Search Results

Creator:

Artschwager, Richard, 1923-  Search this

Names:

Adair Margo Gallery  Search this

Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts  Search this

Cornell University.  Search this

Gagosian Gallery  Search this

Galerie Franck + Schulte  Search this

Harvard University  Search this

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art  Search this

Leo Castelli Gallery  Search this

Lorence-Monk Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Museum Ludwig  Search this

Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this

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

Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture  Search this

University of Wisconsin  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Alloway, Lawrence, 1926-1990  Search this

Castelli, Leo  Search this

Copley, William Nelson, 1919-1996  Search this

Fischl, Eric, 1948-  Search this

Johnson, Ray, 1927-  Search this

Karp, Ivan C., 1926-2012  Search this

Katz, Alex, 1927-  Search this

Kimmelman, Michael  Search this

Lawler, Louise  Search this

LeWitt, Sol, 1928-2007  Search this

Murray, Elizabeth, 1940-  Search this

Namuth, Hans  Search this

Neuendorf, Hans  Search this

Ruscha, Edward  Search this

Schaffner, Ingrid  Search this

Schjeldahl, Peter  Search this

Waters, John, 1946-  Search this

Woodman, Betty, 1930-  Search this

Extent:

5.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Illustrated letters

Transcripts

Sketches

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Date:

1959-2013

Summary:

The papers of New York painter and sculptor Richard Artschwager measure 5.6 linear feet and date from 1959-2013. The papers include extensive correspondence, recorded talks and a lecture, exhibition files, printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of New York painter and sculptor Richard Artschwager measure 5.6 linear feet and date from 1959-2013. The papers include extensive correspondence, recorded talks and a lecture, exhibition files, printed material, and photographs.

Artschwager's correspondence is with museums, galleries, artists, art historians, academic institutions, and publishers and concerns exhibitions, speaking engagements, and teaching. Frequent correspondents include Lawrence Alloway, Leo Castelli Gallery, Gagosian Gallery, Galerie Franck + Schulte, Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Ivan Karp, Museum Ludwig, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Ingrid Schaffner, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Also found are letters from fellow artists, including William Copley, Eric Fischl, Ray Johnson, Louise Lawler, Sol Lewitt, Ed Ruscha, John Waters, and Betty Woodman. Some letters are annotated or illustrated with sketches by Artschwager.

The collection includes a lecture and recorded talks by Richard Artschwager held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, and the Carpenter Center of the Visual Arts, Harvard University, and other venues. One of the recordings is from the "Conversations with Contemporary Artists" series of the Museum of Modern Art. Also included in this series is a recorded discussion with artists Alex Katz and Elizabeth Murray and art critics Michael Kimmelman and Peter Schjeldahl.

Exhibition files are found for exhibitions held at Adair Margo Gallery, Lorence Monk Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Cornell University, and numerous others, including many in Europe. Files typically contain correspondence, price lists, announcements, printed material, photographs, and a few sound and video recordings.

Printed material includes invitations and announcements as well as posters, reproductions, and brochures, mostly related to Richard Artschwager's exhibitions. Newspaper and magazine clippings document exhibition openings and the critical reception of his work.

There are also a few photographs including images of Leo Castelli by Hans Namuth used by Artschwager in preparing for his portrait of Castelli.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 5 series.

Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1970-2013 (Boxes 1-3; 3.0 linear feet)

Series 2: Talks and Lecture, 1985-2009 (Box 4; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1973-2007 (Boxes 4-5; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1959-2012 (Boxes 5-6, OV 7; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1973, 2007 (Box 6, OV 8; 0.1 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Richard Artschwager (1923-2013) lived and worked in New York City and Hudson, New York and was known primarily for his paintings and sculptures. Artschwager was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in New Mexico. As a youth, Artschwager showed a talent for drawing. He studied chemistry and mathematics at Cornell University. In 1944, Artschwager interrupted his studies to enlist in the U.S. Army. After the war, he returned to Cornell to complete his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948. Encouraged by his first wife, Elfriede Wejmelka to develop his interest in art, Artschwager moved to New York to study at the Studio School of Amédée Ozenfant. His paintings and drawings from this period were featured in two group shows at the Terrain Gallery in 1957 and at the Art Directions Gallery on Madison Avenue in 1959, where they were recognized by Donald Judd.

In the 1950s, in order to support his family, Artschwager turned to designing and manufacturing modern furniture. His woodworking skills inspired him to create sculptures from utilitarian objects such as tables, chairs, and mirrors. He is best known for the use of building materials Celotex and Formica in his work and for inventing an abstract form he called "blps" reliefs, stencils or decals that were installed randomly in museum, gallery and public spaces. From the mid-1980s to late 1990s, Artschwager designed large scale projects, though he continued to incorporate everyday domestic objects in his sculptures and paintings.

In 1965, Artschwager was given his first one-man exhibition at the Castelli Gallery and he remained with the Gallery for thirty years. He was also represented by Mary Boone, David Nolan, and the Gagosian Gallery. In the 1980s, Artschwager served on the Visual Arts Policy Committee at the National Endowment of the Arts. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts in 1992. He was a visiting artist at New Mexico State University, Soka University, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and the University of Arizona. Artschwager's work was the subject of a major surveys, including the Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Neues Museum, and Serpentine Gallery. He participated in numerous international group shows including the Venice Biennale and Documenta in Kassel, Germany. The Whitney Museum of American Art honored Artschwager with two travelling retrospective exhibitions in 1988 and 2012. In late 2012, Artschwager had one-man shows at the Gagosian Gallery and David Nolan Gallery.

