillenberger is represented by a lecture, "The Resurrection in Art." The remaining items by other authors are unsigned; of particular interest is a small notebook of reminiscences and notes about Jackson Pollock.

Artwork by Cleve Gray consists mostly drawings and sketches, and a small number of paintings, prints, and watercolors. Works by other artists consist are an unsigned mobile of paper cut-outs, possibly by Alexander Calder, and a pencil drawing signed Dick (probably Richard Avedon).

Audio recordings are a radio broadcast featuring Cleve Gray, several lectures by Gray on John Marin, and a lecture titled "Meaning in the Visual Arts." Other recordings are of Hans Richter and an interview with Jimmy Ernst conducted by Francine du Plessix Gray. Also found is a videocassette of "Glenville School Students at SUNY (Lincoln Center Activity)."

Artifacts are a Chinese scroll representative of those that hung in Cleve Gray's studio, two of his paintbrushes, Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association blue ribbon, and Neuberger Museum of Art Lifetime Achievement Award.

The vast majority of printed material - articles, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, reproductions of art work, etc. - are about or by Cleve Gray. Miscellaneous items and publications mentioning Gray consist of annual reports, brochures, calendars, newsletters, programs, etc. Clippings about Vietnam and Vietnam protest memorabilia reflect his passionate involvement in the anti-war movement; a small number of these items mention Gray or were written by him.

Photographs are of artwork, events, people, places, and miscellaneous subjects. Most of the art work appearing in the photographs is by Cleve Gray and includes images of destroyed paintings. Also found is an original print of Photo Abstraction by Gray, circa 1934. Of particular note are photographs of Threnody, among them preparatory drawings and views of the work in progress. Photographs of artwork by other artists include Louise N. Grace, Jacques Lipchitz, John Marin, Hans Richter, and Jacques Villon.

Photographs of people are mainly portraits of Gray, and views of him with his wife and sons. Other individuals appearing in photographs are Hans Richter and some of Richter's descendants. Pictures of places consist of Gray's studio.

Events are an unidentified exhibition opening. Miscellaneous subjects are mostly exhibition installations. Illustrations consist of photographs published in David Smith by David Smith: Sculpture and Writings. Also found are small number of negatives and color transparencies.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1943-circa 2001 (Box 1; 0.1 linear ft.)

Series 2: Alphabetical Files, 1936-2005 (Boxes 1-5, 9; 4.3 linear ft.)

Series 3: Writings, 1935-2000 (Boxes 5-6; 0.85 linear ft.)

Series 4: Artwork, circa 1933-1987 (Boxes 6, 9, OV 12; 0.45 linear ft.)

Series 5: Audio/Visual Records, 1971-1989 (Box 6; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 6: Artifacts, 1957-1999 (Box 6, RD 11; 0.45 linear ft.)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1933-2005 (Boxes 7-8; 1.25 linear ft.)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1934-2002 (Boxes 8-10; 1.15 linear ft.)

Biographical Note:

Abstract Expressionist painter, sculptor, and writer Cleve Gray (1918-2004) lived and worked in Connecticut where he was politically active in the Vietnam protest movement and other liberal causes.

Born Cleve Ginsberg in New York City (the family changed its name to Gray in 1936), he attended the Ethical Culture School and at a young age developed a fascination with color and paint. At the urging of friends, Cleve's parents allowed him to accompany a school friend for lessons with George Bellows' student Antonia Nell. She encouraged and inspired the young artist, and a still life he painted in her class was shown at the National Academy of Design's 1932 annual exhibition. Miss Nell also introduced him to Louise N. Grace, an artist who became a good friend and had a lasting influence on him. While a student at Phillips Academy, Cleve studied painting with Bartlett Hayes and aspired to paint in France. Upon his graduation in 1936, he was awarded the Samuel F. B. Morse Prize for most promising art student.

