Search Results

Collection Creator:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art  Search this

Container:

Box 6, Folder 32

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

September 1980-November 1980

Scope and Contents note:

Alice Adams

Marisa Alexander

Pat Acona

Siah Armajani

Alice Aycock

Peter Berg

Tony Berlant

Melvin Charney

Michael Davis

Donna Dennis

Rayomn Elozua

Harriet Feigenbaum

Jackie Ferrara

Richard Fleischner

Akiko Fujita

Cristos Gianakos

George Grant

Lloyd Hamrol

Suzanne Harris

Audrey Hemenway

Nancy Holt

Michael Hurson

Will Insley

Cletus Johnson

Don Johnson

Collection Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

The Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Collection Citation:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records, 1973-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation.

See more items in:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records / Series 5: Exhibitions and Programs / 5.2: Exhibition Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-losangin-ref386

Creator:

Federal Art Project. Photographic Division  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project (N.Y.)  Search this

Federal Art Project (Wash.)  Search this

Federal Art Project -- Photographs  Search this

Federal Art Project. Easel Division  Search this

Federal Art Project. Graphic Arts Division  Search this

Federal Art Project. Poster Division  Search this

Federal Music Project (U.S.) -- Photographs  Search this

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.) -- Photographs  Search this

Federal Writers' Project (U.S.) -- Photographs  Search this

Harlem Art Center  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this

Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977  Search this

Arenal, Luis  Search this

Barthé, Richmond, 1901-1989  Search this

Benson, John Howard, 1901-1956  Search this

Berger, Andrew  Search this

Blanch, Lucile, 1895-1981  Search this

Bloch, Lucienne, 1909-1999  Search this

Bolotowsky, Ilya, 1907-1981  Search this

Brann, Louise, 1906-  Search this

Burke, Selma, 1900-  Search this

Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this

Calapai, Letterio, 1902-1993  Search this

Chodorow, Eugene, 1910-2000  Search this

Criss, Francis, 1901-1973  Search this

Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this

De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this

Dehn, Adolf, 1895-1968  Search this

Dehn, Virginia E. (Virginia Engleman), 1922-2005  Search this

Ennis, George Pearse, d. 1936  Search this

Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this

Gershoy, Eugenie, 1901?-1983 or 6  Search this

Goodman, Bertram, 1904-1988  Search this

Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this

Greenwood, Marion, 1909-1970  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Herman, Andrew  Search this

Hord, Donal, 1902-1966  Search this

Horn, Sol  Search this

Hovell, Joseph, 1897-  Search this

Karp, William, 1905-  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this

Laning, Edward, 1906-1981  Search this

Levi, Julian E. (Julian Edwin), 1900-1982  Search this

McMahon, Audrey, 1900?-1981  Search this

Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this

Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this

Robbins, David  Search this

Seltzer, Leo, 1916-  Search this

Shuster, Will  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Extent:

12.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

circa 1920-1965

bulk 1935-1942

Summary:

The Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection dates from circa 1920-1965, with the bulk of the records spanning the active years of the Federal Art Project (FAP), 1935-1942. The collection comprises 12.4 linear feet of mostly photographic prints and negatives that document primarily artwork produced by artists employed by the FAP. A smaller number of photographs also document other programs of the FAP, such as art classes and community centers, exhibitions by children and adults, artwork installed in public buildings, project divisions, and demonstrations of art processes by FAP artists.

Scope and Content Note:

The Federal Art Project (FAP), Photographic Division collection dates from circa 1920-1965, with the bulk of the records spanning the active years of the FAP: 1935-1942. The collection comprises 12.4 linear feet of photographic prints and negatives, including photos of FAP artists and the artwork created by them, and other activities of the FAP in communities throughout New York City and other states. Photographers include Andrew Herman, Sol Horn, David Robbins, Leo Seltzer, and others.

Artist files comprise three-quarters of the collection and consist primarily of photographs of artwork, as well as scattered photos of artists at work, including: Charles Alston, Luis Arenal, Richmond Barthe, John Benson, Andrew Berger, Lucille Blanch, Lucienne Bloch, Ilya Bolotowsky, Luise Brann, Selma Burke, Letterio Calapai, Eugene Chodorow, Francis Criss, Stuart Davis, Adolf Dehn, Virginia Dehn, Jose de Rivera, George Pearse Ennis, Philip Evergood, Eugenie Gershoy, Bertram Goodman, Arshile Gorky, Marion Greenwood, Philip Guston, Donal Hord, Joseph Hovell, William Karp, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Edward Laning, Julian Levi, Audrey McMahon, Elizabeth Olds, Anton Refregier, Will Shuster, William Zorach, and others.

The remainder of the collection consists of files documenting related activities and programs of the FAP, arranged by subject. The bulk of these files document the activities of the New York City FAP, including free art classes and art exhibitions for adults and children, exhibitions at the Harlem Art Center, and the work of FAP branches including the Easel Division, the Graphic Arts Division, and the Poster Division.

Other subjects documented include federal and community art centers in eleven states, most extensively Washington State; other WPA projects such as the Federal Theater Project, the Federal Music Project, and the Federal Writers' Project; buildings decorated with FAP artwork; art processes as demonstrated by FAP artists; special events; and people involved with the FAP, including director Holger Cahill.

One folder contains images that appear to have been taken by Berenice Abbott for the exhibition Changing New York (1935), for the Museum of the City of New York in collaboration with the WPA.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 2 series:

Series 1: Artist Files, circa 1920-1965 (Boxes 1-24; 9.6 linear feet)

Series 2: Subject Files, 1934-1956 (Boxes 25-32; 2.8 linear feet)

Historical Note:

The Federal Art Project (FAP) was one of the Depression-era work-relief programs of the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The program was founded in August 1935 to provide employment for artists and to implement visual arts programs in local communities across the country.

Together with the Federal Music Project, the Federal Theater Project, and the Federal Writers' Project, the FAP formed part of the WPA's Federal Project No. 1. The WPA became the Work Projects Administration in 1939 when it fell under the administrative hand of the newly created Federal Works Agency; concurrently the Federal Art Project was officially re-named the Federal Art Program.