Richard Artschwager died at the age of 89 years in 2013. He is survived by his wife, Ann Sebring Artschwager and three children from previous marriages.

Related Materials:

Also found among the resources at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Artschwager, March 3-28, 1972, conducted by Paul Cummings.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Richard Artschwager and his wife Ann Artschwager in 2013.

Restrictions:

Use of original material requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Richard Artschwager 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.

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Art critics  Search this

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

Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

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

Genre/Form:

Illustrated letters

Transcripts

Sketches

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Richard Artschwager papers, 1959-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.artsrich

See more items in:

Richard Artschwager papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-artsrich

Interviewee:

Tomkins, Margaret, 1916-2002  Search this

Interviewer:

Guenther, Bruce  Search this

Subject:

FitzGerald, James  Search this

Artists Gallery (Seattle, Wash.)  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Topic:

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Women artists -- Washington (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews  Search this

Art, Modern -- Northwestern States  Search this

Painters -- Washington (State) -- Seattle -- Interviews  Search this

Art, American -- Northwestern States  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)12308

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212455

AAA_collcode_tomkin84

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212455

Creator:

Reitz, Don, 1929-2014  Search this

Subject:

Autio, Rudy  Search this

Yamamoto, Yukio  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Photographs

Sketches

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Topic:

Ceramics -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Educators--Arizona  Search this

Sculptors--Arizona  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)17527

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)391676

AAA_collcode_reitdon

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_391676

Creator:

Stoller, Alexander, 1902-1994  Search this

Names:

Alfred B. Maclay State Gardens  Search this

Museum of Franco-American Friendship  Search this

Saratoga Racecourse (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) -- History  Search this

U.S. Embassy in Paris  Search this

Williams College. Museum of Art.  Search this

Williamsville Inn and Sculpture Garden  Search this

Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963  Search this

Stoller, Brier  Search this

Victor, Donald  Search this

Extent:

1.8 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on one reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1919-1996

Scope and Contents:

Sketchbooks; portfolio of works of art on paper and one on canvas; slides (many by Don Victor) and photographs of Stoller and of his works of art (including one by Man Ray); address book; scrapbooks; newspaper clippings; printed material; price lists and receipts; advertisements and project files. Project Files include Stoller's John F. Kennedy bust at the Museum of Franco-American Friendship; The Alfred B. Maclay State Gardens; "The Torso" at the Williams College Museum of Art; "Samothrace in Paris, 1944" at the U.S. Embassy in Paris; The Saratoga Racetrack; and the Williamsville Inn and Sculpture Garden. Also included is a file on Stoller's wife, Brier Wright Stoller, aka Lily Paget, and a two-part video of an interview with Brier (Pt. I) and footage of Stoller's works narrated by Brier (Pt. II). Approximately 15 documents received with this collection are microfilmed on AAA microfilm reel 1182.

Biographical / Historical:

Sculptor; Housatonic, Mass.

Provenance:

Donated 2003 by Linda Wesselman Jackson. Members of the Stoller family gave works of art along with these papers to Chesterwood with the understanding that these papers would be forwarded to the Archives of American Art. Stoller lent 29 items in 1976, which were microfilmed on reel 1182; included in the 2003 estate donation are approximately half of the documents previously lent.

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:

Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Housatonic  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.stolalex

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-stolalex

Creator:

Reitz, Don, 1929-2014  Search this

Names:

Autio, Rudy, 1926-2007  Search this

Yamamoto, Yukio  Search this

Extent:

11.6 Linear feet

11.2 Gigabytes

Culture:

Educators--Arizona  Search this

Sculptors--Arizona  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Interviews

Photographs

Sketches

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Date:

circa 1935-2015

Summary:

The papers of artist and educator Don Reitz measure 11.6 linear feet and date from circa 1935 to 2015. The collection documents Reitz's work as a professional artist and educator through biographical material, correspondence; writings, interviews and lectures; documentation on workshops and performances; studio records; gallery and exhibition files; printed material, photographic material, and artwork.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of artist and educator Don Reitz measure 11.6 linear feet and date from circa 1935 to 2015. The collection documents Reitz's work as a professional artist and educator through biographical material, correspondence; writings, interviews and lectures; documentation on workshops and performances; studio records; gallery and exhibition files; printed material, photographic material, and artwork.

Correspondence reflects relationships with professional organizations, museums and galleries, friends and family, as well as letters of recommendation from his years as an instructor. Notable correspondence is with fellow artists Rudy Autio and Yukio Yamamoto. Writings include essays and artist statements written by Reitz, as well as articles and essays written about Reitz by others. Lectures and interviews are featured in written form, as well as audio and video, including some digital video recordings. Reitz's notes include sound recordings captured in his car.

Workshop and performance files contain recordings, planning materials, contracts, and other documentation on instructional events led by Reitz. Studio records include technical files on kiln operation, supplies, project plans, and equipment.

Also found are detailed records of gallery and museum exhibitions, as well as commissions including public works and murals, in addition to various studio artwork inventories. Photographic material documents Reitz's participation in workshops and other presentations, and includes photographs of artwork, the Reitz Farm in Wisconsin, the Reitz Ranch in Arizona, as well as his early family life and military career. Photograph formats include snapshots, slides and digital images. Also included are various sketches by the artist as well as some by his niece Sara.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 9 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1935-2014 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1951-2014 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Writings and Lectures, circa 1970-2012 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 3-5, 2.85 gigabytes; ER01-ER03)

Series 4: Workshops and Performances, circa 1972-2008 (0.7 linear feet; Box 5-6, 8.21 gigabytes; ER04-ER05)

Series 5: Studio Records, circa 1965-2010 (0.3 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 6: Galleries and Exhibitions, circa 1966-2014 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 6-7, 0.065 gigabytes; ER06)

Series 7: Printed Material, circa 1950-2014 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 8-9, 12)

Series 8: Photographic Material, circa 1940-2015 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 9-13, 0.065 gigabytes; ER07)

Series 9: Artwork, circa 1980-2012 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 11, 12)

Biographical / Historical:

Don Reitz (1929-2014) was a ceramic artist in Clarkdale, Arizona.

