The papers of California artist, curator, and educator Bruria Finkel measure 15.3 linear feet and 83.815 GB, and date from 1953 to 2021. This collection includes biographical materials, correspondence, writings, project files, professional records, exhibition files, artists' files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, photographic materials, and sound and video recordings.
There is a 3.2 linear foot and .225 GB unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 and 2022 that includes photographs, film photo slides and slides of works of art; printed material; biographical material; research material regarding papermaking in Japan; journals; project and exhibition files; interviews with Bruria and others on audio cassette, mini DVs and ¼ inch reels; and 16 mm film "Bruria" sequence from Art in America Part 5- Art Careers; and a video, Artist Talk with Bruria Finkel, October 21, 2021, created by the Southern California Women Caucus for the Arts for Third Thursday Artist Talk Time. Material dates from circa 1960-2021.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of California artist, curator, and educator Bruria Finkel measure 15.3 linear feet and 83.815 GB, and date from 1953 to 2021. This collection includes biographical materials, correspondence, writings, project files, professional records, exhibition files, artists' files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, photographic materials, and sound and video recordings.
Biographical materials include curriculum vitae, art portfolios, documents about studios, honors and awards, website designs and contents, travel documents, family-related video recordings, and miscellaneous items.
The bulk of the correspondence consists of professional correspondence with artists, curators, museums, and galleries about exhibitions. There is some personal correspondence with friends and family.
Writings include an annotated appointment calendar, book proposals, notes, and typescript drafts of statements and articles by Bruria Finkel, along with some writing by others.
Project files include correspondence, proposals, designs, photographic material, notes, budgets, reports, invoices, and printed and digital materials. Notable projects include the Natural Elements Sculpture Park, Tibet Project, and Verona Hotel Wall.
Professional records document Finkel's feminist and political activities. There are membership records of organizations, councils, and committees in addition to files on symposiums, conferences, workshops, and artist residencies. This series includes reports, correspondence, grant applications, mailing lists, presentations, video cassettes and digital video recordings, and other material.
Exhibition files contain material related to exhibitions that featured Bruria Finkel's work as well as exhibitions she curated. There are press releases, reviews, catalogs, correspondence, photographs, digital photographs, slides, price lists, resumes, videocassettes, and digital video recordings. Major exhibitions include Across Time, Space and The Ages (1992-1993), On Xenophobia and Walls (1997), and Women Artists of Southern California Then and Now (2007).
Artists' files consist of limited correspondence, resumes, photographs, and printed and digital materials.
Personal business records include assorted financial and legal documents such as price lists, sales invoices, contracts, and a financial ledger.
Printed material consists of exhibition catalogs, announcements, clippings, newspapers, magazines, documentaries, and news programs. Some of the materials are in digital format. Most of the material is related to Bruria Finkel, but there is some material on other artists and subjects.
Photographic materials include photographs, digital photographs, and slides. Photographs are of Bruria Finkel, her artwork, projects, and exhibitions. There are some photographs of family, friends, and travel.
There is a 3.2 linear foot and .225 GB unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 and 2022 that includes photographs, film photo slides and slides of works of art; printed material; biographical material; research material regarding papermaking in Japan; journals; project and exhibition files; interviews with Bruria and others on audio cassette, mini DVs and ¼ inch reels; and 16 mm film "Bruria" sequence from Art in America Part 5- Art Careers; and a video, Artist Talk with Bruria Finkel, October 21, 2021, created by the Southern California Women Caucus for the Arts for Third Thursday Artist Talk Time. Material dates from circa 1960-2021.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1977-circa 2014 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1, 15.64 GB; ER01-ER13)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1953-2014 (2.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)
Series 3: Writings, 1978-circa 2010 (0.2 linear feet; Box 4)
Series 4: Project Files, 1979-2014 (2.1 linear feet; Boxes 4-6, OV 14, 2.01 GB; ER14-ER20)
Series 5: Professional Records, 1971-2013 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 6-7, OV 14, 0.941 GB; ER21-ER22)
Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1972-2012 (3.2 linear feet; Boxes 7-10, OV 15, 54.34 GB; ER23-ER49)
Series 7: Artists' Files, 1979-2013 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 10-11, 4.47 GB; ER50-ER55)
Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1977-2007 (0.2 linear feet; Box 11)
Series 9: Printed Materials, 1970-2014 (1 linear feet; Boxes 11-12, OV 15-16, 1.01 GB; ER56-ER58)
Series 10: Photographic Materials, circa 1963-2014 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 12-13, 5.18 GB; ER59-ER66)
Series 11: Unprocessed Addition, 2021 and 2022 (Boxes 17-19, OV 20-21, .225 GB)
Biographical / Historical:
Bruria Finkel (1932-) is an artist, curator and teacher based in Santa Monica, California.