Under the direction of Holger Cahill, the goals of the FAP fell into three main areas: production of artwork, art education through art classes and community centers, and art research through the Index of American Design. During the course of the program, artists created murals and other works of art for many non-Federal government buildings such as schools, hospitals, and libraries. Separate photographic divisions were set up in several states, most notably in New York City, to document the work of artists employed by the program, activities in art education such as classes for children and adults, community center outreach programs, and other "Federal 1" projects, including the Federal Theater and Music Projects. Employees of the photographic division were also involved in other assignments, such as creating exhibitions and photo murals.

The Federal Art Project ended in 1943.

Related Material:

Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are related collections, including the Federal Art Project of the Work Projects Administration records, 1935-1948. Additional FAP records are held by the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington D.C.

Provenance:

The collection was anonymously donated to the Archives of American Art in the late 1950s.

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 Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection is owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Children's art  Search this

Photography  Search this

Art -- United States -- Exhibitions -- Photographs  Search this

Art -- United States -- Study and teaching -- Photographs  Search this

Art centers  Search this

Federal aid to the public welfare -- Photographs  Search this

Theater and state -- United States -- Photographs  Search this

Music and state -- United States -- Photographs  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- Photographs  Search this

Art and state -- United States -- Photographs  Search this

Art -- Technique  Search this

Artists -- United States -- Photographs  Search this

Art -- Exhibitions  Search this

Hispanic American artists  Search this

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Citation:

Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection, circa 1920-1965, bulk 1935-1942. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and The Walton Family Foundation

Identifier:

AAA.fedeartp14

See more items in:

Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-fedeartp14

Creator:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art  Search this

Names:

Marks, Ben  Search this

Plagens, Peter  Search this

Smith, Robert Lewis  Search this

Spence, Judy  Search this

Extent:

18 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Photographs

Slides (photographs)

Date:

1973-1988

Summary:

The records of the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art measure 18 linear feet, date from 1973 to 1988, and document the brief thirteen-year history of LAICA's activities as a Southern California visual arts organization and exhibition space for contemporary art. Records detail the founding of the organization, operations and administration, exhibitions, events, and publications. More than half of the collection is comprised of exhibition, program, and event files that include correspondence with artists, curators, and others; printed materials; and photographs, negatives, and slides.

Scope and Content Note:

The Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records measure 18 linear feet, date from 1973 to 1988, and document the founding of the organization, board activities, general operations and administration, exhibitions, programs, events, and publications.

Founding documents and Board of Director's files contained in the collection include the articles of confederation, by-laws, constitution, director's reports, board meeting minutes, and scattered correspondence of Peter Plagens and Judy Spence, both of whom served as Chair of the Board. These records detail the mission, organization, objectives, and goals of LAICA.

More than half of the records are comprised of exhibition, program, and event files covering LAICA's entire history of operation. Included are exhibition announcements and catalogs; correspondence with artists, curators, and organizers; press releases and other publicity; grant applications and proposals; and photographs, contact sheets, negatives, and slides which depict the exhibition's installation and works of art.

Two series of photographs and slides provide additional visual documentation of LAICA's exhibitions and events, including the installations and work of LAICA's Artists-in-Residence program. Slides depicting LAICA's buildings, offices, and staff activities are also found.

LAICA's production of its publications, including material related to their regular periodical, Journal, is well-documented through correspondence, manuscripts, and editorial files. Also found are unedited transcripts of interviews and material that was not used for publication. Meeting minutes and correspondence represent the activities of the publication committee from the mid 1970s to 1987.

The correspondence of LAICA directors Robert Smith (18 folders) and Ben Marks (one folder) contain information on almost all of the organization's activities, including exhibitions, events, funding, staffing, and general operations. General Operations files include Administrative Files and Financial Files that document members and donors, staff, financial activities, fundraising efforts, income, expenses, and grants.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 8 series.

Slides were separated from Series 1-6, and filed in Series 8 for better preservation housing.

Series 1: Board of Directors, 1973-1987 (Box 1; 0.5 linear feet )

Series 2: Correspondence, early 1970s-1987 (Boxes 1-2; 0.75 linear feet )

Series 3: General Operations, 1974-1988, undated (Boxes 2-3; 1.25 linear feet)

Series 4: Publicity, 1974-1986 (Box 3; 15 folders)

Series 5: Exhibitions and Programs, 1974-1987 (Boxes 3-13; 9.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Publications, 1974-1987 (Boxes 13-15; 2.75 linear feet)

Series 7: Photographs, mid-1970s-1983 (Box 15; 11 folders)

Series 8: Slides, 1974-1987 (Boxes 16-18; 3.0 linear feet)

Historical Note:

The Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art was formed between 1973-1974 to provide a permanent exhibition venue for the visual contemporary arts in the Los Angeles area. The founding principle was to establish an arts organization that operated democratically and spoke with a multiplicity of voices. In order to remain flexible and minimize operating expense, LAICA did not establish a permanent collection.

Members of the Board of Directors included Peter Alexander, John Baldessari, Rosamund Felsen, Peter Plagens, Judy Spence, and other artists, gallery owners, and members of the art community. Committees that supervised exhibition programming and LAICA's published Journal were elected by members, and the duties of exhibition curator and periodical editor rotated among members, rather than being the responsibility of permanent staff. A registry of slides and biographical materials, begun in 1971, was open to submission by any Southern California artist. LAICA's first exhibitions were held in the fall of 1974, under founding director Robert Smith, a former curator at the Brand Library and Art Center in Glendale, California. The first issue of Journal was published in June of the same year.

LAICA's first exhibition space consisted of 4,200 square feet on the fifth floor of the Century City complex. During the mid-1970s, the organization hosted numerous exhibitions and events - all were were well attended, despite the lack of parking and restrooms. Exhibitions focused on a wide variety of contemporary painting, sculpture, decorative arts, fashion, performance art, video, music, architecture, social issues, and public art. Exhibitions were curated by both LAICA staff and guest curators, including Walter Hopps. Desiring to expand their space, LAICA had hopes of Frank Gehry redesigning the Century City space. The institute, however, was forced to relocate after losing their lease.

