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Hugo Gellert papers

Creator:
Gellert, Hugo, 1892-1985  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Art of Today Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artist's Committee of Action (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists Coordination Committee (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists Council  Search this
Artists for Victory, Inc.  Search this
Committee to Defend V.J. Jerome  Search this
Hungarian Word, Inc.  Search this
National Society of Mural Painters (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Derkovits, Gyula, 1894-1934  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Fast, Howard, 1914-2003  Search this
Fiene, Ernest, 1894-  Search this
Gellert, Ernest  Search this
Gellert, Lawrence, 1898-1979  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Lie, Jonas, 1880-1940  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Reisman, Philip, 1904-  Search this
Sequenzia, Sofia  Search this
Extent:
6.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Photographs
Date:
1916-1986
Summary:
The papers of graphic artist, muralist, and activist Hugo Gellert measure 6.9 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1986. They document his career as an artist and organizer for the radical political left through an interview, legal papers, financial records, family papers, artifacts, correspondence, writings, organizational records, extensive printed materials (many of them illustrated by Gellert), photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of graphic artist, muralist, and activist Hugo Gellert measure 6.9 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1986. They document his career as an artist and organizer for the radical left through an oral interview conducted by Sofia Sequenzia, legal papers, financial records, family papers, artifacts, correspondence, writings, organizational records, clippings, exhibition catalogs, various printed materials illustrated by Gellert, pamphlets, periodicals, mass mailings, photographs, and artwork.

Biographical Material includes an audio interview with Gellert; official documents related to memberships, property, and legal matters; financial documents that include bills, receipts, and contracts related to professional activities; papers of Gellert's brothers, Lawrence and Ernest; and artifacts. Correspondence is with other artists, writers, publishers, activists, friends, and family, including Ernest Fiene, Rockwell Kent, Harry Gottlieb, William Gropper, Philip Evergood, Howard Fast, and Jonas Lie. Writings include essays, book projects, notes, and notebooks written by Gellert; and stories and articles by other authors, including typescripts of early twentieth-century Hungarian short stories collected by Gellert.

Organizational Records are related to political and art organizations in which Gellert was an active organizer, officer, and in some cases, a founder. Because of his central role in many of these organizations, records often contain unique documentation of their activities. Records are found for the American Artists Congress, the Art of Today Gallery, the Artists Committee of Action, the Artists Coordination Committee, the Artists Council, Artists for Victory, Inc., the Committee to Defend V.J. Jerome, Hungarian Word, Inc., the National Society of Mural Painters, and other organizations.

Printed materials include a variety of political publications and periodicals with illustrations by Gellert, including New Masses, Art Front, Magyar Szo, and American Dialog; clippings related to his career, exhibition catalogs, political pamphlets, Hungarian literature, and mass mailings received from political organizations. Photographs contain a few personal photographs but are mostly news and publicity photographs, many of which depict prominent Communists and other newsmakers. Artwork includes sketches, drawings, designs, prints, and production elements for Gellert's artwork, as well as prints and drawings by Philip Reisman, Gyula Derkovits, and Anton Refregier.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1917-1982 (Box 1 and OV 9; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1920-1986 (Boxes 1-2, 8; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1916-1970 (Boxes 2 and 8; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Organizational Records, circa 1920-1977 (Boxes 3, 8, and OV 9; 1 linear foot)

Series 5: Printed Materials, circa 1920-1986 (Boxes 4-6, 8, and OV 9; 3 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1920-1959 (Boxes 6-7; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, 1927-1981 (Box 7, OV 10; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Graphic artist, muralist, and activist Hugo Gellert was born Hugo Grünbaum in Budapest, Hungary in 1892, the oldest of six children. His family immigrated to New York City in 1906, eventually changing their family name to Gellert.

Gellert attended art school at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design. As a student, he designed posters for movies and theater, and also worked for Tiffany Studios. A number of student art prizes with cash awards enabled him to travel to Europe in the summer of 1914, where he witnessed the outbreak of World War I, an experience which helped shape his political beliefs. Aesthetically, he was also influenced by a folk revival among Hungarian artists at the time of his trip, and was more impressed, he later said, with the street advertising in Paris than he was with the cubism he saw in the Louvre.

Returning to the United States, Gellert became involved in the Hungarian-American workers' movement, and contributed drawings to its newspaper, Elöre (Forward). He remained involved in Hungarian-American art and activism throughout his life, including membership in the anti-fascist group, the Anti-Horthy League. When members of the fascist Horthy government unveiled a statue of a Hungarian hero in New York in 1928, Gellert hired a pilot and dropped leaflets on the group, a stunt for which he was arrested. In the 1950s, Gellert served as director of Hungarian Word, Inc., a Hungarian-language publisher in New York.

Gellert's political commitment and art remained deeply intertwined throughout his life, as he continually sought to integrate his commitment to Communism, his hatred of fascism, and his dedication to civil liberties. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, he contributed artwork to several magazines of the radical left, including Masses and its successors Liberator and New Masses, both of which featured Gellert's artwork on their inaugural issue. Through Masses, he came to know other radicals such as Mike Gold, John Reed, Louise Bryant, Max Eastman, Floyd Dell, Anton Refregier, William Gropper, Harry Gottlieb, Bob Minor, and Art Young, and with them he followed the events of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia with sympathy and growing political fervor.

His brother, Ernest Gellert, also a socialist and activist, was drafted into the military but refused to serve. He died of a gunshot wound under suspicious circumstances while imprisoned at Fort Hancock, New Jersey, as a conscientious objector. Traumatized by this event, Gellert fled to Mexico to avoid conscription. In 1920 to 1922, he taught art at the Stelton School in New Jersey, a radical, utopian community school. He participated in the cultural scene of Greenwich Village, working on set designs, publications, and graphic art for political productions. He founded the first John Reed Club in 1929 with a group of Communist artists and writers including Anton Refregier, Louis Lozowick, and William Gropper. Initially, the group held classes and exhibitions, and provided services for strikes and other working-class activism. Later, John Reed Clubs formed around the country and became a formal arm of the United States Communist Party (CPUSA).