Bruria Finkel was born in Jerusalem in 1932. She studied animal husbandry at Ayanot Agriculture School and received a teaching degree from Seminar Hakibutzim in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 1953, she married a musician and immigrated to the U.S. Their two daughters were born in New York City. In 1959, she divorced and moved to Santa Monica, California with her children. She later married David Finkel, a civil rights lawyer who went on to become a Superior Court judge, with whom she had a son and daughter.
Finkel works with a variety of mediums including pottery, paper, painting, porcelain, and sculpture. She has exhibited widely and her work has been featured in galleries and museums in California, across the country, and abroad. Major exhibitions include Across Time, Space and The Ages (1992-1993) at the Dusseldorf Stadtmuseum in Germany, On Xenophobia and Walls (1997) at the Mill Gallery in England, and The Complete Aleph Series (2009) at Track 16 Gallery in California.
In addition to being a prolific artist, Finkel also has a successful career as a curator. She has curated major exhibitions featuring artists such as Lita Albuquerque, John Baldessari, and Frank Gehry. Santa Monica Originals (2004-2005), Women Artists of Southern California Then and Now (2007), and Breaking in Two: Provocative Images of Motherhood (2012) are a few of the exhibitions she has curated.
Finkel has a long history of political activism and advocating for women. She helped establish the Santa Monica Arts Commission which is dedicated to creating city art programs. She is also a founding member of the Los Angeles County of Women Artists and Womenspace Gallery in Los Angeles. She continues to be actively involved in the Santa Monica community and art scene.
Provenance:
The Bruria Finkel papers were donated in 2015 and 2020-2022 by Bruria Finkel.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings and born-digital records 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.
Letters dated between 1917 and 1919, mostly discussing the offer of Chinese art objects by the Shanghai based dealer Seaouke Yue (You Xiaoxi)
游篠溪
Freer collection numbers: F1904.61
Letters between Charles Lang Freer and Seaouke Yue (You Xiaoxi)
Arrangement:
Organized chronologically under correspondent.
Biographical / Historical:
Charels Lang Freer first met Yue in 1917. Yue had travelled to New York with items from the collection of Pang Yuanji, an important Shanghai collector who met Freer in 1911. Over the next two years, Freer purchased a number of important works of Chinese painting, jades, pottery and bronzes from Yue.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.01 02.1Yue
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Comprehensive index of Charles Lang Freer's library, mostly relating to art and Asian culture. Headings include authors, countries, and topical subjects. Sections include locations in Freer's original Detroit home; an index of all books transferred to the Smithsonian; a list of collections and collectors catalogues of American and Near and Far Eastern art; sales catalogues, and books in Chinese language.
Arrangement:
Organized in the original manner by the creator.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.01 05.22
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Art, Asian -- Collectors and collecting Search this
Art, American -- Collectors and collecting Search this
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Clarke, Thomas B. (Thomas Benedict), 1848-1931 Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1880-1936
Scope and Contents note:
Book 1 (1880-1884, 73 pages) consists of clippings regarding art news and events, the National Academy of Design's Clarke award, coverage of private art collections and auctions, exhibition openings, artists, art related charity events, and art museums and societies. There is one booklet of the Lincoln Club's charter and by-laws, and additional miscellaneous printed material related to the Century Association, Motto Club, Rembrandt Club, Merchants Club, Art Club, and Union League Club.