In March of 1977, LAICA reopened in an 8,000 square foot facility on 2020 South Robertson Boulevard. In addition to their public programming, the organization created an Artist-in-Residence program with funding made available by the Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA). By the end of the 1970s, LAICA was flourishing with increased budget and staff, and, by 1980, opened a second exhibition space at 815 Traction Avenue, referred to as the "Downtown Gallery." An additional storefront exhibition space in the Eastern Columbia building was donated by State Senator Alan Sieroty.

A decrease in public funding in the early 1980s forced LAICA to cut some of its public programs. The organization, however, still staged ambitious exhibitions, including one of contemporary Italian art that traveled to nine different venues, and a show of nine contemporary Australian artists in connection with the 1984 Olympics Art Festival.

Robert Smith resigned from his position as director in early 1985. Ben Marks, the former director of the Center of Contemporary Art in Seattle, was hired that summer. By March of 1986, however, Marks had resigned and the Board of Directors decided to sell LAICA's South Robertson location. Faced with financial burdens and the lack of a permanent exhibition space, LAICA staged exhibits at temporary spaces around Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art officially closed in 1987 after thirteen years of operation.

Related Material:

Found in the Archives of American Art are the Peter Plagens papers, 1941-1987, which include meeting minutes and correspondence relating to LAICA.

Provenance:

The bulk of the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records were donated by Judy Spence, the former Chair of the LAICA Board of Directors, in 1986. Additional material was donated in 1997 by her husband, Stuart Spence.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Painters  Search this

Topic:

Sculptors  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Photographers  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- California, Southern -- Exhibitions  Search this

Art centers -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Photographs

Slides (photographs)

Citation:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records, 1973-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.losangin

See more items in:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-losangin

Collection Creator:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art  Search this

Container:

Box 6, Folder 33

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

September 1980-November 1980

Collection Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

The Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Collection Citation:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records, 1973-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation.

See more items in:

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records

Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art records / Series 5: Exhibitions and Programs / 5.2: Exhibition Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-losangin-ref1634

Creator:

Ankrum Gallery  Search this

Names:

Art Dealers Association of America  Search this

Black Arts Council (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

California Arts Council  Search this

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden  Search this

Krannert Art Museum  Search this

Laguna Art Museum (Laguna Beach, Calif.)  Search this

Paramount Pictures  Search this

San Diego Museum of Art  Search this

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

Storm King Art Center  Search this

Almaraz, Carlos  Search this

Andrews, Benny, 1930-2006  Search this

Ankrum, Joan  Search this

Bauer, Richard, 1944-  Search this

Block, Irving  Search this

Broderson, Morris, 1928-2011  Search this

Caryl, Naomi  Search this

Casey, Bernie  Search this

Duveneck, Frank, 1848-1919  Search this

Feitelson, Lorser, 1898-1978  Search this

Groth, Bruno  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this

Herschler, David  Search this

Hirsch, Joseph, 1910-1981  Search this

Hirshhorn, Olga  Search this

Homer, Jessie  Search this

Jackson, Suzanne, 1944-  Search this

Johnson, Buffie  Search this

Lundeberg, Helen, 1908-1999  Search this

Mesches, Arnold, 1923-  Search this

Miller, Henry, 1891-  Search this

Palm Springs Desert Museum  Search this

Schuler, Melvin  Search this

Secunda, Arthur  Search this

Shores, Kenneth, 1928-  Search this

Varda, Jean  Search this

Zev  Search this

Extent:

41.5 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Date:

circa 1900-circa 1990s

bulk 1960-1990

Summary:

The Ankrum Gallery records measure 41.5 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to circa 1990s, with the bulk of the records dating from 1960 to 1990. The papers include over 395 artists files, general gallery correspondence, project files, administrative records, exhibition files, collector and client files, financial material, printed material, 1 unbound scrapbook, and photographs. Also included are personal papers of gallery founder Joan Ankrum and her nephew, artist Morris Broderson.

Scope and Contents:

The Ankrum Gallery records measure 41.5 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to circa 1990s, with the bulk of the records dating from 1960 to 1990. The papers include over 395 artists files, general gallery correspondence, project files, administrative records, exhibition files, collector and client files, financial material, printed material, 1 unbound scrapbook, and photographs. Also included are personal papers of gallery founder Joan Ankrum and her nephew, artist Morris Broderson.

General correspondence is with artists, museums, collectors, and clients, and generally concerns sales, exhibitions, and consignments. Correspondents include Irving Block, Morris Broderson, Naomi Caryl, Suzanne Jackson, Joseph and Olga Hirshhorn, among many others. Correspondence is also found in the artists files and the collector/client files.

Project files document various events, benefits, and projects undertaken by the gallery, including a UNICEF benefit, "Up Against Hunger," the Exceptional Children's foundation, and the Young Art Patrons.

Administrative files document many activities of the gallery, such as the gallery's and Joan Ankrum's membership in the Black Arts Council, the California Arts Council, and the Art Dealers Association of California of which Joan Ankrum was a primary organizer. Also found are publicity files, a file on the history of the gallery, leases, floor plans, insurance documents, lists of graphics for sale, and other miscellany.

Exhbition files appear to be incomplete, but do include files for Huichol Indian's art, "The Art of African Peoples" (1973), "Five Contemporary Mexican Painters" (1977), Ethiopian Folk Painting (1978), San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild All Media Exhibition (1982), "25th Anniversary Exhibition" (1985), among several others.

Extensive artists' files include correspondence, price lists, photographs and slides,resumes and biographical material, and sales invoices. Files are found for Benny Andrews, Carlos Almaraz, Richard Bauer, Irving Block, Naomi Caryl, Bernie Casey, Frank Duveneck, Lorser Feitelson, Bruno Groth, David Herschler, Jessie Homer, Suzanne Jackson, Buffie Johnson, Samella Lewis, Helen Lundeberg, Arnold Mesches, Henry Miller, Melvin Schuler, Arthur Secunda, Ken Shores, Jean Varda, and Zev, among many others. The Pat Alexander and Andy Nelson files also contain motion picture film.