Reitz was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Belvidere New Jersey, before serving for four years in the U.S. Navy as a diver. After years working as a butcher and a house painter, Reitz attended Kutztown State Teachers College, where he studied Abstract Expressionism and discovered ceramics in his last year of study. Reitz quickly developed a passion for ceramics, built a kiln in his back yard, and enrolled in graduate school at Alfred University's New York State College of Ceramics. From 1962 to 1988 Reitz led the ceramics department at University of Wisconsin at Madison, while he raised his two children Brent and Donna on a nearby farm, where he also kept livestock and experimented in ceramic firing techniques.

Don Reitz is known for bringing the salt-firing ceramics technique to the United States, in which colorful metallic surfaces are applied to ceramics by throwing salt in the kiln, as opposed to applying paint-like slips on the clay before firing. Reitz is also widely recognized for expanding the traditional medium of ceramics to incorporate abstract and nonfunctional forms like his contemporaries Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio, as well as incorporating elements of performance art into his demonstrations and workshops. In 1982 Reitz suffered injuries from a serious automobile accident and required years of rehabilitation. During this time Reitz's niece, Sara, was undergoing treatment for cancer. The two were instrumental in each other's recovery and elements of Sara's drawings for Don were incorporated into his work, imbuing a graphic sensibility and a bold use of color, while his ability to physically manipulate clay was impaired.

In 1988 Reitz moved to a ranch in Clarksdale, Arizona, where he continued to work after his retirement from teaching, building kilns of various types including wood-fire and Anagama kilns, traveling to conduct workshops, and accepting commissions for large-scale commissions and public works. While in Arizona, Reitz developed a strong friendship with Japanese ceramicist Yukio Yamamoto, who had been teaching in Flagstaff, Arizona. Throughout his career Reitz received numerous accolades including being named Trustee Emeritus of the American Craft Council, and making the Ceramic Monthly Reader's Poll as One of Twelve Greatest Living Ceramic Artists Worldwide in 1988 and 2001. Reitz's works are featured in numerous private and museum collections including the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the High Museum of Art. Don Reitz passed in 2014 after suffering from a series of heart attacks and related surgeries.

Don Reitz (1929-2014) was a ceramic artist in Clarkdale, Arizona. Reitz was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Belvidere New Jersey, before serving for four years in the U.S. Navy as a diver. After years working as a butcher and a house painter, Reitz attended Kutztown State Teachers College, where he studied Abstract Expressionism and discovered ceramics in his last year of study. Reitz quickly developed a passion for ceramics, built a kiln in his back yard, and enrolled in graduate school at Alfred University's New York State College of Ceramics. From 1962 to 1988 Reitz led the ceramics department at University of Wisconsin at Madison, while he raised his two children Brent and Donna on a nearby farm, where he also kept livestock and experimented in ceramic firing techniques. Don Reitz is known for bringing the salt-firing ceramics technique to the United States, in which colorful metallic surfaces are applied to ceramics by throwing salt in the kiln, as opposed to applying paint-like slips on the clay before firing. Reitz is also widely recognized for expanding the traditional medium of ceramics to incorporate abstract and nonfunctional forms like his contemporaries Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio, as well as incorporating elements of performance art into his demonstrations and workshops. In 1982 Reitz suffered injuries from a serious automobile accident and required years of rehabilitation. During this time Reitz's niece, Sara, was undergoing treatment for cancer. The two were instrumental in each other's recovery and elements of Sara's drawings for Don were incorporated into his work, imbuing a graphic sensibility and a bold use of color, while his ability to physically manipulate clay was impaired. In 1988 Reitz moved to a ranch in Clarksdale, Arizona, where he continued to work after his retirement from teaching, building kilns of various types including wood-fire and Anagama kilns, traveling to conduct workshops, and accepting commissions for large-scale commissions and public works. While in Arizona, Reitz developed a strong friendship with Japanese ceramicist Yukio Yamamoto, who had been teaching in Flagstaff, Arizona. Throughout his career Reitz received numerous accolades including being named Trustee Emeritus of the American Craft Council, and making the Ceramic Monthly Reader's Poll as One of Twelve Greatest Living Ceramic Artists Worldwide in 1988 and 2001. Reitz's works are featured in numerous private and museum collections including the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the High Museum of Art. Don Reitz passed in 2014 after suffering from a series of heart attacks and related surgeries.

Related Materials:

Also found at the Archives of American art is an oral history interview with Don Reitz, 2006 June 6-7, conducted by Mija Riedel.

Provenance:

Donated in 2017 by Brent Reitz, Don Reitz's son.

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. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate copy requires advance notice.