Gray's mother was always supportive of his career choice. His businessman father, who didn't understand his son's desire to be an artist, insisted on a college education. Cleve chose Princeton, where he majored in art and archaeology, and studied painting with James E. Davis. His senior thesis was on Chinese landscape painting; both Eastern philosophy and art were long-term influences on Gray's work and outlook. He graduated summa cum laude in 1940, and then spent several months painting while living at the farm of a family friend in Mendham, New Jersey.

When a doctor suggeted that a dry climate might relieve sinus and asthma problems, Gray moved to Tucson, Arizona. Once settled in the desert, he contacted Louise N. Grace, whom he had met as a young teenager through his art instructor. Miss Grace, an artist and daughter of the founder of W. R. Grace and Co., was a highly cultured and independent woman older than his parents. The summer before Gray entered Phillips Academy, she had hired him to brush ground color onto canvases for murals she was painting for "Eleven Arches," her home in Tuscon then under construction. Miss Grace invited Gray to visit "Eleven Arches" to see the completed murals, and despite the substantial age difference, their friendship deepened; Gray found in her intellectual and spiritual guidance that was lacking in his own family. He remained in Tucson until enlisting in the U. S. Army in 1942, and they corresponded frequently during the the war. When a stroke in 1948 prevented Miss Grace from participating in the extensive tour of Europe she was arranging for a small group of friends, including Gray, she provided sufficient funds and insisted he make the trip on his own. Another stroke, suffered while Gray was traveling, left her in a coma; he was not permitted to see her again. Upon her death in 1954, Gray inherited "Eleven Arches."

Between 1943 and 1946, Gray was stationed in England, France, and Germany, serving in Army Signal Intelligence. Most of his work was performed at night, and he spent his free time drawing. While in London, Gray produced many colored pencil drawings of buildings that had been bombed. In France, a Red Cross volunteered to introduce him to Jacques Villon; although unfamiliar with the artist, Gray knew of Villon's brother, Marcel Duchamp, and accepted the invitation. Jacques and Gaby Villon lived near Gray's billet and he became a frequent visitor. Their friendship was important to his development as an artist. After being discharged from the Army in 1946, Gray remained in France to work with Villon who introduced him to the study of color and the concept of intellectual quality in painting. Gray also studied informally with André Lhote, Villon's former teacher. "American Painters in Paris," an exhibition presented in 1946 at Galerie Durand-Ruel, included work by Cleve Gray.

He returned to New York City in 1946. In the tight post-war rental market Gray managed to find a small room upstairs from a grocery store on East 106th Street for use as a studio. He commenced painting the London Ruins series based on drawings he had made during the war, and began thinking about exhibiting in New York. Gray secured introductions to Pierre Matisse, Curt Valentin, and Dorothy Miller. They encouraged him, but no opportunities came his way until Germain Seligmann, whose gallery was expanding its scope to include contemporary art, followed the advice of Curt Valentin and looked at Gray's work. Gary's first solo exhibition, held at Jacques Seligmann and Co., included selections from the London Ruins series, paintings done in Maine and Arizona, and a few portraits. The New York Times called it "an auspicious first," and one of the London Ruins series was selected by Edward Alden Jewell for the "Critic's Exhibition" at Grand Central Gallery.

Gray found New York City too frenetic. In 1949 he bought a large, old house in Warren, Connecticut, and lived and worked at "Graystones" for the remainder of his life. Half of a 6-car garage was converted to a studio; many years later, his studio moved to a barn, its renovation and design planned by sculptor and architect Tony Smith.

He married Francine du Plessix in 1957. Always interested in literature and philosophy, in the 1960s Francine du Plessix Gray began contributing articles to The New Yorker and is still affiliated with the magazine. Her reviews and articles appeared in prominent publications, and she wrote several award-winning novels and biographies. Their sons, Thaddeus and Luke (now a painter), were born in 1959 and 1961. Francine's mother, Tatiana du Plessix (the hat designer Tatiana of Saks), and step-father, the sculptor Alexander Liberman (also former art director of Vogue and later editorial director of Condé Nast publications) became Cleve Gray's closest friends.