In the late 1920s, Gellert became a member of the National Society of Mural Painters (which, partly due to Gellert's activism in the group, became the Mural Artists' Guild local 829 of the United Scenic Artists Union of the AFL-CIO in 1937. Other members included Rockwell Kent, Anton Refregier, Arshile Gorky, and Marion Greenwood). In 1928, he created a mural for the Worker's Cafeteria in Union Square, NY. Later murals include the Center Theater in Rockefeller Center, the National Maritime Union Headquarters, the Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union Building, NYC, the interior of the Communications Building at the 1939 World's Fair, and the Seward Park Housing Project in 1961.

In 1932, Gellert was invited to participate in a mural exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, and submitted a political mural about the robber barons of contemporary American politics and industry called Us Fellas Gotta Stick Together - Al Capone. The museum attempted to censor the mural, along with the murals of William Gropper and Ben Shahn. Other artists threatened to boycott the exhibition over the censorship and were successful in restoring them to the show.

The cooperation of artists in this controversy foreshadowed a larger protest in 1934, organized by Gellert, Saul Belman, Stuart Davis, and Zoltan Hecht, when Diego Rivera's pro-labor mural was destroyed at Rockefeller Center. After the incident, the group formed the Artists' Committee of Action and continued to fight censorship and advocate for artists' interests and welfare. They also co-published the magazine Art Front with the Artists' Union, a labor organization. Gellert served for a time as editor of Art Front, and chairman of the Artists' Committee of Action.

Gellert was active in producing both art and strategic policy for the cultural arm of the CPUSA, and he worked to mobilize the non-communist left, often referred to as the Popular Front. In 1933 he illustrated Karl Marx's Capital in Lithographs, and in 1935, he wrote a Marxist, illustrated satire called Comrade Gulliver, An Illustrated Account of Travel into that Strange Country the United States of America. Other published graphic works include Aesop Said So (1936) and a portfolio of silkscreen prints entitled Century of the Common Man (1943).

Other artist groups he helped to found and/or run include the American Artist's Congress, a Communist organization founded with Max Weber, Margaret Bourke-White, Stuart Davis, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Harry Sternberg, and others, which held symposia and exhibitions between 1936 and 1942; the Artists' Coordination Committee, an umbrella group of national organizations which sought protections for federally-employed and unionized artists; Artists for Victory, Inc., which formed in 1942 to mobilize artists in support of the war effort; and the Artists' Council, formed after the war to advocate for artists' welfare and employment.

Gellert maintained his loyalty to the Communist party throughout the post-war period despite growing disillusionment in the Popular Front over the actions of Josef Stalin, and despite the intense anti-communist crusades in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was investigated by the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and was nearly deported. He spent a number of years during this period in his wife's native Australia. Returning to the United States in the early 1950s, he threw his efforts into the defense of others who faced prison, deportation, and the blacklist following the HUAC hearings. He established The Committee to Defend V.J. Jerome in 1951 when Jerome, the cultural commissioner of CPUSA, was convicted under the Smith Act. The writer Dorothy Parker was the group's treasurer.

In 1954, Gellert established the Art of Today Gallery in New York City with Rockwell Kent and Charles White to provide an exhibition venue for blacklisted artists. Exhibitions included Maurice Becker, Henry Glintenkamp, Harry Gottlieb, Kay Harris, and Rockwell Kent. Gellert served as the gallery's secretary until it closed in 1957.

In the 1960s until his death in 1985, Gellert continued his activism through involvement in grassroots political organizations. Unlike many of his radical contemporaries, Gellert lived to see the revival of some of the ideas of the progressive era of the thirties in the countercultural years of the late 1960s and early 1970s. There were retrospectives of his work in Moscow in 1967 and in his native Budapest in 1968, and he appeared in Warren Beatty's film Reds in 1981.

Sources used for this essay include James Wechsler's 2003 dissertation "The Art and Activism of Hugo Gellert: Embracing the Spectre of Communism," his essay "From World War I to the Popular Front: The Art and Activism of Hugo Gellert," ( Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts number 24, Spring 2002), and Jeff Kisseloff's biographical essay for the 1986 Hugo Gellert exhibition at the Mary Ryan Gallery.
Related Material:
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are an oral history with Hugo Gellert from 1984, a recording of a lecture Gellert gave at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1985, and additional records of Artists for Victory, Inc., 1942-1946.

The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University holds additional papers of Hugo Gellert.
Provenance:
A portion of the papers were donated in 1970 by Hugo Gellert. Additional papers were donated by Gellert and his wife, Livia Cinquegrana, in 1983 and 1986.
Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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' writings  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Graphic artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Photographs
Citation:
Hugo Gellert papers, 1916-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.gellhugo
See more items in:
Hugo Gellert papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9eb96ed42-b751-47f6-a0ca-038014c8800e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gellhugo
Online Media:

Artists Talk on Art records

Creator:
Artists Talk on Art  Search this
Names:
Barnet, Will, 1911-2012  Search this
Bourgeois, Louise, 1911-2010  Search this
Christo, 1935-  Search this
De Niro, Robert, Sr., 1922-1993  Search this
Denes, Agnes  Search this
Goldberg, Michael, 1924-2007  Search this
Jeanne-Claude, 1935-2009  Search this
Longo, Robert  Search this
Mendieta, Ana, 1948-1985  Search this
Morris, Robert, 1931-2018  Search this
Murray, Elizabeth, 1940-  Search this
Neel, Alice, 1900-1984  Search this
Pavia, Philip, 1915-2005  Search this
Sleigh, Sylvia  Search this
Wilke, Hannah  Search this
Wojnarowicz, David  Search this
Extent:
64.4 Linear feet
317.43 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Photographs
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Transcripts
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1974-2018
Summary:
The records of Artists Talk on Art (ATOA) measure 64.4 linear feet and 317.43 gigabytes and date from circa 1974-2018. The bulk of the records consist of extensive video and sound recordings of events organized by the group featuring artists, critics, historians, dealers, curators and writers discussing contemporary issues in the American art world in hundreds of panel discussions, open screenings, and dialogues held in New York City. Events began in 1975 and continue to the present; recordings in the collection date from 1977 and 2016. A smaller group of records include administrative files, panel flyers, three scrapbooks, as well as photographs, slides, and negatives of panel discussions and participants.
Scope and Contents:
The records of Artists Talk on Art (ATOA) measure 64.4 linear feet and 317.43 gigabytes and date from circa 1974-2018. The bulk of the records consist of extensive video and sound recordings of events organized by the group featuring artists, critics, historians, dealers, curators and writers discussing contemporary issues in the American art world in hundreds of panel discussions, open screenings, and dialogues held in New York City. Events began in 1975 and continue to the present; recordings in the collection date from 1977 and 2016. A smaller group of records include administrative files, panel flyers, three scrapbooks, as well as photographs, slides, and negatives of panel discussions and participants.

ATOA's recordings chronicle the American art world, covering critical discussions and significant art world issues over five decades. Thousands of artists such as Will Barnet, Louise Bourgeois, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Robert De Niro, Agnes Denes, Michael Goldberg, Robert Longo, Ana Mendieta, Robert Morris, Elizabeth Murray, Alice Neel, Philip Pavia, Howardena Pindell, Larry Rivers, Sylvia Sleigh, Kahinde Wiley, Hannah Wilke, David Wojnarowicz, and others speak about their work. The original recordings exist in a variety of formats, including U-Matic and VHS videotape, MiniDVs, sound cassettes and sound tape reels. ATOA digitized most of the video and sound recordings prior to donating the collection.

The collection also includes printed histories, board and program committee meeting minutes, financial statements, general correspondence files of the president and chair, attendance statistics, grant files, panel participant release forms, sixteen panel transcripts, a complete set of panel flyers (many are annotated) and other printed materials, three dismantled scrapbooks, as well as photographs, slides, and negatives of panels and panel participants.
Arrangement:
The records are arranged into nine series.

Series 1: Adminstrative Files, 1974-2013 (0.4 linear feet, Box 1)

Series 2: Director's and Chairman's Correspondence, 1977-2006 (0.4 linear feet, Box 1)

Series 3: Grant Files, 1977-2009 (1 linear foot, Boxes 1-2)

Series 4: Panel Release Forms, 1978-2012 (1 linear foot, Boxes 2-3)

Series 5: Panel Transcripts, 1981, 1986, 1988, 2017-2018 (1 folder, Box 3; 0.002 GB, ER01)

Series 6: Printed Materials, 1975-2015 (0.8 linear feet, Boxes 3-4; 0.434 GB, ER02)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1975-1989 (0.2 linear feet, Box 4)

Series 8: Photographic Materials, circa 1975-circa 2000 (1 linear foot, Boxes 4-5)

Series 9: Video and Sound Recordings of Events, 1977-2016 (59 linear feet, Boxes 6-65; 317.43 GB, ER03-ER04)
Biographical / Historical:
Established in 1974 and still active in New York, Artists Talk on Art is the art world's longest running and most prolific aesthetic panel discussion series organized by artists for artists. Founded by Lori Antonacci, Douglas I. Sheer, and Robert Wiegand, the forum has presented 6,000 artists in nearly 1,000 documented panels or dialogues. ATOA held its first panel, "Whatever Happened to Public Art," on January 10, 1975 and it drew a "crowd" of 77 people. In the decades that followed, ATOA presented dozens of panels or dialogues a year, tackling such diverse topics as "What is Happening with Conceptual Art," with Louise Lawler and Lawrence Weiner; "Painting and Photography: Defining the Difference," with Sarah Charlesworth, Jack Goldstein, Joseph Kosuth, Barbara Kruger, and Robert Mapplethorpe; "Organizing Arts Activism," with Lucy Lippard; "The Artist and the Epidemic—an information panel about AIDS"; "Cross-generational Views of Feminism"; and hundreds more.
Provenance:
The Artists Talk on Art (ATOA) records, including digital files of the video and sound recordings, were donated to the Archives in 2016 by Douglas Sheer, Chairman of ATOA.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art critics  Search this
Art dealers  Search this
Art historians  Search this
Artists  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Historians  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Transcripts
Video recordings
Citation:
Artists Talk on Art records, circa 1974-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.artitalk
See more items in:
Artists Talk on Art records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c4de66ef-397b-4e6e-9fde-d6deca12fa3a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-artitalk
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Artists Talk on Art records digital asset number 1
Online Media:

Postal and philatelic art of Arthur Szyk Ken Lawrence ; edited by Steven Zwillinger

Author:
Lawrence, Ken 1942-  Search this
Editor:
Zwillinger, Steven  Search this
Physical description:
iv, 95 pages color illustrations, portraits 28 cm
Type:
Biography
Place:
United States
Poland
Date:
2022
Topic:
Postage stamp design  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Jewish artists  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1157379

Letterpress book. Volume 15, 1904 September 13 - 1905 January 13

Collection Creator:
Freer, Charles Lang, 1856-1919  Search this
Container:
Box 45, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Collection Citation:
Charles Lang Freer Papers. FSA A.01. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of the estate of Charles Lang Freer.
See more items in:
Charles Lang Freer Papers
Charles Lang Freer Papers / Series 2: Correspondence / 2.2: Charles Lang Freer Letterpress Books, 1892-1910
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc39453abb1-69ec-4a0a-9ad3-d44bb8607c82
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-01-ref655
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Letterpress book. Volume 15, 1904 September 13 - 1905 January 13 digital asset number 1