Rights:

The Don Reitz 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:

Ceramicists -- Arizona  Search this

Topic:

Ceramics -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Photographs

Sketches

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Don Reitz papers, circa 1935-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.reitdon

See more items in:

Don Reitz Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-reitdon

Interviewer:

Parsons, Anne Bowen  Search this

Names:

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

Club (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Federal Art Project  Search this

Baker, Mildred, 1905-  Search this

Barnet, Will, 1911-2012  Search this

Benson, Emanuel, 1904-1971  Search this

Brooks, James, 1906-1992  Search this

Burlin, Paul, 1886-1969  Search this

Cavallon, Giorgio, 1904-1989  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this

Geist, Sidney  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this

Greene, Balcomb, 1904-1990  Search this

Gwathmey, Robert, 1903-1988  Search this

Hacker, Seymour  Search this

Holty, Carl, 1900-1973  Search this

Holtzman, Harry  Search this

Kadish, Reuben, 1913-1992  Search this

Krasner, Lee, 1908-1984  Search this

Lasker, Joe  Search this

Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003  Search this

Levine, Jack, 1915-2010  Search this

Marca-Relli, Conrad, 1913-2000  Search this

McNeil, George, 1908-1995  Search this

Miller, Dorothy Canning, 1904-2003  Search this

Morris, George L. K., 1905-1975  Search this

Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986  Search this

Pavia, Philip, 1915-2005  Search this

Schanker, Louis, 1903-1981  Search this

Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this

Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997  Search this

Thaw, Eugene Victor  Search this

Tworkov, Jack  Search this

Vicente, Esteban, 1903-2001  Search this

Extent:

30 Items (transcripts)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Date:

1967-1968

Scope and Contents:

The interviews are of artists, educators, art administrators, and dealers. Topics covered include the Federal Art Project, the Artists' Union, the Club, the influence of French emigre artists, and political activism among artists. The transcripts range from 1 to 4 pages in length.

Interviewees include: Mildred Baker, Will Barnet, Emanuel Benson, James Brooks, Paul Burlin, Giorgio Cavallon, Willem de Kooning, Jimmy Ernst, Sidney Geist, Adolph Gottlieb, Balcomb Greene, Robert Gwathmey, Seymour Hacker, Carl Holty, Harry Holtzman, Reuben Kadish, Lee Krasner, Joe Lasker, Ibram Lassaw, Jack Levine, Conrad Marca-Relli, George McNeil, Dorothy Canning Miller, George L.K. Morris, Reuben Nakian, Phillip Pavia, Louis Schanker, Ben Shahn, Theodoros Stamos, Eugene Victor Thaw, Jack Tworkov, and Esteban Vincente.

Provenance:

Donated in 1985 by Anne Bowen Parsons' son, Randall T. Parsons.

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.

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

Art and state  Search this

Artists -- Interviews  Search this

Art dealers -- Interviews  Search this

Art teachers -- Interviews  Search this

Museum curators -- Interviews  Search this

Museum directors -- Interviews  Search this

Painters -- Interviews  Search this

Printmakers -- Interviews  Search this

Publishers -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.parsanne

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-parsanne

Creator:

Di Mare, Dominic, 1932-  Search this

Names:

California College of Arts and Crafts (San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Palo Alto Arts Center  Search this

Susan Cummins Gallery  Search this

Extent:

3.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Sketches

Drawings

Date:

1950-2003

Summary:

The papers of Dominic Di Mare measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1950 to 2003. The collection provides an overview of Di Mare's career as a fiber artist through biographical information, correspondence, writings, printed material, artwork, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of Dominic Di Mare measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1950 to 2003. The collection provides an overview of Di Mare's career as a fiber artist through biographical information, correspondence, writings, printed material, artwork, and photographs. Of particular interest is the material concerning Di Mare's 1998 retrospective exhibition, including correspondence, a guest book, writings, publications, and photographs.

Biographical material includes award certificates from the American Craft Council and an extensive professional resumé. The correspondence series includes personal and professional correspondence as well as three folders of incoming and outgoing correspondence with the Susan Cummins Gallery, revealing the relationship that Di Mare had with the gallery during the 1990s. Writings include those by Di Mare and others. Of note are numerous artist statements and an illustrated journal from 1971. The printed material provides researchers with press clippings, exhibition catalogs, announcements, and published material on Di Mare, as well as other printed material on topics that Di Mare found of interest, including craft in education and the art of his colleagues. The artwork series includes many drawings, the highlight being a sketchbook of color drawings and diagrams spanning a thirty year period. The extensive collection of photographs include many portraits of Di Mare, photos of exhibitions, and numerous photos and slides of his artwork.

An unprocessed small addition of 0.4 linear feet consists of correspondence with colleagues, arts organizations, galleries, and museums regarding exhibitions and publications; photographs of De Mare at work and of works of art, including two flash drives containing images of works of art; exhibition catalogs and announcements; and one schematic drawing of an unidentified work by De Mare, 1990.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into six series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1987-2003 (box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1970-2002, undated (box 1; 7 folders)

Series 3: Writings, 1971-1977, undated (box 1; 7 folders)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1964-2003, undated (box 1-2; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 5: Artwork, 1950-1999, undated (box 3; 3 folders)

Series 6: Photographs, 1959-2001, undated (box 3-4; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 7: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1950-2003 (box 5; 0.4 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Fiber artist Dominic Di Mare was born in San Francisco, California, in 1932. He grew up working on his father's fishing boat and was artistically influenced by the process of making rope and fishing lines. After finishing high school, Di Mare attended the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and later received his art teaching certification at San Francisco State University. In 1960, Di Mare married Margaret Nef, bought his first loom, and began teaching at Francisco Junior High School. He and his wife had three children together, Marcello, Lorenzo, and Livia. A highly respected teacher, Di Mare taught at Francisco Junior High until 1976, when he left to work in his studio full-time.