The paintings and drawings of Cleve Gray - first consisting of figures and portraits, and then abstract compositions - were often produced in series. The earliest series, London Ruins, grew from the colored pencil drawings made while stationed in London during World War II. Travels to France, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Hawaii, Spain, Egypt, Japan, and Czechoslovakia, inspired many series, among them: Etruscan, Augury, Ceres, Demeter Landscape, Hera, Morocco, Hawaii, Ramses, Perne, Hatshepsut, Roman Walls, Zen, and Prague. His hometown, the Holocaust, and musicians inspired other series: Warren, Sleepers Awake!, Bela Bartok, and Four Heads of Anton Bruckner. Some series were works on paper, others were collage canvases, and a few series later spawned prints. Gray began using acrylics in the 1940s. Although the medium offered many benefits, he did not always like its appearance and frequently returned to oils. Around 1966 Gray was painting almost exclusively with acrylic, and eventually developed a technique of thinning the paint and applying successive layers of color (sometimes by pouring or with a sponge) on cotton duck rather than traditional canvas.

Gray was attracted to sculpture, too, working in that medium at different points in his career. His first sculpture, in plaster, was completed in 1959. In the early 1960s he visited a commercial sand-casting foundry and became excited about learning to cast in bronze. He made about a dozen sculptures to cast in sand, but due to too much undercutting, their casting became too difficult a problem. Lava flows seen while in Hawaii during 1970 and 1971 inspired a return to sculpture. This time, he used wood, papier maché, and metal. Gray then decided these pieces should be cast in bronze, and he was determined to do it himself. Friends taught him the lost wax process and he began working at the Tallix Foundry in Peekskill, New York where, over the next year, he cast about forty bronzes.

Gray's best known work is Threnody, a lament for the dead of both sides in Vietnam. In 1972, Gray received a commission to fill a very large gallery of the soon-to-open Neuberger Museum of Art (State University of New York, College at Purchase) designed by Philip Johnson. Friends of the Neuberger Museum paid his expenses and Gray, who was enormously excited about the project he considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, donated his time. Developing plans for the execution of Threnody consumed most of his time during 1972 and 1973. Composed of a series of fourteen panels, each approximately twenty feet square, the piece presented a number of technical challenges. It was constructed and painted in situ during the summer and early fall of 1973. Since then, Threnody has been reinstalled at the Neuberger Museum of Art on several occasions.

Gray was commissioned to design liturgical vestments for two Episcopal churches in Connecticut in the 1970s. A chasuble, stoles, and a mitre were commissioned by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut in 1984.

He won the "Outdoor Art at the Station Competition," for Union Station, Hartford, Connecticut. His very large porcelain enamel tile mural, Movement in Space, was installed on the façade of the transportation center in 1988.

Gray began writing occasional articles and exhibition reviews in the late 1940s. His concern with rational structure in art led him to question Abstract Expressionism and write "Narcissus in Chaos." This article, published in 1959 by The American Scholar, drew considerable attention. In 1960, Cosmopolitan published "Women - Leaders of Modern Art" that featured Nell Blaine, Joan Brown, Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Sonia Gretchoff, Grace Hartigan, Ethel Magafan, Louise Nevelson, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Between 1960 and 1970, Gray was a contributing editor of Art In America, producing numerous articles (a few co-authored with Francine) and reviews for the periodical. He edited three books, David Smith by David Smith: Scupture and Writings, Hans Richter, and John Marin, all published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, and translated Marcel Duchamp's A l'Infinitif.

During the early 1960s, Gray became intensely focused on the situation in Vietnam. His first artistic response came in 1963 with Reverend Quan Duc, painted to commemorate a Buddhist monk who had immolated himself. Francine, too, felt strongly about the issue and over time the couple became increasingly active in the anti-war movement. They joined a number of organizations and helped to found a local chapter of Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. The years 1968 and 1969 were an especially intense and active period for the Grays. They protested, wrote and spoke out against the war, raised funds to support anti-war political candidates, and on a few occasions were arrested and jailed. Writing for Art in America, editing the book series, and anti-war activities left little time for his art. In 1970 Gray refocused his attention on painting.