The ACA Galleries records

Creator:
ACA Galleries  Search this
Names:
American Contemporary Art Gallery  Search this
Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this
Baron, Herman, 1892-1961  Search this
Burliuk, David, 1882-1967  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Dondero, George A. (George Anthony), 1883-1968  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Gwathmey, Robert, 1903-1988  Search this
Hirsch, Joseph, 1910-1981  Search this
McCausland, Elizabeth, 1899-1965  Search this
Mumford, Lewis, 1895-1990  Search this
Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this
Pickens, Alton  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Soyer, Moses, 1899-1974  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Valente, Alfredo  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Young, Art, 1866-1943  Search this
Photographer:
Newman, Arnold, 1918-2006  Search this
Extent:
1 Linear foot
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Writings
Photographs
Date:
1917-1963
Summary:
The scattered records of the ACA (American Contemporary Art) Galleries date from 1917 through 1963 and include writings by founder Herman Baron, artists Philip Evergood and Anton Refregier, and art critic Elizabeth McCausland; printed materials; and photographs of Baron, ACA artists, art collectors, works of art, and exhibitions. Correspondence is with David Burliuk, Philip Evergood, William Gropper, Lewis Mumford, Moses Sawyer, Max Weber, and others. Also found is a small group of Herman Baron's personal papers.
Scope and Content Note:
The scattered records of the ACA (American Contemporary Art) Galleries date from 1917 through 1963 and include writings by founder Herman Baron, artists Philip Evergood and Anton Refregier, and art critic Elizabeth McCausland; printed materials; and photographs of Baron, ACA artists, art collectors, works of art, and exhibitions. Correspondence is with David Burliuk, Philip Evergood, William Gropper, Lewis Mumford, Moses Sawyer, Max Weber, and others. Also found is a small group of Herman Baron's personal papers.

The records are a rich resource for documenting the Social Realist artists and the militant socialist artists during the great depression and the post-World War II era of "McCarthyism".

Correspondence with ACA artists consists of letters from Philip Evergood, David Burliuk, William Gropper, Robert Gwathmey, Joseph Hirsch, Lewis Mumford, Elizabeth Olds, Alton Pickens, Moses Soyer, Max Weber, and Art Young. Some of the letters concern the socialist and communist views of some of the artists, including responses to Congressional Representive George A. Dondero's public statements and attacks on modern art as a conspiracy to spread communism in the United States. There is a letter written by Holger Cahill to the editor of Time magazine concerning WPA artists. Also found is a letter from Raphael Soyer written to the ACA Galleries concerning the American Artists' Congress.

Writings include Herman Baron's written history of the ACA Galleries and scattered pages of Baron's book on Joe Jones and William Gropper. There are essays and writings by art critic Elizabeth McCausland, and artists Anton Refregier and Philip Evergood. Printed materials consist of ACA publications, newspaper clippings, published articles, printed illustrations by Philip Evergood, and printed materials about Congressman Dondero.

Photographs are of David Burliuk, Bruce Calder, Nicolai Cikovsky, Hy Cohen, Robert Cronbach, Alexander Dobkin, Philip Evergood, Mike Gold, Chaim Gross, William Gropper, Joe Jones, Mervin Jules, Irene Rice Pereia, Geri Pine, Philip Reisman, Vic Shifreen, Harry Sternberg, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, James Baare Turnbull, Nicky Walker, Abraham Walkowitz, Nat Werner, and Art Young. Photographers include Berenice Abbott, Arnold Newman, and Alfredo Valente. Additional photographs are of unidentified installations or exhibitions.

Herman Baron's personal papers include letters written to his wife and friends during World War I, writings by Baron for various magazines including Glazier's Journal. Personal photographs are of Herman Baron in his army uniform. There is also an obituary for Herman Baron written by art critic Elizabeth McCausland.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1930s-1960s (Box 1; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 2: Writings and Notes, 1938-circa 1960s (Box 1; 8 folders)

Series 3: Printed Material, 1939-1960 (Box 2; 4 folders)

Series 4: Photographs, circa 1930s-circa 1960s (Box 2; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 5: Herman Baron Personal Papers, circa 1910s, 1940s-1960s (Box 2-3; 0.3 linear feet)
Historical Note:
Herman Baron, Stuart Davis, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and Adolf Dehn founded the American Contemporary Art (ACA) Galleries on August 16, 1932. Located at 1269 Madison Avenue in New York City, the galleries' first show featured watercolorist Hy Cohen. Baron encouraged freedom of expression and did not censor the artworks displayed in his gallery. As a result, the gallery became an outlet for generally unknown and socially conscious artists, including the Social Realists.

Born in Lithuania in 1892, Herman Baron immigrated to the United States as a child. He served in World War I and later attended New York University. Baron founded and edited Glazier's Journal (later Glass Digest) in 1924 as the first journal for the professional glazing trade. Additionally, he wrote short stories and plays for American Hebrew and Young Israel.

In response to economic issues facing the art market during the depresssion of 1930s, ACA Galleries organized relief efforts to financially support their artists. During this period, the gallery became closely allied with militant artists' organizations and some of the more politically radical artists. In 1935, the ACA Galleries and Herman Baron hosted the first meeting of the American Artists' Congress in the gallery space.

The ACA Galleries featured exhibitions of works by artists David Burliuk, Stuart Davis, Philip Evergood, William Gropper, Robert Gwathmey, Joe Jones, Rockwell Kent, Lee Krasner, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Lewis Mumford, Louise Nevelson, Alton Pickens, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, Max Weber, Art Young, and others. Baron also organized exhibitions of many artists employed by or associated with the Works Progress Administration of the federal arts program. Due to the progressive nature of the works of art found in the ACA Galleries, Herman Baron came under considerable criticism during the McCarthy Era. Baron was condemned by Representative George A. Dondero for supporting "un-American" sympathies and was forced often to defend his gallery and artists.