Collector and client files document the gallery's relationship with over 115 collectors, museums, and art centers. Files may include correspondence and sales records and are found for Edith Halpert, Olga and Joseph Hirshhorn and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Krannert Art Museum, Laguna Art Museum, Palm Spring Desert Museum, Paramount Pictures, San Diego Museum of Art, Staempfli Gallery, and Storm King Art Center, among many others.

Financial material documents sales through numbered invoices, consignments, loans, and insurance valuations. Printed material consists of exhibition catalogs and announcements, bulletins, periodicals, and newspaper clippings. One unbound scrapbook contains clippings and exhibition materials.

Photographs are of artwork, artists, and gallery openings. Additional photographs are found in the artists' files.

Joan Wheeler Ankrum personal papers document her personal and professional relationship with family, artists, and collectors. They include correspondence, personal writings, personal financial materials, printed material and loose scrapbook materials, family photographs and photographs of her as an actress, and artwork from various artists.

The papers of artist Morris Broderson, nephew of Joan Ankrum, document his professional relationship with the gallery as his primary dealer. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, publicity files, travel files, projects, exhibitions, collector/client files, financial material, printed material, photographs, and artwork.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 12 series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1961-1994 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Project Files, 1965-1987 (0.25 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Administrative Records, 1961- circa 1990s (1 linear foot; Boxes 1-2)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1961-1991 (1 linear foot; Boxes 2-3)

Series 5: Artists' Files, 1957-1994 (22.5 linear feet; Boxes 3-25, 41-42, FC 43-45)

Series 6: Collector and Client Files, 1960-1994 (3.2 linear feet; Boxes 25-28)

Series 7: Financial Material, 1962-1990 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 28-30)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1957-1994 (2 linear feet; Boxes 30-32, 41)

Series 9: Scrapbook, 1960-1988 (3 folders; Box 32)

Series 10: Photographs, circa 1960s-circa 1990s (0.35 linear feet; Boxes 32, 42)

Series 11: Joan Ankrum Personal Papers, circa 1900-1993 (2 linear feet; Boxes 32-34, 41)

Series 12: Morris Broderson Papers, 1941-1989 (7.2 linear feet; Boxes 34-42)

Biographical / Historical:

The Ankrum Gallery was established 1960 in Los Angeles by American film actress Joan Wheeler Ankrum and William Chalee. The gallery closed in 1989.

Joan Wheeler Ankrum and William Challee opened Ankrum Gallery on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1960 with a one-man show of Ankrum's nephew Morris Broderson. With a focus on contemporary California artists, Ankrum Gallery represented over 395 artists during its 30 years in operation, including Benny Andrews, Carlos Almaraz, Richard Bauer, Irving Block, Naomi Caryl, Bernie Casey, Frank Duveneck, Lorser Feitelson, Bruno Groth, David Herschler, Jessie Homer, Suzanne Jackson, Buffie Johnson, Samella Lewis, Helen Lundeberg, Arnold Mesches, Henry Miller, Melvin Schuler, Arthur Secunda, Ken Shores, Jean Varda, and Zev. In addition, the gallery was among the earliest to exhibit the work of black artists. The gallery also held exhibitions of world artists, which included "Art of African Peoples" (1973), "Yarn Paintings of the Huichol Indians" (1973), "Five Contemporary Mexican Painters" (1977), and "Ethiopian Folk Painting" (1978). Ankrum Gallery closed in 1989.

Art dealer and gallery owner, Joan Wheeler Ankrum was an actress before establishing the Ankrum Gallery primarily to showcase the work of her deaf nephew, Morris Broderson. Born in 1913 in Palo Alto, California, she began acting at the Pasadena Playhouse where she met her first husband Morris Ankrum with whom she had two sons, David and Cary Ankrum. She married gallery co-owner and partner William Challee in 1984. She helped organize the Los Angeles Art Dealers Association and the Monday Night Art Walks on La Cienega Boulevard. She was a member of the relatively short-lived Black Arts Council. Joan Wheeler Ankrum died in 2001 at the age of 88.

Morris Broderson (1928-2011) was a deaf painter. His first one-man show was at the Stanford Museum in 1957, followed by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. By 1959 he'd won two awards from the Los Angeles County Museum, and appeared in the Whitney Museum's "Young America" show in 1960. His travels influenced his work, including the hand gestures of Kabuki art in Japan. His work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, among others. Following Joan Ankrum's death in 2001, Broderson was represented by her son David Ankrum.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art are two oral history interviews with Joan Ankrum, one conducted by Betty Hoag, April 28, 1964, and a second by Paul Karlstrom, November 5, 1997-February 4, 1998. Additionally, there is an oral history interview with Morris Broderson conducted by Paul Karlstrom, March 11-13, 1998.

Provenance:

The Ankrum Gallery records were donated to the Archives of American Art by Joan Ankrum in 1995.

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 Ankrum Gallery records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Art galleries, Commercial -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this

Artists -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Citation:

Ankrum Gallery records, circa 1900-circa 1990s, bulk 1960-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

Identifier:

AAA.ankrgall

See more items in:

Ankrum Gallery records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-ankrgall

Collection Creator:

Ankrum Gallery  Search this

Container:

Box 16, Folder 24

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1963-1968

Collection 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.

Collection Rights:

The Ankrum Gallery records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Collection Citation:

Ankrum Gallery records, circa 1900-circa 1990s, bulk 1960-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Ankrum Gallery records

Ankrum Gallery records / Series 5: Artists' Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-ankrgall-ref1306

Collection Creator:

Ankrum Gallery  Search this

Container:

Box 16, Folder 25

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1962-1967

Collection 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.

Collection Rights:

The Ankrum Gallery records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Collection Citation:

Ankrum Gallery records, circa 1900-circa 1990s, bulk 1960-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Ankrum Gallery records

Ankrum Gallery records / Series 5: Artists' Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-ankrgall-ref1307

Collection Creator:

Ankrum Gallery  Search this

Container:

Box 16, Folder 26

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1963-1968

Collection 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.