A self taught fiber artist, Di Mare has explored, throughout his career, the imagery of the ocean and the shore. He works with fiber, wood, handmade paper, and small found objects to create unique sculptures. Since his first one person show at The Yarn Depot in 1963, Di Mare has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions and has been represented by the Anneberg Gallery and Braunstein Gallery in San Francisco, Florence Duhl Gallery in New York, and most recently the Susan Cummins Gallery in Mill Valley, California. In 1998 the Palo Alto Art Center curated "Dominic Di Mare: A Retrospective," which traveled throughout the country. In 1999 Di Mare received the American Crafts Council Gold Medal Award.

Related Material:

The Archives also has a transcribed interview of Dominic Di Mare, conducted June 4 and 10, 2002 by Signe Mayfield for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America. The interview was conducted in Di Mare's home in Tiburon, California.

Provenance:

Dominic Di Mare donated his papers in 2003 and 2013 to the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.

Rights:

The Dominic Di Mare 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.

Topic:

Sculptors -- California  Search this

Art -- Study and teaching -- California  Search this

Fiber artists -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Sketches

Drawings

Citation:

Dominic Di Mare papers, 1950-2003. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.dimadomi

See more items in:

Dominic Di Mare papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-dimadomi

Creator:

Di Suvero, Mark, 1933-  Search this

Names:

Socrates Sculpture Park  Search this

Lessick, Helen  Search this

Extent:

6.8 Linear feet

0.263 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Drawings

Photographs

Sound recordings

Interviews

Video recordings

Slides (photographs)

Date:

1934-2005

Summary:

The collection measures 6.8 linear feet and 0.263 GB, dates from 1934 to 2005, and documents the career of sculptor Mark di Suvero and family relationships. Found within the papers are biographical material; letters to and from di Suvero family members; scattered writings by di Suvero and Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero, the artist's sister, about Mark di Suvero; drawings; a file on the Socrates Sculpture Park; a file on artist Helen Lessick, an acquaintance of Mark di Suvero; exhibition files; printed material; photographs of the artist, artwork, and members of the di Suvero family; audio and video recordings of interviews with di Suvero; and promotional Tee Shirts. A portion of this collection is sealed.

Scope and Content Note:

The collection measures 6.8 linear feet (including sealed portions of the collection) and 0.263 GB, dates from 1934 to 2005, and documents the career of sculptor Mark di Suvero and the importance of his family relationships. Found within the papers are biographical material; letters to and from di Suvero family members; scattered writings by di Suvero and Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero, the artist's sister, about Mark di Suvero; drawings; a file on the Socrates Sculpture Park; a file on artist Helen Lessick, a friend of Mark di Suvero; exhibition files; printed material; photographs of the artist, artwork, and members of the di Suvero family; audio and video recordings of interviews with di Suvero; and promotional Tee Shirts. 57 folders of Mark di Suvero's letters to his brother Henry are sealed, as are 3 folders of letters to his sister Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero. Also sealed are a typescript for a book by di Suvero, a play script by Henry di Suvero, and family photographs, per the donor's request. All series contain annotations by the donor, Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero.

Arrangement:

The collection has been arranged into 11 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1941-2004 (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Letters, 1956-2005, undated (Box 1, 7, and -- Sealed Box 6, 8, OV 10; -- 1.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Notes and Writings, 1961-2005, undated (Box 1, and -- Sealed Box 6 -- ; 15 folders)

Series 4: Drawings, 1983, undated (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 5: Socrates Sculpture Park File, 1985-2004, undated (Box 1-2, 7; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 6: Helen Lessick File, 1986-2004 (Box 2, 7; 6 folders)

Series 7: Exhibition Files, 1975-2003 (Box 2-3, 7; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1958-2004, undated (Box 3-4, 7, OV 9; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 9: Photographs, 1934-2004, undated (Box 4-5, -- Sealed Box 6; -- 37 folders, 0.263 GB; ER01)

Series 10: Audio and Video Recordings, 1982-1994, undated (Box 5; 7 folders)

Series 11: Promotional Tee Shirts, 1978-2001 (Box 7; 2 folders)

All series have been arranged chronologically. Unrestricted material is housed in Boxes 1-5, 7 (Sol), and OV 9. Sealed material is housed in Boxes 6, 8 (Sol), and OV 10.

Biographical Note:

Mark di Suvero was born September 18, 1933, in Shanghai, China, the son of Matilde Millo di Suvero and Victor E. di Suvero, an Italian diplomat. He was one of four children: Victor M., the eldest, Marie Louise, Mark, and the youngest son Henry. With the outbreak of World War II, the family immigrated to San Francisco, California, in 1941.

Mark di Suvero studied fine arts and philosophy at the San Francisco City College from 1953 to 1954, and attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, from 1954-1955, where he began creating sculpture. In 1956, he received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. The following year, di Suvero moved to New York City to establish a career as a sculptor.

Shortly before his first solo exhibition at the Green Gallery in 1960, di Suvero suffered severe spinal injuries when he was pinned against an elevator shaft in a construction accident. Initially confined to a wheelchair for two years, di Suvero persevered in overcoming his injuries and continuing his work.

In protest of the Vietnam War, di Suvero left the United States in 1971, and exhibited his sculpture in Holland and Germany. A year later, he established a painting and drawing studio in Venice, where he also taught at the Università Internazionale dell'Arte, and, in 1973, he moved to France. Also during this time, di Suvero married Maria Teresa Capparotta, an architect, whom he later divorced.

The Whitney Museum of American Art honored Mark di Suvero in 1975 with the first retrospective and first American city-wide exhibition of his work, in New York City. At this time, di Suvero began working with a team in assembling his sculpture, first with Lowell McKegney, and later joined by his nephews Enrico and Matteo Martignoni.