For years the gallery focused on artists rights and supporting the work of artists, rather than a profit. In the 1950s, a shift occurred when Baron's nephew Sidney Bergen initiated professional business practices and transformed the gallery into a profitable venture. Now located at 529 West 20th Street in New York City, ACA Galleries continues to promote and support various social causes.
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art holds the Herman Baron papers, dating from 1937-1967 which were donated by Syracuse University, George Arents Research Library in 1984. Some exhibition catalogs may be found here.
Provenance:
Ella Baron, widow of the ACA Galleries' founder Herman Baron, donated the records to the Archives of American Art in 1965 and 1966.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
World War, 1914-1918  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Writings
Photographs
Citation:
ACA Galleries records, 1917-1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.acagall
See more items in:
The ACA Galleries records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97838f702-80fc-493a-940a-86b9373c8141
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-acagall
Online Media:

Alton Pickens papers

Creator:
Pickens, Alton  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1943-1969
Scope and Contents:
Business and personal letters to Pickens (1943-69), notes and other papers relating to his art instruction (1950-53), art exhibition announcements (1955-56), financial records (1949-56), and four leftist political magazines from the 1940's, one of which contains some of Pickens' sketches. In addition, there are a few photographs of unknown subjects.
Biographical / Historical:
Alton Pickens (1917- 1991) was a painter, printmaker, and instructor. He taught art at Indiana University and Vassar College.
Provenance:
Donated 1989 by Alton Pickens via Paul Schweizer.
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.
Occupation:
Etchers  Search this
Painters  Search this
Art teachers  Search this
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Politics in art -- United States  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.pickalto
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93893ddd4-7f50-47f8-a04a-3c33a60593a1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-pickalto

Oral history interview with Richard Stankiewicz

Interviewee:
Stankiewicz, Richard, 1922-1983  Search this
Interviewer:
Brown, Robert F.  Search this
Names:
University of Albany -- Faculty  Search this
Zabriskie Gallery  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Kootz, Samuel Melvin, 1898-1982  Search this
Léger, Fernand, 1881-1955  Search this
Porter, Fairfield  Search this
Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this
Zabriskie, Virginia M., 1927-1991  Search this
Extent:
48 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1979 June 26
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Richard Stankiewicz conducted 1979 June 26, by Robert Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Stankiewicz speaks of his life since the Archives last interviewed him in the mid-sixties; joining the Zabriskie Gallery; the Loft Living Program and his struggles with city officials; the beginning of the respectability of modern art in America; deciding to leave New York City and move to Massachusetts; accepting a teaching position at the University of Albany; his ambivalence about teaching; his comments on photographs being shown to him of his art work over the years; how his ideas develop; how he doesn't mix his politics and art; an exhibition he did in Australia; and what he is working on right now. He recalls Hans Hofmann, Fairfield Porter, Virginia Zabriskie, Sam Kootz, David Smith, Julio Gonzales, Fernand Léger, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Richard Stankiewicz (1922-1983) was a sculptor and educator from Huntington, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 30 min.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also has interviews, video recordings, and the papers of Richard Stankiewicz.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' 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 others.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Huntington -- Interviews  Search this
Art -- Political aspects  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.stanki79
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a8ecf320-775b-4608-8ef3-646b6aaebe04
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-stanki79
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Guerrilla Girls Alice Neel and Gertrude Stein

Creator:
Guerrilla Girls (Group of artists)  Search this
Interviewer:
Richards, Judith Olch  Search this
Extent:
2 Items (wav files. (1 hr., 54 min.), digital)
105 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2007 Dec. 1
Scope and Contents:
An interview with the Guerrilla Girls using the names Alice Neel and Gertrude Stein conducted 2007 Dec. 1, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at iCI, 799 Broadway, New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Guerrilla Girls (est. 1985) is an anonymous group of feminist artists in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound disc. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 54 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.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Anti-racism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Feminists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.guerri07
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c8e6f4e1-58a2-413b-9ff6-af90a4a6d9f1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-guerri07
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Guerrilla Girls Rosalba Carriera and Guerrilla Girl 1

Creator:
Guerrilla Girls (Group of artists)  Search this
Interviewer:
Richards, Judith Olch  Search this
Extent:
3 Items (wav files (1 hr., 34 min.), digital)
69 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2007 Dec. 1
Scope and Contents:
An interview with the Guerrilla Girls using the names Rosalba Carriera and Guerrilla Girl 1 conducted 2007 Dec. 1, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art at iCI, 799 Broadway, New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Guerrilla Girls (est. 1985) is an anonymous group of feminist artists in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound disc. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 34 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.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Anti-racism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Feminists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.guergirl5
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw968b3bfda-1821-456e-9316-24ccbebfe1eb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-guergirl5
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Guerrilla Girls Elizabeth Vigee LeBrun and Liubov Popova

Creator:
Guerrilla Girls (Group of artists)  Search this
Interviewer:
Richards, Judith Olch  Search this
Extent:
2 Items (wav files (2 hr., 3 min.), digital)
72 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2008 Jan. 19
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Guerrilla Girls using the names Elizabeth Vigee LeBrun and Liubov Popova conducted 2008 Jan. 19, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at iCI, 799 Broadway, New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Guerrilla Girls (est. 1985) is an anonymous group of feminist artists in New York, N.Y. Interviewer Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 3 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:
ACCESS RESTRICTED; Use requires written permission.
For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Anti-racism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Feminists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.guerri08
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw994d2260e-90c9-42ae-ad50-801e70e84be4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-guerri08