Collection Rights:

The Ankrum Gallery records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Collection Citation:

Ankrum Gallery records, circa 1900-circa 1990s, bulk 1960-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Ankrum Gallery records

Ankrum Gallery records / Series 5: Artists' Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-ankrgall-ref1308

Collection Creator:

Ankrum Gallery  Search this

Container:

Box 16, Folder 23

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1963-1968

Collection 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.

Collection Rights:

The Ankrum Gallery records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Collection Citation:

Ankrum Gallery records, circa 1900-circa 1990s, bulk 1960-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

See more items in:

Ankrum Gallery records

Ankrum Gallery records / Series 5: Artists' Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-ankrgall-ref313

Creator:

Strider, Marjorie  Search this

Names:

University of Iowa -- Faculty  Search this

Extent:

1.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Diaries

Photographs

Writings

Date:

1965-1978

Summary:

The papers of pop artist, sculptor, performance artist, and art instructor Marjorie Strider date from 1965-1978, and measure 1.8 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials, correspondence with colleagues and art institutions, six diaries, scattered business and financial records, notes, writings, teaching and lecture typescripts, printed material, and photographs of the "Peoples' Hole Project" of a summer class taught by Strider at the University of Iowa in 1970.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of pop artist, sculptor, performance artist, and art instructor Marjorie Strider date from 1965-1978, and measure 1.8 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials, correspondence with colleagues and art institutions, six diaries, scattered business and financial records, notes, writings, teaching and lecture typescripts, printed material, and photographs of the "Peoples' Hole Project" of a summer class taught by Strider at the University of Iowa in 1970.

Biographical materials include an address book. Correspondence is primarily between Strider, colleagues, and art institutions concerning exibitions and art-related activities. Six diaries dated from 1968 through 1973 contain very brief daily entries. Business records are primarily financial, but also include contracts for a commissioned poster for the HKL, Ltd. Project "Ikebana International," and for a merger between the stockholders of Chick Pea Conspiracy, Inc. and Max's Kansas City, Inc.

A teaching file contains material relating to a 1970 summer class taught by Strider and Scott Burton at the University of Iowa contains the best documentation about Strider's ideas about art. Included here are notes outlining various assignments for street performances and avant-garde uses of public spaces, writings by students describing their assignments, miscellaneous printed material, and notes, writings, clippings, and photographs concerning the "Peoples' Hole Project."

Additional notes and writings include miscellaneous teaching and lecture typescripts, a list of artists' names, and miscellaneous notes. Printed material includes clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, prospectuses, and press releases.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 7 series arranged chronologically:

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1968 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1966-1977 (Box 1: 25 folders)

Series 3: Diaries, 1968-1973 (Box 1; 3 folders)

Series 4: Business Records, 1965-1976 (Boxes 1-2; 56 folders)

Series 5: Teaching File from University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1970 (Box 3; 11 folders)

Series 6: Notes and Writings, 1970-1977 (Box 3; 9 folders)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1966-1978 (Box 3; 6 folders)

Biographical Note:

Marjorie Virginia Strider was born on January 26, 1931 in Guthrie, Oklahoma and attended the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduating, she spent two years working on window displays for the Robinson Shoe Company in Kansas City.

By the early 1960s, Strider was working as a painter-sculptor in New York City. Along with work by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, her work was included in one of the first exhibitions of Pop Art, "First International Girlie Show" at Pace Gallery in 1965. Strider also had solo exhibitions at Pace Gallery in 1965 and 1966, and at Park College, Parkville, Missouri, in 1968.

In 1969, Strider began teaching at the School of Visual Arts in New York. During the summer of 1970, she taught at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

In the early 1970s, Strider's work evolved into assemblage, three-dimensional multi-media organic forms, street installations, films, and performance pieces, with a characteristic theme of forms breaking out from confined spaces. One of her more famous works, Big Box, 1973, consisted of a hand-constructed cardboard carton displaying an eruption of polyurethane pouring down the side. In 1973 and 1974, Strider had solo exhibitions at the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City.

Strider also participated in group exhibitions at the Felix Handschin Gallery in Basel, Switzerland in 1970, at Boston Museum in 1972, at New York's School of Visual Arts in 1973 and, in 1974, at the Virginia Museum of Art and Storm King Art Center.

Strider's works are in the collections of the Albright-Knox Museum, Des Moines Art Center, New York University, Wadsworth Atheneum, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Marjorie Strider lives in Saugerties, New York.

Provenance:

Marjorie Strider donated her papers in 1978.

Restrictions:

Use or original papers requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Marjorie Strider papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Art teachers -- United States  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Performance artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art -- Philosophy  Search this

Women sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Pop art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Diaries

Photographs

Writings

Citation:

Marjorie Strider papers, 1965-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.strimarj

See more items in:

Marjorie Strider papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-strimarj

Creator:

Kron, Joan  Search this

Names:

Beautiful Bag Co. (Philadelphia,Pa.)  Search this

Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association of Philadelphia. Arts Council  Search this

Christo, 1935-  Search this

Dine, Jim, 1935-  Search this

Hendricks, Geoffrey, 1931-2018  Search this

Indiana, Robert, 1928-  Search this

Johnson, Ray, 1927-  Search this

Kaprow, Allan  Search this

Klüver, Billy, 1927-2004  Search this

Lichtenstein, Roy, 1923-1997  Search this

Maitin, Sam  Search this

Oldenburg, Claes, 1929- -- Photographs  Search this

Paik, Nam June, 1932-  Search this

Rosenberg, Karl  Search this

Sabol, Audrey, 1922-  Search this

Saint-Phalle, Niki de, 1930-  Search this

Segal, George, 1924-2000 -- Photographs  Search this

Tinguely, Jean, 1925-  Search this

Turner, Evan H.  Search this

Venturi, Robert  Search this

Watts, Robert M., 1923-1988  Search this

Extent:

1.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Drawings

Sound recordings

Photographs

Paintings

Ledgers (account books)

Date:

1959-1971

Summary:

The papers of New York City art entrepreneur, curator, and journalist Joan Kron date from 1959 to 1971 and measure 1.4 linear feet. The papers include correspondence, scattered financial records, notes and writings, printed material, photographs, a sound and video recording, and project/exhibition files concerning Kron's involvement in the 1960s with the exhibtions of the Arts Council of the Young Men's/Women's Hebrew Association (YM/WHA)of Philadelphia and her business, the Beautiful Bag and Box Co.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of New York City art entrepreneur, curator, and journalist Joan Kron date from 1959 to 1971 and measure 1.4 linear feet. The papers include correspondence, scattered financial records, notes and writings, printed material, photographs, a sound and video recording, and project/exhibition files concerning Kron's involvement in the 1960s with the exhibtions of the Arts Council of the Young Men's/Women's Hebrew Association (YM/WHA)of Philadelphia and her business, the Beautiful Bag and Box Co.