In 1977, di Suvero founded the Athena Foundation to award grants to artists. In 1986, in conjunction with the Athena Foundation and with Enrico Martignoni, he created the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, New York, an outdoor space where sculptors are invited to create and exhibit their work. With Marcel Evrard in 1988, di Suvero created a foundation entitled La Vie des Formes (The Life of Forms) in the shipyards at Chalon-sur-Saône, France. Based upon the model of Socrates Sculpture Park, this organization hosted artists in studio and exhibition spaces at the shipyard and on di Suvero's converted canal barge Rêve des Signes, that was moored alongside.

Included in most major international gallery collections, Mark di Suvero's art work has also been the focus of major solo exhibitions including two at Storm King, and international city-wide exhibitions in Duisberg and Stuttgart in Germany, Chalon-sur-Saône, Paris, Valence, and Nice in France, and Valencia in Spain. During the summer of 1995, di Suvero was honored with a major installation of seven pieces along the Grand Canal to coincide with the Venice Biennale's 100th anniversary.

In 1993, Mark di Suvero married Kate Levin, Ph.D., a professor at the City University of New York and Commissioner of the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. Di Suvero and Levin have a daughter named Veri. At present, di Suvero maintains studios in Petaluma, California, Long Island City, New York, and Chalon-sur-Saône, France.

Provenance:

The Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family papers were donated in 2004 and 2005 by Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero, the artist's sister. After donation, the donor requested that a portion of the papers be sealed (no access) until 2033. The sealed portion includes family letters, a typescript for a book, a play script, and family photographs.

Restrictions:

A portion of the the collection is open for research, Boxes 1-5, 7, and OV 9. Use requires an appointment. A portion of the collection (Boxes 6, 8, OV 10) is SEALED and unavailable for research.

Rights:

The Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family 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.

Topic:

Works of art  Search this

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

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Photographs

Sound recordings

Interviews

Video recordings

Slides (photographs)

Citation:

Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family papers, 1934-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.disumark

See more items in:

Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-disumark

Creator:

Gray, Cleve  Search this

Names:

Berry-Hill Galleries  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

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

Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this

Neuberger Museum of Art  Search this

Pratt Institute  Search this

Princeton University  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design  Search this

Barzun, Jacques  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Davis, Jim, 1901-1974  Search this

Dillenberger, Jane  Search this

Duchanp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this

Gabo, Naum, 1890-1977  Search this

Grace, Louise N.  Search this

Gray, Francine du Plessix  Search this

Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Richter, Hans, 1888-1976  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Villon, Jacques, 1875-1963  Search this

Weber, Nicholas Fox, 1947-  Search this

Extent:

9.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Date:

1933-2005

Summary:

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

Scope and Content Note:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 8 series:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biographical Note:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Separated Material:

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

Provenance:

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

Restrictions:

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

Rights:

The Cleve Gray 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:

Painters  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

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

Women artists -- Photographs  Search this

Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975 -- Protest Movements -- United States  Search this

Sculptors  Search this

Designers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Citation:

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

Identifier:

AAA.grayclev

See more items in:

Cleve Gray papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-grayclev

Film producer:

Romero, Victor  Search this

Film director:

Romero, Christine Solinski  Search this

Names:

United States. Department of the Interior  Search this

Houser, Allan, 1914-1994  Search this

Extent:

6 Film reels (16mm)

3 Sound tape reels (1/4 inch)

5 Videocassettes (Betacam)

0.25 Linear feet

Culture:

Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache (New Mexico)  Search this

Zia Pueblo  Search this

Diné (Navajo)  Search this

Potawatomi  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Film reels

Sound tape reels

Videocassettes (betacam)

Date:

May 12, 1992

Summary:

This collection contains an unpublished documentary film shot on May 12, 1992 that depicts an interview with artist Allan Houser [Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache (New Mexico)] discussing his remembrances of painting murals at the U.S. Department of the Interior headquarters in Washington, DC in 1939-1940. The film was shot by Victor Romero (Isleta Pueblo) and Christine Romero.

Scope and Contents:

This collection contains an unpublished documentary film that was shot by filmmakers Victor Romero (Isleta Pueblo) and Christine Romero, which depicts an interview with artist Allan Houser [Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache (New Mexico)]. The footage was shot on May 12, 1992 in the Department of the Interior penthouse in Washington, DC with Houser providing remembrances of his life and his perspective of painting murals there in 1939-1940 as part of the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture public art program. In the documentary, Houser views the murals for the first time since he painted them 50 years before and recalls his experiences with fellow artists- Velino Shije Herrera (Zia Pueblo), Gerald Nailor [Diné (Navajo)], and Woody Crumbo (Potawatomi)- who were painting their own murals in the penthouse at the same time. At the time of filming, the penthouse was closed and off-limits and the murals were about to undergo restoration.

The materials in this collection include six 16mm processed film reels; three 1/4" sound reels; three BetacamSP transfers of reels 1 through 6; a BetacamSP master of a 2:30 promo edit; a BetacamSP transfer of music by David Spotted Eagle licensed for the promo; an interview transcript; a log of avid bins; a disc of avid bins; and other textual documents.

Victor E. Romero served as the Producer, Christine Solinski Romero as Director, Gary Geboy as Cinematographer, and Haven McKinney as the Audio Recordist. Unfortunately, the Kodak film stock they used was defective and the footage turned out grainy, while the audio of the interview turned out clear. Subsequently, the intended documentary about the restoration of the murals was not completed other than a short demo reel.