Beginning in 1947, Gray was always represented by a New York Gallery: Jacques Seligmann and Co. (1947-1959), Staempfli Gallery (1960-1965), Saidenberg Gallery (1965-1968), Betty Parsons Gallery (1968-1983), Armstrong Gallery (1984-1987), and Berry-Hill Galleries (1988-2003). He was represented by galleries in other cities, as well, but not as consistently or for such long periods.

He exhibited extensively in group and solo exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally. In addition to numerous solo exhibitions presented by the dealers who represented Gray, there were retrospective exhibitions at: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, Columbus Museum of Art, Krannert Art Museum (University of Illinois, Champaign), Princeton University Art Museum, Rhode Island School of Design, and Wadsworth Atheneum.

Many museums' permanent collections include the work of Cleve Gray, among them: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Butler Institute of American Art, Columbus Museum of Art, Neuberger Museum of Art (SUNY, College at Purchase), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Newark Museum, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Phillips Collection, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), Smithsonian Institution, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Yale University Art Gallery.

Cleve Gray served as artist-in-residence at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in 1963 and at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 1970, both sponsored by Ford Foundation programs. In 1980, he was appointed an artist-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome, where Francine concurrently served as a writer-in-residence; they returned for shorter periods during each of the subsequent seven years. Cleve Gray was presented the Connecticut Arts Award in 1987, and the Neuberger Museum of Art Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. He was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Hartford in 1992, and was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1998. In addition, he was a trustee of the Neuberger Museum of Art, New York Studio School, Rhode Island School of Design, and Wadsworth Atheneum.

Cleve Gray hit his head and suffered a massive subdural hematoma after falling on ice outside of his home. He died the following day, December 8, 2004.

Separated Material:

Exhibition catalogs and announcements and two scrapbooks donated to the Archives in 1967 and 1968 were microfilmed on reels D314-D315. Items on reel D315, transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum Library in 1975, are not described in this finding aid.

Provenance:

The Cleve Gray papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Mr. Gray in 1967 and 1968. The bulk of the collection was given by his widow, Francine du Plessix Gray, in 2007 and 2008.

Restrictions:

Use of original material requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordigs 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.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- Connecticut  Search this

Painters -- Connecticut  Search this

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest Movements -- United States  Search this

Designers  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Citation:

Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.grayclev

See more items in:

Cleve Gray papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92d3d47d0-baa3-4085-80f2-9b5d1730c052

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-grayclev

Creator:

Ekvall, Robert B. (Robert Brainerd), 1898-1983  Search this

Names:

Christian and Missionary Alliance  Search this

Ekvall, Betty (probable photographer)  Search this

Extent:

146 Color slides (circa)

Culture:

Vietnamese  Search this

Chinese  Search this

Tibetans  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Color slides

Photographs

Place:

Vietnam

Tibet (China)

Gansu Sheng (China)

Date:

circa 1925-1940

Scope and Contents note:

Photographs made by Robert Brainerd Ekvall and Betty Ekvall while missionaries on the China-Tibet border. The photographs document Tibetan, Chinese, and Vietnamese people, ceremonies, dances and musicians, shrines, traders, boats, towns, agriculture, and scenery. The collection also includes images of the Ekvalls and other missionaries and a map of Gansu province from the Christian and Missionary Alliance newsletter.

Biographical/Historical note:

Robert Brainerd Ekvall (1898-1978) and Betty Ekvall were missionaries for the Christian and Missionary Alliance in the Tibetan Plateau on the China-Tibet border. Robert Ekvall was born in Gangsu province, China, to parents who were among the first Christian and Missionary Alliance missionaries in Tibet. After his father's death, Ekvall returned to the United States with his mother. He attended Wheaton Academy and Wheaton College, graduating in 1920. In 1921, Ekvall married fellow Wheaton alumnus Martha Elizabeth Fischer (commonly known as Betty) and both attended the Nyack Missionary Institute. The next year they left for China, where Robert taught at the Bible school. They also traveled into Tibet to establish a mission station in Ngawa. In 1927, the Ekvalls returned to the United States due to political turmoil in China, though they went back to China the following year. On another furlough in the U.S., Robert Ekvall did some graduate work in anthropology at the University Chicago. The Ekvalls returned to Tibet, where Betty Ekvall died of illness in 1940. In 1941, Robert Ekvall traveled to Indochina where their son, David, was doing missionary work; he returned to the United States in 1944 and joined the United States Army in Burma and China. He later published books, articles, and poems on Tibet and China, and taught at the University of Washington.