Papers relating to Kron's volunteer chairmanship of the Arts Council of the Young Men's/Women's Hebrew Association (YM/WHA)of Philadelphia include general files concerning the administration and operation of the organization, as well as exhibition files for Art 1963/ A New Vocabulary (1962) and Museum of Merchandise 1967.) Files generally consist of correspondence, clippings and other printed materials, notes and writings, photographs, and financial documents. The exhibition files for Art 1963/ A New Vocabulary include a typescript "Dictionary Suggestions" by Billy Klüver which contains slang terms with creative definitions, and photographs of Claes Oldenburg, Billy Klüver, Joan Kron, Sam Maitin, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Audrey Sabol, George Segal, Jean Tinguely, and Robert Watts. The files for Museum of Merchandise contain a painting on paper by Geoffrey Hendricks, a drawing by Ray Johnson, a photograph of fabric designer Karl Rosenberg, a photograph of a wedding dress design by Christo, and a 1/2" open reel videotape made by Nam Jun Paik of Kron's appearance on The Tonight Show.

The records of the Beautiful Bag and Box Co., an art entrepreneurial business created by Kron and her colleague Audrey Sabol, include correspondence, a ledger of sales and deposits, income tax records, miscellaneous invoices, notes and writings, clippings, miscellaneous printed material, and photographs. Also found are project/product files for Art Museum Store, Temporary Tattoos, Durable Dishes designed by Roy Lichtenstein, Eat Pin likely designed by Robert Indiana, Art on Billboards, and Stunning Stationery. The file for project Art on Billboards contains postcards from Allan Kaprow and Jim Dine expressing interest in the project, and a photograph of Edwin and Audrey Sabol on a motorcycle posing in front of a billboard designed by Roy Lichtenstein. There is also a 7" audio reel tape recording of a radio program Hey, Look at That containing comments about billboards from Kron, Roy Lichtenstein, architect Robert Venturi, and Evan H. Turner, Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 2 series:

Series 1: Arts Council of the YM/YWHA of Philadelphia, 1959-1971 (Box 1-2, OV 3; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 2: Beautiful Bag and Box Co., 1963-1969 (Box 1-2; 0.8 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Joan Kron (circa 1928-) is a fashion and style journalist in New York City, but began her career in Philadelphia as an advocate of avante-garde artists and co-founder of The Beautiful Bag Co. which worked with artists to produce commercial household and fashion art products. Kron worked on projects with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Indiana, among others.

Joan Kron was born circa 1928 in New York. She studied at the Yale University School of Drama from 1946-1948, graduating with a degree in costume design. She married surgeon Dr. Samuel Kron and lived in Philadelphia during the 1960s. For almost a decade, Kron volunteered as chairman of the Arts Council of the Young Men's/Young Women's Hebrew Association of Philadelphia (YM/YWHA.) The YM/YMA Arts Council focused on promoting and hosting new and avant-garde programs in dance, theatre, poetry, crafts, and the visual arts. Under Kron's leadership, the YM/YWHA Arts Council curated Arts1963/A New Vocabulary (1962) and Museum of Merchandise (1967.)

Kron's work with the Arts Council allowed her to build business partnerships with several artists. She partnered with Andy Warhol to produce a line of perfume, "You're In," packaged in silver Coca-Cola bottles, with Robert Indiana for a Love Ring, and other products and projects associated with the exhibitions of the Arts Council. Then, around 1964, she partnered with colleague Audrey Sabol to form The Beautiful Bag and Box Co. and continued to explore commercial products created or designed by artists, including a line of dinnerware "Durable Dishes" designed by Roy Lichtenstein, a series of billboards displaying art work and the Eat Pin, most likely designed by Robert Indiana.

Kron began her career in journalism in the late 1960s by contributing an article about a cannabis harvest in an upscale neighborhood to the Philadelphia magazine in 1969. She continued to write for the magazine until after her divorce. She moved to New York City in 1971 and was hired by New York magazine. She researched and wrote a special issue about the blossoming SoHo art district. Kron then focused the remainder of her career primarily on writing, and worked for a number of magazines and newspapers, and published several books. As of 2010, she was living in New York City and working as contributing editor at large for Condé Nast's Allure magazine, primarily covering the subject of cosmetic surgery.

Related Materials:

Additional copies of microfilm reels 4224-4225 are available at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Also found in the Archives are selected papers of the Young Men's/Women's Hebrew Association Arts Council that were loaned by Judith Golden for microfilming, and are now available only on microfilm reels 3898. Another small collection of printed material from the YM/WHA records was donated by Acey Wolgin and microfilmed on reel 4340, and transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum Library's vertical files.