Ben Goldstein letters

Creator:
Goldstein, Ben  Search this
Names:
Becker, Maurice, 1889-1975  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Items (linear ft. (on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1967-1971
Scope and Contents:
Sixty-four letters from Maurice Becker to Ben Goldstein, apparently in response to Goldstein's inquiries related to organizing an art exhibition with some emphasis on the work of artists associated with MASSES and LIBERATOR, in which Becker describes some of the art works he would be willing to sell. The political circumstances and intent of the art works is occasionally detailed. Most thoroughly described in this context is a series of lithographs produced by Becker when he was imprisoned in Leavenworth as a conscientious objector in 1918.
Biographical / Historical:
Ben Goldstein is a collector of graphic and political art, and an exhibits organizer; New York, N.Y. Maurice Becker was a graphic artist, cartoonist, and painter.
Provenance:
Donated 1975 by Ben Goldstein.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Cartoonists  Search this
Graphic artists  Search this
Lithographers  Search this
Topic:
Social problems in art  Search this
Social realism  Search this
Prisoners as artists  Search this
Political cartoons  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.goldben
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90b8aed4e-2fae-4fa3-9dbd-51cf6ecb7585
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-goldben

Oral history interview with Will Barnet

Interviewee:
Barnet, Will, 1911-2012  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Names:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration  Search this
Extent:
78 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1968 January 15
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Will Barnet conducted 1968 January 15, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Barnet speaks of his youth and early interest in art, studying at the Boston Museum School and the Art Students League of New York, where he later taught, artists who influenced him early in his career, moving to New York City, and building his reputation as a graphic artist. He comments on American politics in the 1930s and 1940s and their effect on art, changes in the art scene in the 1940s and the influence of the Surrealists, teaching at the Cooper Union School, dealers and galleries he has been affiliated with and his involvement with the American Abstract Artists group. He discusses the influence of pre-Columbian art on his work, his exhibitions, and his philosophies of teaching and painting.
Biographical / Historical:
Will Barnet (1911-) is a painter and graphic artist in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 26 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 others.
Restrictions:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Politics in art -- United States  Search this
Surrealism  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.barnet68
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e38642d3-7e68-4a0a-b8e2-dd6d6213fbe9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-barnet68
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Guerrilla Girls Julia de Burgos and Hannah Höch

Creator:
Guerrilla Girls (Group of artists)  Search this
Interviewer:
Richards, Judith Olch  Search this
Extent:
2 Items (wav files (1 hr., 38 min.), digital)
58 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2008 May 8
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Guerrilla Girls using the names Julia de Burgos and Hannah Höch, conducted 2008 May 8, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at a private studio, in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Guerrilla Girls (est. 1985) is an anonymous group of feminist artists in New York, N.Y. Interviewer Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 38 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.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Anti-racism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Feminists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.guergirl3
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c88661d5-4f5e-4f80-bf32-c76a4500a566
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-guergirl3
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Guerrilla Girls Zora Neale Hurston and Agnes Martin

Creator:
Guerrilla Girls (Group of artists)  Search this
Interviewer:
Richards, Judith Olch  Search this
Extent:
2 Items (wav files (1 hr., 59 min.), digital)
59 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2008 May 17
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Guerrilla Girls using the names Zora Neale Hurston and Agnes Martin, conducted 2008 May 17, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art at iCI, 799 Broadway, in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Guerrilla Girls (est. 1985) is an anonymous group of feminist artists in New York, N.Y. Interviewer Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 59 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.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Anti-racism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Feminists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.guergirl4
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98abc8360-b8e5-4a8c-8f91-66dcabcc23e2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-guergirl4
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Paul Marioni

Interviewee:
Marioni, Paul  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
A.C. Fischer Glashütte  Search this
California College of Arts and Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
College of Marin -- Faculty  Search this
Glass Art Society  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Penland School of Handicrafts -- Faculty  Search this
Pilchuck Glass Center (Stanwood, Wash.) -- Faculty  Search this
San Francisco State University -- Students  Search this
Spectrum Glass Co.  Search this
University of Cincinnati -- Students  Search this
University of Dayton -- Students  Search this
Ben Tré, Howard, 1949-2020  Search this
Blaine, Sandy  Search this
Bolles, John S.  Search this
Bosworth, Thomas L. (Thomas Lawrence), 1930-  Search this
Brychtová, Jaroslava, 1924-  Search this
Chihuly, Dale, 1941-  Search this
Dreisbach, Fritz  Search this
Libenský, Stanislav, 1921-2002  Search this
Lipofsky, Marvin, 1938-2016  Search this
Marioni, Dante, 1964-  Search this
Marquis, Richard, 1945-  Search this
McCann, Cecile  Search this
Milhoan, Randy  Search this
Nelson, Gunvor  Search this
Nelson, Robert A.  Search this
North, Judy, 1937-  Search this
Signoretto, Pino, 1944-  Search this
Sindler, Allan P.  Search this
Sindler, Leonore  Search this
Troutner, Ann Margaret  Search this
Vallien, Bertil, 1938-  Search this
Extent:
11 Items (Sound recording: 11 sound files (8 hrs., 18 min.), digital, wav)
112 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Europe -- description and travel
Japan -- Description and Travel
Mexico -- description and travel
South America -- description and travel
Thailand -- description and travel
Date:
2006 September 18-19
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Paul Marioni conducted 2006 September 18-19, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the artist's home and studio, Seattle, Washington. Marioni speaks of his childhood in Ohio; excelling in math as a young student; being labeled a troublemaker in high school; his interest and skill in fixing cars and motorcycles; attending the University of Dayton, the University of Cincinnati, and San Francisco State University; receiving bachelor's degrees in English and philosophy; an interest in filmmaking; the joys and struggles of raising two children by himself; his unorthodox parenting philosophy; learning glass techniques from Judy Raffeal North; teaching experiences at College of Marin, California College of Arts and Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, and Penland School of Crafts, among others; the importance of fostering idea formation and creativity in educational institutions; his experiences as Artist-in-Residence at A.C. Fischer Glashutte and Spectrum Glass Co.; the development of his process for producing cast glass; the great number of public architectural commissions that resulted from the ability to work with cast glass; the more than 85 commissions he has completed alone and in collaboration with Ann Troutner; the difference between his gallery work and commission work; the pleasure he gets from working in the studio; travels throughout Europe, South America, Japan, Thailand, Mexico; his use of ambient light; strong responses received from his political artwork; his dislike of art critics; the vital role Glass Art Society played in supporting the studio glass art movement; the emphasis of human nature in his art; and plans for the future. Marioni also recalls Robert Nelson, Gunvar Nelson, John Bolles, Cecile McCann, Marvin Lipofsky, Dale Chihuly, Tom Bosworth, Fritz Dreisbach, Richard Marquis, Howard Ben Tré, Bertil Vallien, Jaroslava Brychtová, Stanislav Libenský, Randy Milhoan, Dante Marioni, Pino Signoretto, Sandy Blaine, Allan and Lenore Sindler, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul Marioni (1941- ) is a glass artist from Seattle, Washington. Mija Riedel (1958- ) is a curator and writer, from San Francisco, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 11 digital wav files. Duration is 8 hrs., 18 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.
Occupation:
Art critics  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Political aspects  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Glass art  Search this
Glass artists -- Washington (State) -- Seattle -- Interviews  Search this
Parenting  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.marion06
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ac0607d8-2b3a-4e70-aba4-a0417d9af9c0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-marion06
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Guerrilla Girls Frida Kahlo and Kathe Kollwitz