Local Call Number(s):

NAA Photo Lot 2003-12

Location of Other Archival Materials:

The Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College holds the oral history interviews, correspondence, photographs, and a manuscript by Ekvall (CN 092).

The Newark Museum holds some Tibetan material from Ekvall.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Access to the collection requires an appointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Genre/Form:

Color slides

Photographs

Citation:

Photo Lot 2003-12, Robert Brainerd Ekvall and Betty Ekvall photographs of Tibet and Indochina, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.PhotoLot.2003-12

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw32b666199-833c-4b10-a236-62cf34897ba2

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-2003-12

Creator:

Koppelman, Chaim, 1920-2009  Search this

Names:

American Federation of Arts  Search this

Associated American Artists  Search this

Audubon Artists (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

DeCordova and Dana Museum and Park  Search this

Pratt Graphics Center  Search this

Print Council of America  Search this

School of Visual Arts (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation  Search this

Terrain Gallery  Search this

Anuszkiewicz, Richard  Search this

Dienes, Sari  Search this

Herz, Nat, 1920-1964  Search this

Kandinsky, Wassily, 1866-1944  Search this

Koppelman, Dorothy  Search this

Kranz, Sheldon  Search this

Lichtenstein, Roy, 1923-1997  Search this

Ozenfant, Amédée, 1886-1966  Search this

Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this

Pond, Clayton, 1941-  Search this

Rebay, Hilla, 1890-1967  Search this

Siegel, Eli, 1902-  Search this

Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997  Search this

Extent:

4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Illustrated letters

Sketchbooks

Photographs

Sound recordings

Scrapbooks

Sketches

Date:

circa 1930s-2006

bulk 1942-2005

Summary:

The papers of Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman measure 4.0 linear feet and date from circa 1930s-2006, bulk 1942-2005. The collection documents the activities of Chaim Koppelman and his wife, Dorothy Koppelman, as artists and educators, and their affiliation with the Terrain Gallery and the Aesthetic Realism Foundation. Materials include biographical material, correspondence, writings and notes, subject files, teaching files, exhibition files, personal business records, scrapbooks, printed material, sketches, sketchbooks, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman measure 4.0 linear feet and date from circa 1930s-2006, bulk 1942-2005. The collection documents the activities of Chaim Koppelman and his wife, Dorothy Koppelman, as artists and educators, and their affiliation with the Terrain Gallery and the Aesthetic Realism Foundation. Materials include biographical material, correspondence, writings and notes, subject files, teaching files, exhibition files, personal business records, scrapbooks, printed material, sketches, sketchbooks, and photographs.

Scattered biographical material includes resumes, artist's statements, copies of entries in Who's Who directories, and miscellaneous items.

Correspondence includes personal correspondence and general correspondence. Personal correspondence mostly consists of Chaim Koppelman's letters written to Dorothy while he was serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He describes his daily activities, observations on army life, and his travels while stationed in England, France, and Germany. Of interest is Chaim Koppelman's letter to Dorothy describing his meeting Picasso and visiting the artist's studio. Personal correspondence also includes Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman's letters with family and friends. Notable correspondents include Sari Dienes, Nat Herz, Sheldon Kranz, Amédée Ozenfant, Hilla Rebay, and Theodoros Stamos. Hilla Rebay's letters to Chaim Koppelman discuss museum-related activities at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, including the Guggenheim's memorial exhibition for Wassily Kandinsky. There is also a file of letters from Eli Siegel to Chaim Koppelman. General correspondence includes mostly incoming letters to Chaim Koppelman from collectors, colleagues, students, and arts institutions. Frequent correspondents include: Associated American Artists, American Federation of the Arts, Audubon Artists, DeCordova and Dana Museum and Park, Pratt Graphics Center and Print Council of America.