Provenance:

Joan Kron donated her papers in 1987.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

Rights:

The Joan Kron papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Arts administrators  Search this

Topic:

Curators -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Pop art  Search this

Wearable art United States  Search this

Design, Industrial -- United States  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Drawings

Sound recordings

Photographs

Paintings

Ledgers (account books)

Citation:

Joan Kron papers, 1959-1971. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.kronjoan

See more items in:

Joan Kron papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kronjoan

Creator:

Selz, Peter Howard, 1919-  Search this

Names:

College Art Association of America  Search this

Institute of Design (Chicago, Ill.) (Faculty)  Search this

Marlborough Gallery  Search this

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

Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.)  Search this

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (Calif.)  Search this

University of California, Berkeley. University Art Museum  Search this

Baykam, Bedri, 1957-  Search this

Beckmann, Max, 1884-1950  Search this

Benton, Fletcher, 1931-  Search this

Bergman, Ciel, 1938-  Search this

Bury, Pol, 1922-2005  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Chase-Riboud, Barbara  Search this

Christo, 1935-  Search this

Christo, 1935- (Running fence)  Search this

Conner, Bruce  Search this

Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-  Search this

Feininger, Lyonel, 1871-1956  Search this

Giacometti, Alberto, 1901-1966  Search this

Golub, Leon, 1922-2004  Search this

Graves, Morris, 1910-  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Hadzi, Dimitri, 1921-2006  Search this

Lebrun, Rico, 1900-1964  Search this

Lindner, Richard, 1901-  Search this

Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this

O'Keeffe, Georgia , 1887-1986  Search this

Onslow-Ford, Gordon  Search this

Paris, Harold, 1925-  Search this

Petlin, Irving, 1934-  Search this

Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Tinguely, Jean, 1925-  Search this

Extent:

31.5 Linear feet

0.696 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Place:

San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.)

Date:

1929-2014

bulk 1950-2005

Summary:

The papers of art historian and writer Peter Howard Selz measure 31.5 linear feet and 0.696 GB and date from 1929 to 2018, with the bulk of the materials from 1950 to 2005. The papers document Selz's long career via correspondence, writings, professional files, project files, membership and association records, artists' research files, exhibition files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, and nine scrapbooks.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of art historian and writer Peter Howard Selz measure 31.5 linear feet and 0.696 GB and date from 1929 to 2018, with the bulk of the materials from 1950 to 2005. The papers document Selz's long career via correspondence, writings, professional files, project files, membership and association records, artists' research files, exhibition files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, and scrapbooks.

Correspondence is with colleagues, artists, museums, and galleries concerning a wide variety of topics, including exhibitions and publications. The bulk of the correspondence consists of alphabetical files (two linear feet) that includes correspondence with artists. Notable correspondents include Pol Bury, Alexander Calder, Gordon Onslow Ford, Alberto Giacometti, Morris Graves, Philip Guston, Dimitri Hadzi, Jacques Lipchitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Jean Tinguely, and others. Eight additional files of chronological correspondence is with curators, arts organizations, and publishers. Additional correspondence is found in the professional files, project files, membership files, artists' research files, and exhibition files.

The bulk of the writings series is comprised of files related to Selz's books and includes typescript drafts and galleys, printed and digital material, correspondence, and publishing contracts. Files are found for Art in Our Times, Art of Engagement, Beyond the Mainstream, and Theories of Modern Art. Other writings consist of drafts of articles, essays, notes, and lectures by Selz. Also included are writings by others, including materials related to Paul Karlstrom's biography of Selz.

Professional files document curatorial and teaching positions at the Chicago Institute of Design, Pomona College, University of California, Berkeley, and the Museum of Modern Art. The series includes contracts, recommendations, syllabi, and correspondence.

Project files document Selz's professional work on specific art projects, panels, and symposiums. There is extensive documentation of Selz's work as project director of Christo's Running Fence, as well as other environmental art work projects by Christo, the Berkeley Art Project, Disney Art Project, "Funk Art" symposium, and the "Art and Politics in the 20th Century" symposium. Project files contain a wide variety of materials, such as correspondence, printed material, financial records, reports, photographs, and other documents. There are 2 tape reels, 1 VHS, and 1 sound cassette.

Membership and association records document Selz's involvement with or membership in various art councils, trustee boards, such as the College Art Association, Art in Chicago Advisory Committee, Bay Area Rapid Transit (B.A.R.T.) Art Council, and the San Francisco Crafts and Folk Art Museum Advisory Board, among others. Materials include meeting minutes, bulletins, correspondence, and memoranda.

Artists' Research Files consist of a wide variety of research materials Selz compiled about artists for lectures, writings, projects, exhibitions, etc. Files vary and may include original and photocopied correspondence, photographic material, resumes, printed and digital material, and writings. There is also 1 sound cassette. Files are found for Bedri Baykam, Max Beckmann, Fletcher Benton, Ciel Bergman, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Bruce Conner, Jean Dubuffet, Lyonel Feininger, Leon Golub, Dimitri Hadzi, Rico Lebrun, Harold Paris, Irving Petlin, among many others.

Exhibition files include catalogs, reviews, clippings, writings, correspondence, and other material documenting exhibitions organized by Selz. Limited materials are found for the MOMA Art Nouveau exhibition. More extensive documentation is found for Seven Decades of Modern Art, 1895-1965, The Joint Show (1967), The American Presidency in Political Cartoons (1976), American Modern Art Between the Two World Wars (1979), German Realism in the Twenties: Artist As Social Critic (1980), Twelve Artists from the German Democratic Republic (1989), a Richard Lindner Retrospective (1996), Spaces of Nature (1999), Color and Fire: Defining Moments in Studio Ceramics, 1950-2000 (2000), and a Nathan Oliviera Retrospective (2002), among others. Some of the materials are in digital format.

Personal business records are related to the Mark Rothko estate and Kate Rothko's legal case against Marlborough Gallery, Inc. Also included in this series are Peter Selz's school transcripts, bequests, royalty statements, house designs, and other material.

Printed materials include clippings, prints of articles written by Peter Selz, exhibition announcements and invitations, and photocopies of artwork images.