Creator:
Guerrilla Girls (Group of artists)  Search this
Interviewer:
Richards, Judith Olch  Search this
Extent:
60 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2008 Jan. 19-Mar. 9
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Guerrilla Girls using the names Frida Kahlo and Kathe Kollwitz conducted 2008 Jan. 19 and Mar. 9, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at iCI, 799 Broadway, New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Guerrilla Girls (est. 1985) is an anonymous group of feminist artists in New York, N.Y. Interviewer Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 21 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.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Anti-racism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Feminists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.guergirl
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw975f40cf3-3195-44c3-89fb-98e372ffad72
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-guergirl
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Guerrilla Girls Jane Bowles and Alma Thomas

Creator:
Guerrilla Girls (Group of artists)  Search this
Interviewer:
Richards, Judith Olch  Search this
Extent:
2 Items (wav files (1 hr., 41 min.), digital)
81 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2008 May 8
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Guerrilla Girls using the names Jane Bowles and Alma Thomas, conducted 2008 May 8, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at an undisclosed location, in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Guerrilla Girls (est. 1985) is an anonymous group of feminist artists in New York, N.Y. Interviewer Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 41 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.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Anti-racism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Feminists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.guergirl2
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b88076df-7d2c-4e2c-8936-c65b71a8c6fb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-guergirl2
Online Media:

Richard Fitzgerald papers

Creator:
Fitzgerald, Richard  Search this
Names:
Becker, Maurice, 1889-1975  Search this
Chamberlain, Kenneth Russell, 1892-  Search this
Sloan, Helen Farr, 1911-2005  Search this
Sloan, John, 1871-1951  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet ((72 items))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Date:
1930-1972
Scope and Contents:
Research material used for Fitzgerald's Ph.D. dissertation at University of California, RADICAL ILLUSTRATORS OF THE MASSES AND LIBERATOR and for his book, ART AND POLITICS: CARTOONISTS OF THE MASSES AND LIBERATOR.
Eleven letters and cards from Helen Farr Sloan, widow of John Sloan; unpublished notes from John Sloan's conversations, interviews, and lectures at the Delaware Art Center, Wilmington; eight letters from Kenneth Russell Chamberlain; four interviews with Chamberlain; 28 letters and cards from Maurice Becker; a telephone interview with Becker; four Becker exhibition catalogues; and fifteen letters to Fitzgerald about artists Robert Minor, Art Young, and Maurice Becker written by their friends Gil Wilson, Lawrence Gellert, Joseph North, William Gropper, Daniel Aaron, and Harold Anton.
Biographical / Historical:
Art historian and writer; San Francisco, California.
Provenance:
Donated 1976 by Richard Fitzgerald.
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.
Occupation:
Cartoonists  Search this
Illustrators  Search this
Art historians -- California  Search this
Topic:
Politics in art  Search this
Caricatures and cartoons  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.fitzrich
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92aad1728-629b-4430-9a05-864807b11d9c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-fitzrich

Arnold Mesches papers

Creator:
Mesches, Arnold, 1923-  Search this
Names:
New York University  Search this
Ciment, Jill, 1953-  Search this
Danto, Arthur Coleman, 1924-  Search this
Marshall, Kerry James, 1955-  Search this
Miami Dade College  Search this
Miller, Henry, 1891-  Search this
Motherwell, Robert  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Siqueiros, David Alfaro  Search this
Storr, Robert  Search this
Wayne, June, 1918-2011  Search this
Zinn, Howard, 1922-2010  Search this
Extent:
13.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Collages
Diaries
Drawings
Sketches
Date:
1939-2015
Summary:
The papers of New York City and Gainesville, Florida based painter Arnold Mesches (1923-2016) measure 13.6 linear feet and date from 1939-2015. The collection documents Mesches' politically-engaged career and work process through biographical material, correspondence, writings, gallery and exhibition files, project files, subject files, teaching files, personal business records, printed material, and photographic material. Project files comprise a bulk of the collection and include grant files, activism files, project notebooks, and over 100 art project files containing drawings, source material, and photographic material for individual artworks.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York City and Gainesville, Florida based painter Arnold Mesches (1923-2016) measure 13.6 linear feet and date from 1939-2015. The collection documents Mesches' politically engaged career and work process through biographical material, correspondence, writings, gallery and exhibition files, project files, subject files, teaching files, personal business records, printed material, and photographic material.