Arrangement:

Materials are arranged by media.

Allan Houser and the Department of the Interior Murals:

Allan Houser is considered one of the most renown Native American painters and sculptors of the 20th century. Born Allan Capron Houser (originally Haozous) on June 30, 1914 near Apache, Oklahoma, Houser was a member of the Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache tribe.

He left Oklahoma in 1934 to study painting with Dorothy Dunn at her Santa Fe Indian School and remained a student there until 1938. In addition to painting murals at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. in 1939, he also painted murals for the Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco and the New York World's Fair.

In 1940, Houser studied with Swedish artist Olle Nordmark at the Fort Sill Indian School art program and was encouraged to take up sculpture. Eight years later, the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas commissioned his first sculpture, Comrades in the Mourning. Houser taught art at Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City, Utah beginning in 1952 and left in 1962 to teach sculpture at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He retired from academic life in 1975. Allan Houser died in Santa Fe in 1994.

The murals that are depicted in this documentary were commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture public art program, which was often referred to as the "Section." Created in 1934 during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, the program was designed to increase employment for artists. The Section artists were commissioned to create art to decorate public buildings often in the form of murals or reliefs. At the Department of the Interior headquarters in Washington, DC, six artists were commissioned from five tribes including artists Velino Shije Herrera (Ma Pe Wi [Red Bird]), Zia Pueblo, 1902-1973; Gerald Nailor (To Yah), Diné (Navajo), 1917-1952; and Woody Crumbo (Woodrow Wilson Crumbo), Potawatomi [Oklahoma], 1912-1989. The Section program was discontinued in 1943.

Victor and Christine Romero:

Victor Eugene Romero (Pueblo of Isleta) is a graduate of New Mexico State University (BA, Journalism and Mass Communications, 1976). Following a stint as an independent video producer, Victor transitioned to a career at the U.S. Census Bureau, including varied service as manager of video/photo/radio production, and team leader for promotions and branding initiatives. His high-level contributions feature extensive work on Census 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020.

Christine Solinski Romero is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (BS, Radio-TV-Film, 1976). Her extensive documentary production credits as Producer, Director, Editor include programs for PBS, National Geographic Television, Discovery Channel, Smithsonian Channel, and an award-winning independent documentary feature, Besa: The Promise, the story of Albanians Muslims who protected refugee Jews during the Holocaust. In 2012, Christine transitioned to a career as a Yoga Instructor and Therapist.

Provenance:

Gift of Victor and Christine Romero, 2019.

Restrictions:

Access to the media materials in this collection are closed until the materials have been digitized. Textual materials are available to view for reference purposes only. Access to NMAI Archives Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Rights:

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu.

Topic:

American Indian art and culture  Search this

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Victor and Christine Romero film of Allan Houser, box # and folder #, NMAI.AC.401; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAI.AC.401

See more items in:

Victor and Christine Romero film of Allan Houser

Archival Repository:

National Museum of the American Indian

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-401

Creator:

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2018-10-12T00:03:47.000Z

YouTube Category:

Travel & Events  Search this

Topic:

Cultural property  Search this

See more by:

smithsonianfolklife

Data Source:

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

YouTube Channel:

smithsonianfolklife

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_Yz6RRQzPxLQ

Creator:

Archives of American Art  Search this

Type:

Interviews

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2020-05-29T19:17:14.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAAA

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAAA

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt__sd_mNOa5iE

Creator:

Archives of American Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2009-06-23T14:24:25.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAAA

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAAA

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_q0XG66fdVEE

Collection Creator:

Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Extent:

1 Sound recording

Type:

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Date:

1975 March 4-1975 March 6

General note:

DPA number RA.75.180

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Where a listening copy or viewing copy has been created, this is indicated in the respective inventory; additional materials may be accessible with sufficient advance notice and, in some cases, payment of a processing fee. Older papers are housed at a remote location and may require a minimum of three weeks' advance notice and payment of a retrieval fee. Certain formats such as multi-track audio recordings and EIAJ-1 videoreels (1/2 inch) may not be accessible. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright and other restrictions may apply. Generally, materials created during a Festival are covered by a release signed by each participant permitting their use for personal and educational purposes; materials created as part of the fieldwork leading to a Festival may be more restricted. We permit and encourage such personal and educational use of those materials provided digitally here, without special permissions. Use of any materials for publication, commercial use, or distribution requires a license from the Archives. Licensing fees may apply in addition to any processing fees.

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

CFCH.SFF.1975, Item FP-1975-CT-0593

See more items in:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife / Series 8: Regional America / 8.1: Fieldwork

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-sff-1975-ref3133

Creator:

Kolin, Sacha, 1911-1981  Search this

Extent:

3.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketchbooks

Video recordings

Date:

ca. 1950-1980

Scope and Contents:

Papers of sculptor and painter Sacha Kolin date ca. 1950-1980, and include: ca. 250 photographs and snapshots; 24 boxes of color slides; photographic negatives; 9 reels of compiled Super 8mm film transferred to 2 VHS videos and 2 betacam masters showing Kolin, her work, installations, outdoor sculpture and outdoor scenes; photocopies of papers from Julian Kolin; copies of correspondence and appraisals; ten sketchbooks; an address book; exhibition announcements, 1980; and catalogs from her retrospective exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, N.Y..