There are nine disbound scrapbooks dating from the 1940s up through 2012 containing clippings, exhibition announcements, and photographs of art events, Selz, and artists. This series also includes materials from the 2018 addition that may have previously been compiled in binders.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 10 series. When possible the original order of Peter Selz was maintained. However, multiple accessions were merged and integrated.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1942-2013 (2.3 linear feet; Box 1-3, Box 37)

Series 2: Writings, 1942- circa 2014 (8.3 linear feet; Box 3-10, OV 32, Box 37, 0.035 GB; ER01, ER12)

Series 3: Professional Files, 1949-2012 (1 linear feet; Box 11, Box 37)

Series 4: Project Files, 1962-2015 (2.8 linear feet; Box 12-14, OV 33, Box 37)

Series 5: Membership and Association Records, 1958-2014 (1.1 linear feet; Box 14-15, Box 37)

Series 6: Artists' Research Files, 1955-2014 (7.9 linear feet; Box 15-22, OV 34-35, 0.520 GB; ER02-ER08)

Series 7: Exhibition Files, 1959-2014 (5.2 linear feet; Box 23-27, Box 38, 0.093 GB; ER09-ER11)

Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1929-2014 (1.2 linear feet; Box 28-29, OV 36, Box 38)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1957-2014 (0.3 linear feet; Box 29, Box 38)

Series 10: Scrapbooks, 1947-2018 (1.4 linear feet, Box 29-31, Box 38)

Biographical / Historical:

Peter Howard Selz (1919-2019) was a pioneering historian of modern art, professor, and writer who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1965-1988 and founded and directed the Berkeley Art Museum from 1965-1973.

Selz was born in 1919 in Munich, Germany to Eugene Selz and Edith Drey Selz. In 1936, the family fled Nazi Germany and immigrated to the United States. Selz attended Columbia University from 1937 to 1938 and became a naturalized citizen in 1942. During World War II, Selz served in the U.S. Army in the Office of Strategic Services. He married writer Thalia Cheronis in 1948 but they later divorced in 1965; he married several times afterwards.

After the war, Selz attended and taught at the University of Chicago where he received a Ph. D. in German Expressionism. He spent a year in Paris, 1949-1950, at the Sorbonne and École du Louvre on a Fulbright grant. He received a second Fulbright grant in 1953 to study at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Belgium. From 1953-1955, Selz also taught at the Chicago Institute of Design.

In 1955 Peter Selz accepted a position to chair the art history department at Pomona College in Claremont and relocated to California for a few years. He also became director of the college's art gallery.

In 1958 Selz moved to New York City to become curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art and was there through the transformative mid-1960s. While at MOMA, he organized several significant exhibitions of modern art, including the 1960 Jean Tinguely "Homage to New York," a sculpture that destroyed itself (and started a fire) in the sculpture garden of the museum; New Images of Man (1959), the Art Nouveau show (1960), and the Art of Assemblage (1961). He also launched important retrospectives, including the first Rodin retrospective in the United States and a comprehensive exhibition of Alberto Giacometti's work in 1965.

In 1965, Peter Selz returned to California to become the founding director of the Berkeley Art Museum at the University of California, Berkeley, a position he held until 1973. He organized exhibitions of Funk, film, and ceramicists like Peter Voulkos and Robert Arneson. Peter Selz later became project director for Christo's "Running Fence", the 24.5-mile long fabric fence over the Marin County hills in 1976. He also served concurrently as a professor of art history at UC until retiring in 1988.

Peter Selz was a member of the College Art Association's board of directors for two terms, 1958-1964 and 1966-1971. Selz is a prolific writer, and the author or co-author of numerous books, exhibition catalogs, and articles. Notable books include German Expressionist Painting (1957), Art in a Turbulent Era (1965), Art in Our Times (1981), and Sam Francis (1975).

In 1988 Peter Selz was named emeritus professor at University of California, Berkeley. In 1993 he was on the acquisitions committee of the Museums of Fine Arts, San Francisco. In 2012, Selz curated The Painted Word exhibition. Selz died in 2019 in Albany, California.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds oral history interviews of Peter Selz conducted by Paul J. Karlstrom on July 28, 1982, October 12, 1982, and November 3, 1999.

Provenance:

The Peter Howard Selz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Peter Selz in multiple installments from 1976 through 2014. Additional papers were donated in 2018 by Gabrielle Selz, Peter Selz's daughter.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.

Rights:

The Peter Howard Selz papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Authors -- California -- Berkeley  Search this

Art historians -- California -- Berkeley  Search this

Topic:

Realism in art -- Germany  Search this

Political cartoons  Search this

Pop art  Search this

Environmental art  Search this

Painting, Abstract  Search this

Ceramics  Search this

Art -- Study and teaching -- California  Search this

Art -- Political aspects  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Exhibitions  Search this

Art -- Germany  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Peter Howard Selz papers, 1929-2018, bulk 1950-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the 2014 processing of this collection was provided by the Frederick Hammersley Foundation. Funding for the processing of the 2018 addition was provided by Gerald and Bente Buck.

Identifier:

AAA.selzpete

See more items in:

Peter Howard Selz papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-selzpete

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2013-05-30T17:47:41.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

See more by:

airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_jbIWPdZYcvU

Creator:

National Portrait Gallery  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2011-02-09T11:15:08.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Portraits  Search this

See more by:

NatlPortraitGallery

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

YouTube Channel:

NatlPortraitGallery

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_BbFLur5zdAI

Creator:

National Portrait Gallery  Search this

Type:

Symposia

Lectures

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2011-02-05T14:07:59.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Portraits  Search this

See more by:

NatlPortraitGallery

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

YouTube Channel:

NatlPortraitGallery

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_GUlMxGpHlkk

Creator:

National Portrait Gallery  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2011-02-16T07:07:14.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Portraits  Search this

See more by:

NatlPortraitGallery

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

YouTube Channel:

NatlPortraitGallery

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_IMIuukkZJ10

Creator:

National Portrait Gallery  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2011-02-19T15:39:04.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Portraits  Search this

See more by:

NatlPortraitGallery

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

YouTube Channel:

NatlPortraitGallery

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_ePOdQ2dD7bA

Creator:

National Portrait Gallery  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2011-02-10T11:38:42.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Portraits  Search this

See more by:

NatlPortraitGallery

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

YouTube Channel:

NatlPortraitGallery

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_wPA2ZVy9TT4

Creator:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery  Search this

Type:

Lectures

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2020-12-11T17:00:03.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, Asian  Search this

See more by:

FreerSackler

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

YouTube Channel:

FreerSackler

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_97FXG-Jlhxg

Creator:

National Museum of African American History and Culture  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2015-05-29T20:42:22.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

See more by:

WatchNMAAHC

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

YouTube Channel:

WatchNMAAHC

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_HU4HQl-tsCA