Book 2 (1883-1884, 241 pages) contains an index of artists in the Clarke art collection. It lists the titles of works owned and includes artists' biographical information and clippings regarding specific works of art. Coverage related to the National Academy of Design's Clarke prize, including the 1883 fundraising exhibition of the Clarke collection, is also included.
Book 3 (1887-1889, 27 pages) consists of clippings regarding art news and events, exhibition openings, and artists, including Vasily Vereshchagin and Antoine Louis-Barye. There is also news coverage of the New York Athletic Club.
Book 4 (1889-1891, 70 pages) consists of clippings regarding the art related and general activities of the Union League and New York Athletic clubs. There is also news coverage of Clarke's art collection.
Book 5 (1891-1894, 242 pages) includes clippings regarding Clarke's art collection and the Clarke Prize, the opening of Clarke's "Art House" in Manhattan, New York, the 1891 Clarke exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the 1892 Columbian Loan Exhibition, and the 1893 Worlds' Columbian Exhibition. There is one annotated catalog of the 1894 A.H. Wyant Collection at the 5th Avenue Art Galleries, and news coverage of art auctions, exhibition openings, and events at the Union League, New York Athletic, Metropolitan, and Lambs clubs.
Book 6 (1891-1902, 234 pages) consists of clippings regarding the art and auction sales of Greek, Continental, Persian, and Oriental antiquities, rugs, and porcelains. There is also coverage of the Clarke collection and exhibition openings.
Book 7 (1894-1898, 337 pages) includes coverage of Clarke's support of Justice Frederick Smyth, his parents' 50th anniversary celebration, his daughter's society introduction reception, the theft of silverware from his residence, and events at the Rembrandt, Lotos, Colonial, Manhattan, New York Athletic, Heights, and Century clubs. Extensive coverage is given to the Lambs and Union League Clubs, including several art exhibition catalogs. Clippings covering art related events and news are also included.
Book 8 (1894-1920, 198 pages) consists of clippings related to George Inness, including obituaries and remembrances, announcements of the Inness memorial exhibition, and coverage of the Inness 1895 estate auction sale. A catalog of the 1895 auction sale, copies of correspondence between Inness and Clarke, two original photographs of Inness' studio, and additional auction sales lists from 1904 and 1911 are also included.
Book 9 (1899-1900, 175 pages) includes coverage of events at the Brooklyn, Clover, Democratic, Lincoln, and Manhattan clubs, with extensive coverage given to the Lambs and Union League clubs. Clippings covering the Clarke Prize, Paris Exposition, Dewey Arch, the private art collection of William T. Evans, and the non-segregation policies of the New York School of Applied Design for Women are also included.
Book 10 (1899-1936, 326 pages) consists primarily of coverage of the 1899 Clarke art auction to fund the National Academy of Design's Clarke prize. Articles describe highlights in the 375 piece collection and provide coverage and analysis of the sales at the American Art Association galleries. Printed announcements of the auction and a copy of the auction catalog are included. From 1910-1930, there are clippings regarding the art of Winslow Homer, Albert Ryder, and George Stuart. From 1912-1936, there are articles on George Stuart's paintings of Washington, clippings regarding the exhibition of Clarke's collection of American portraits from the 17th-19th century, and the 1936 purchase of this collection by Knoedler and Company.
Book 11 (1900-1902, 173 pages) consists of coverage of Clarke's Hampton cottage, his daughter's marriage and divorce suit, and events at the Manhattan, Lambs, and Union League clubs. Clippings related to the playwright Charles Hoyt, the New York School of Design for Women, the Academy of Design annual exhibition, and various charity benefits and art auctions are also included.
Book 12 (1899-1918, 98 pages) is a book of clippings regarding William Tilden Evans, a contemporary art collector and friend of Clarke's. It includes coverage and analysis of Evans' 1900 art collection auction, prices paid, and printed materials related to the auction sale. Later material includes a catalog of Evans' exhibition at the Union League Club in 1903, clippings regarding Evans' suit against the art dealer William Clausen from 1908-1910, a second art auction in 1913, Evans' creditor's suit against artists in 1917, and obituaries and remembrances of Evans in 1918.