Biographical material includes addresses, family papers, interview transcripts, life documents, identification cards, a residency file, resumes, biographical statements, and travel records. Correspondence is both personal and professional in nature and is with wife, novelist Jill Ciment, family, friends, artists, museums, galleries, and magazines. Notable correspondents include Arthur Danto, Robert Storr, June Wayne, and Howard Zinn. Single items of correspondence are from Kerry James Marshall, Henry Miller, Robert Motherwell, and Ben Shahn.

Writings include manuscripts of unpublished novels and short stories, autobiographical writings, recordings of dreams, introductions to artists, a journal, memorials, project proposals, statements on art and politics, notes from Mesches' psychotherapy sessions, as well as numerous outlines, fragments, and notes.

Gallery and exhibition files document dozens of Mesches' gallery and museum exhibitions, including his 2013 retrospective at Miami Dade College, Arnold Mesches: A Life's Work.

Project files consist of grant files, activism files, project notebooks, and art projects. Activism files pertain to the Los Angeles Peace Tower, Arts Coalition for Freedom of Expression, and the pardon of muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros. Project notebooks contain preliminary sketches, technical notes including color palette and paint formulas, Polaroids of in-process works, and source material. Over 100 art project files further detail individual works, and include preliminary drawings in pen, pencil and charcoal, as well as collages, source material, and Polaroids. Several of Mesches' serial works are well represented here, including Anomie, Comings Attractions, and The FBI Files.

Subject files consist of a sequence of alphabetical files maintained by Mesches as reference material. Teaching files document posts at New York University and other institutions and include course descriptions, lists of materials, course notes, newsletters, reference articles, and correspondence.

Personal business records include documentation related to donations, Mesches' estate, gallery representation, inventories, properties, artwork shipment, supplies, and website design.

Printed material documents Mesches' career as both political illustrator and fine artist. Found here are brochures, leaflets, and Frontier and The Nation magazines featuring illustrations by Mesches. Calendars, newsletters, clippings, announcements, exhibition catalogs, and press releases document Mesches' gallery and museum exhibitions.

Photographic material includes hundreds of photographic prints, contact sheets, slides, and negatives of Arnold Mesches, Mesches' family and friends, studio, and artworks from his seven decade long career.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as ten series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1960s-2012 (0.2 linear feet, Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1949-2014 (0.8 linear feet, Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1958-2013 (1.1 linear feet, Box 2-3)

Series 4: Gallery and Exhibition Files, 1979-2015 (0.8 linear feet, Box 3)

Series 5: Project Files, 1950s-2014 (5.3 linear feet, Box 3-8, 15, OV 16-19)

Series 6: Subject Files, 1939-2000s (1.3 linear feet, Box 8-9)

Series 7: Teaching Files, 1992-2004 (0.2 linear feet, Box 9-10)

Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1983-2015 (0.5 linear feet, Box 10)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1950s-2000s (1.5 linear feet, Box 10-11, 15, OV 20)

Series 10: Photographic Material, 1940s-2010s (1.9 linear feet, Box 12-15)
Biographical / Historical:
Arnold Mesches (1923-2016) was a painter in New York, New York and Gainesville, Florida. Born in the Bronx and raised in upstate Dunkirk, New York, Mesches studied advertising design in high school before moving to Los Angeles in 1943 to study art at the Jepson Art Institute and Chouinard Art Institute.

Mesches began his career as a scenic painter for Hollywood while honing his own style as a fine artist and illustrator influenced by the political landscape and social realism. As a result of his political activity and involvement in the Communist Party, the FBI opened a file on Mesches in the 1950s, and began tracking his activities. The file, obtained by Mesches through a Freedom of Information Act request in 1999, became the basis for one of his most famous series, The FBI Files.

Throughout his life, Mesches was a socially-oriented figurative painter working in an expressionist style, mining the daily news and the current political landscape for subject matter, including the Cold War, the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and the Vietnam War. Mesches was also one of the organizers of the 1966 Peace Tower artwork in Los Angeles and contributed illustrations to Frontier magazine throughout the 1950s, and The Nation magazine from 1960s-1980s.

In the early 1980s, Mesches relocated to New York City with wife, novelist Jill Ciment.

Mesches held several teaching posts over the course of his career, including at the New School, New York University, and the University of Florida.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives of American Art in 2017 by Jill Ciment, Mesches' widow.
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.
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:
Painters -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Painters -- Florida  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Political aspects  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painting -- Technique  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Interviews  Search this
Photographs  Search this
Transcripts  Search this
Genre/Form:
Collages
Diaries
Drawings
Sketches
Citation:
Arnold Mesches papers, 1939-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.mescarno
See more items in:
Arnold Mesches papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9415d73fe-0b7a-41fc-a1a6-7ac35ec38ac6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-mescarno
Online Media:

Safety is not promised Ellen Knudson

Book artist:
Knudson, Ellen  Search this
Author:
Smithsonian Libraries Artists' Books DSI  Search this
Publisher:
Crooked Letter Press  Search this
Physical description:
1 volume (unpaged) 12 cm
Type:
Specimens
Poetry
Art
Poésie
Spécimens
Letterpress prints
Maze books
Photopolymer prints
Slipcases
Artists' books
Artists' books (books).)
visual poetry
Visual poetry
Concrete poetry
Accordion fold format
Limitation statements
Poésie visuelle
Livres d'artistes
Place:
Florida
Gainesville
United States
Parkland
États-Unis
Floride
Gainsville
Date:
2018
21st century
21e siècle
Topic:
Artists' books  Search this
Parkland Shooting, Parkland, Fla., 2018  Search this
School shootings  Search this
Gun control  Search this
Firearms ownership  Search this
Firearms in art  Search this
Violence in art  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Armes à feu--Contrôle  Search this
Armes à feu--Possession  Search this
Armes à feu dans l'art  Search this
Violence dans l'art  Search this
Politique dans l'art  Search this
Livres d'artistes  Search this
Visual poetry  Search this
Concrete poetry  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1157960

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