Writings and notes contain annotated typescripts and handwritten drafts by Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman. Chaim Koppelman's writings include essays and talks on art, artists, and printmaking based on Aesthetic Realism; also found are some poems. Dorothy Koppelman's writings consist of artist's statements and essay-length pieces that were prepared for Aesthetic Realism talks on the work and lives of artists, held at the Terrain Gallery of the Aesthetic Realism Foundation and other venues. Also found is a sound recording of Chaim Koppelman's 1968 conversation with Richard Anuszkiewicz, Roy Lichtenstein, and Clayton Pond; the artists discuss the influence of the Siegel Theory of Opposites on their work.

Subject files document the activities, projects, and professional affiliations of Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman. Included are materials on exhibitions, applications for fellowships and grants, awards, drafts of writings, donations and acquisitions of artwork by museums. Teaching files provide an overview of the faculty positions held by Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman over the course of their careers. Found are extensive files on Chaim Koppelman's tenure at the School of Visual Arts. Exhibition files chronicle the Koppelmans' solo and group shows at the Terrain and other venues; substantive files contain Chaim Koppelman's correspondence with museums and arts institutions and sales information.

Two scrapbooks contain exhibition-related materials, such as artists' statements, press releases, awards, printed material, and photographs of artwork. Artwork includes sketches and illustrated letters by Chaim Koppelman. There are twenty annotated sketchbooks by Chaim Koppelman and a sketchbook by Dorothy Koppelman. Photographs and snapshots are of Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman; many of the snapshots of Chaim Koppelman and others document his army service while stationed in the United States and Europe. Four photograph albums include black and white photographs of Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman in their studio; included are snapshots of the Koppelmans with family and friends at exhibition openings, gatherings, and on their travels. There are photographs of Regina Dienes, Gerson Lieber, Bernard Olshan, Joseph Solman, and Theodoros Stamos.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 12 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1940-2001 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1942-2003 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1930s-1989, 2005 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 4: Subject Files, 1942-2004 (Boxes 1-2; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 5: Teaching Files, 1940s-2006 (Box 2; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1940s-2005 (Boxes 2-3; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 7: Personal Business Records, 1944-1969 (Box 3; 3 folders)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1942-2003 (Box 3; 2 folders)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1937-1971, 2004 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 10: Artwork, 1933-1949, 1980-2000 (Box 3; 3 folders)

Series 11: Sketchbooks, 1944-2005 (Boxes 3-4; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 12: Photographs, 1930-circa 2004 (Box 4; 0.25 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Chaim Koppelman (1920-2009) lived and worked in New York as a printmaker, educator, and Aesthetic Realism consultant. Painter, gallery director, Aesthetic Realism consultant, and educator Dorothy Koppelman (1920-) resides and works in New York City.

Chaim Koppelman was born in Brooklyn in 1920. Koppelman studied at the American Artists School with Carl Holty and at the Art Students League with Jose De Creeft and Will Barnet. Simultaneously, he began to study in classes taught by Eli Siegel, critic, poet, and founder of the philosophy Aesthetic Realism. In 1942, Koppelman was drafted in the U.S. Army. Before going overseas in 1943, he married Dorothy Myers. In the army, Koppelman continued his studies in painting and sculpture, where he attended the Art College in Western England, Bristol, and the Beaux Arts School in Reims, France. Chaim Koppelman took part in the Normandy invasion and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service.

After Koppelman returned to New York in 1944, he studied at the Amédée Ozenfant School, where he eventually became Ozenfant's assistant. Around this time, Koppelman turned from painting and sculpture to printmaking. In 1955, Chaim Koppelman, his wife, Dorothy, and other artists and poets studying Aesthetic Realism established the Terrain Gallery. For many years, Koppelman was the head of the gallery's Print Division and then later became an advisory director.