Arrangement note:
The original chronological arrangement has been retained, which does not match the order of filming.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of originals requires an appointment. Patrons must use microfilm copy due to fragility of the original scrapbooks.
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:
Thomas Benedict Clarke scrapbooks, 1880-1936, bulk 1883-1920. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
An interview of Marek Cecula conducted 2009 May 19-20, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Cecula's studio, in New York, New York.
Marek Cecula speaks of his childhood in Kielce, Poland, during World War II; his move to Israel at age 16; studies with ceramists Gdula Ogen and Jean Mayer; the influence of Japanese ceramics on his early studies; life on the kibbutz HaSolelim in the late 1960s and early 1970s; the influence of Kurt and Gerda Spurey and their use of porcelain and slip-casting; his work in both functional and sculptural ceramics; his move to Tel Aviv in early 1970s, then to a commune in Binyamina in 1971; his move to Curitiba, Brazil, and subsequent work with Schmidt porcelain factory; "Art Project 79" exhibition, La Jola, Curitiba, Brazil, 1979; his move to Washington, D.C., with girlfriend (later wife) Lanie in 1976; Klepisko (2008); the cyclical nature in his work; move to New York City in late 1970s; the Soho arts scene in the 1970s and '80s; his work blending design and sculpture; establishing Contemporary Porcelain gallery, 1978; interest in work by Memphis Group, Peter Shire, Jack Earl, Ken Price, and Ron Nagle; head of ceramics department, at Parsons School of Design, New York City (1985-2004); continued design and production work, including for Tiffany & Co. and Barneys New York; establishment of Modus Design firm; continued exploration of industrial processes and use of decals in his work; influence of Howard Kottler; his quest to balance digital and handmade processes, and the continued importance of the tactile; "Scatology" exhibition; series Hygiene, his first purely sculptural series; Porcelain Carpet; representation at Garth Clark Gallery (New York City, Los Angeles, and Kansas City, Missouri); series Violations; series Mutants; series Industrial Interference; "Interface" exhibition (2002), in response to terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; Look Into My Mind; The Stand For the Heroes, 2001; series Beauty of Imperfection; move to Poland in early 2000s; a teaching/artistic position at Bergen National Academy of Arts, Norway; establishment of Design Centrum Kielce in late 2000s; Menorah, 2007, Kielce (site-specific); Six Stations, 2007, Porsgrunn, Norway (site-specific); future projects for the city of Kielce; work with the Łódź Design Festival, Poland, and design center in Cieszyn, Poland; "kilo of earth" product; Last Supper; Mandala; Islam; limitations and advantages of ceramics as a medium; his globalized, multicultural experiences and outlook; the European vanguard in ceramics; periodicals and publications of interest; writers of interest: Edmund de Waal, Jorunn Veiteberg, Janet Koplos; the "desire society"; curating Third Biennale for Israeli Ceramics, 2004; fusion art, craft, and design; "Object Factory: The Art of Industrial Ceramics," Gardiner Museum, Toronto, 2008; redefinition of the concept of the object.
Biographical / Historical:
Marek Cecula (1944- ) is a ceramist and designer, who lives and works in New York and Poland.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 10 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 55 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
Thomas Tucker's pattern books, 1832-1838, including designs, receipes for colors and porcelain; price books, 1826-1846; 20th century clippings; letters from descendents; and letterbooks of Benjamin Tucker, 1823-1831, relating to the manufacture of porcelain by his son, William Ellis Tucker.
Biographical / Historical:
Porcelain designers and manufactures; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Benjamin Tucker was a merchant who imported plain china. His son, William Ellis Tucker, painted it. In 1828, William and his brother, Thomas, began their own porcelain manufacturing company. In 1832, they were joined by Judge Hamphill, an established Philadelphia manufacturer. The business closed in 1838.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming, 1954, by the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Ceramicists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Manufacturers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Topic:
Porcelain -- 19th century -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Porcelain industry -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