Chaim Koppelman held a number of teaching positions in universities and arts institutions. He lectured at Brooklyn College, the Art Education Department from 1950-1960. In 1959, Koppelman founded the Printmaking Division at the School of Visual Arts, where he served on the school's faculty until 2007. At the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, he taught artists how to relate their artwork and their everyday lives. He wrote: "After having tested his aesthetic concepts in literally thousands of works of different periods, in different styles, in different media, I say that Eli Siegel's Theory of Opposites is the key to what is good or beautiful in art….When Eli Siegel showed that what makes a work of art beautiful—the oneness of opposites—is the same as what every individual wants, it was one of the mightiest and kindest achievements of man's mind."

Among the awards Chaim Koppelman received were: two Tiffany Grants, 1956, 1959; New York Artists Equity Annual Awards Honoring Will Barnet, Robert Blackburn, Chaim Koppelman, 1992; and the Purchase Prize, Art Students League in 2005. Koppelman was a member of the National Academy and a member of the Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA). In 2004, SAGA presented him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his solo and group exhibitions at the Terrain Gallery, Chaim Koppelman's work was featured at the Beatrice Conde Gallery, International Print Center (New York), Library of Congress, and Minneapolis Institute of Arts. His prints are in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art (New York), Metropolitan Museum of Art, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the National Gallery.

In December 2009, Koppelman died at age 89 in New York City.

Born in 1920, Dorothy Koppelman attended Brooklyn College, the Art Students League, and American Artists School where she trained under Joseph Solman. During this time, she began to study poetry, and the relation of art and the self in classes with Eli Siegel, the founder of Aesthetic Realism.

Dorothy Koppelman has had a number of solo and group exhibitions at the Terrain Gallery. She has also shown her paintings at the Atlantic Gallery, Art Gallery of Binghamton, New York, Beatrice Conde Gallery, the Broome Street Gallery, and at MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Newark Museum, the Whitney Biennial 2006 Peace Tower, the National Academy, and the Butler Art Institute.

Dorothy Koppelman has served on the faculty at several arts institutions: the National Academy, Brooklyn College School of Education, and the School of Visual Arts. She has given presentations on Aesthetic Realism at the Fondazione Piero della Francesa in Italy, and with Carrie Wilson at the 31st World Congress of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA). On August 16, 2002, in a talk given on Eli Siegel Day in Baltimore, she said, "Eli Siegel explained the true meaning of art for our lives. No one—no scholar, no artist, no person—in all the centuries ever saw this before: that we can learn about ourselves from the very technique of art!...He showed that far from being in a separate world, art has the answer to the trouble in this one."

She is a member of several professional organizations including the American Society of Contemporary Artists and New York Artists Equity. She has received an Honorable Mention from the Brooklyn Society of Artists, 1957; a Tiffany Grant for painting, 1965; and awards from the American Society of Contemporary Artists, 1996, 1999. Dorothy Koppelman's work has been included in the collections of Hampton University, Virginia; Rosenzweig Museum, Durham, North Carolina; New-York Historical Society; Yale University; the National Museum of Women in the Arts, as well as other institutions.

Dorothy Koppelman lives in New York City. She is a consultant on the faculty of the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, where she also teaches the Critical Inquiry, a workshop for artists. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, and is President of the Eli Siegel/Martha Baird Foundation. She continues her study in classes with Ellen Reiss, Aesthetic Realism Chairman of Education.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds the Terrain Gallery records of which Dorothy Koppelman is the director.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman in 2006.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. 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.

Topic:

Artists' studios  Search this

Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Prints -- Technique  Search this

Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Illustrated letters

Sketchbooks

Photographs

Sound recordings

Scrapbooks

Sketches

Citation:

Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman papers, circa 1930s-2006, bulk 1942-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.koppchai

See more items in:

Chaim and Dorothy Koppelman papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw988e54036-6f92-4d0d-89e9-c638ba3bf216

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-koppchai