Biographical / Historical:

Painter, sculptor; New York, N.Y. Kolin was born in Paris, France in 1911. She grew up in Vienna, Austria, attending the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule (1930) and the Academy of Fine Arts (1931-32). In 1933 she moved to Paris, and studied with Naoum Aronson (a stone carver for Auguste Rodin). In 1935 she became the youngest full member of the Nationale Societe des Beaux Arts. In December 1936 she immigrated to New York and participated in many one-person and group exhibitions. She was the recipient in 1973 of a Mark Rothko Foundation grant award.

Provenance:

Donated 2000 by the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University.

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:

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

Painters -- France -- Paris  Search this

Sculptors -- France -- Paris  Search this

Topic:

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Women artists -- France -- Paris  Search this

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

Genre/Form:

Sketchbooks

Video recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for the preservation and transfer of motion picture film provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.kolisach

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kolisach

Creator:

Medellin, Octavio, 1907 or 1908-1999  Search this

Names:

Gonzalez, Xavier, 1898-1993  Search this

Mérida, Carlos, 1891-1984  Search this

Extent:

3.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Photographs

Videorecordings

Date:

circa 1935-circa 1979

Summary:

The papers of painter, sculptor, and educator Octavio Medellin measure 3.6 linear feet and date from circa 1935 to circa 1979. The collection is comprised of correspondence with Carlos Mérida, Stanley Marcus, Lucy Maverick, Bess Hubbard, Xavier Gonzalez, and others; commission files for projects in Texas; professional files that include notes, biographical essays, and material for the Medellin School of Sculpture, Mendocino Art Center, International Institute of Arts and Letters, and the San Antonio Religious Show; printed and documentary materials consisting of an art reproduction, booklets, exhibition catalogs, magazines and yearbooks, and video recordings of Swank in the Arts; and photographic materials of Medellin, his studio, family and friends, travel in Mexico, his students, and works of art.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter, sculptor, and educator Octavio Medellin measure 3.6 linear feet and date from circa 1935 to circa 1979. The collection is comprised of correspondence with Carlos Mérida, Stanley Marcus, Lucy Maverick, Bess Hubbard, Xavier Gonzalez, and others; commission files for projects in Texas; professional files that include notes, biographical essays, and material for the Medellin School of Sculpture, Mendocino Art Center, International Institute of Arts and Letters, and the San Antonio Religious Show; printed and documentary materials consisting of an art reproduction, booklets, exhibition catalogs, magazines and yearbooks, and video recordings of Swank in the Arts; and photographic materials of Medellin, his studio, family and friends, travel in Mexico, his students, and works of art.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as five series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1939-1978 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 2: Commission Files, 1950-1973 (Box 1, OV 6; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Professional Files, circa 1950-circa 1979 (Box 1, OV 5; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed and Documentary Materials, 1936-1979 (Boxes 1-2; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 5: Photographic Materials, circa 1935-circa 1979 (Boxes 2-4, OV 5; 1.8 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Octavio Medellin (1907-1999) was a painter, sculptor, and educator in Dallas, Texas. Medellin was born in Matehuala, Mexico to parents of Otomi heritage. His family moved to San Antonio, Texas when he was eight years old and he became a citizen of the U.S. in 1939. Medellin attended the San Antonio Art School with classmate Xavier Gonzalez and studied with José Arpa. He also studied at the Chicago Art Institute for a short time. Medellin returned to Mexico in order to study the arts, culture, and history of the country and was greatly influenced by the Mayan and Toltec ruins and artifacts he saw there. He returned to San Antonio in 1931 where he taught at the Witte Museum. Under the sponsorship of Lucy Maverick, an artist he met at La Villita Art Gallery who was involved in the historic preservation of San Antonio, Medellin returned to Mexico a few years later to visit the Yucatan region of the country. In 1966, Medellin opened the Medellin School of Sculpture that is now the Creative Arts Center of Dallas. He also taught at North Texas State University and the Dallas Museum of Art. He completed numerous commissions in the state of Texas including a monument at Calvary Hill Cemetery, a sculpture for the Houston Police Administration, mosaics and carvings for St. Andrew's Catholic Church and St. Bernard Catholic Church, and decorations for the sanctuary in Temple Emanu-el.

Medellin retired from teaching in 1979 and moved with his wife Consuelo to Bandera, Texas. He and his wife had two children, Patsy and Sergio. Medellin died in Dallas in 1999. He was buried in Calvary Hill Cemetery near his commissioned monument, The Garden of the Glorious Mysteries.

Related Materials:

Additional Octavio Medellin papers are at Syracuse University, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse, New York, and the Southern Methodist University Bywaters Special Collections at the Hamon Arts Library, Dallas, Texas.

Provenance:

The collection was donated from 1981 to 1983 by Octavio Medellin.

Restrictions:

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

Occupation:

Painters -- Texas -- Dallas  Search this

Sculptors -- Texas -- Dallas  Search this

Topic:

Painting, American  Search this

Public sculpture -- Texas -- Dallas  Search this

Hispanic American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Photographs

Videorecordings

Citation:

Octavio Medellin papers, circa 1935-circa 1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.

Identifier:

AAA.medeocta

See more items in:

Octavio Medellin papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-medeocta

Creator:

Butterfield, Jan  Search this

Names:

Lapis Press  Search this

Pacific Enterprises  Search this

Bell, Larry, 1939-  Search this

Bischoff, Elmer, 1916-1991  Search this

Dugmore, Edward, 1915-  Search this

Francis, Sam, 1923-1994  Search this

Gehry, Frank O., 1929-  Search this

Goode, Joe, 1937-  Search this

Greene, George  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Harrison, Helen Mayer, 1929-  Search this

Harrison, Newton, 1932-  Search this

Hopkins, Henry, 1928-2009  Search this

Hudson, Robert, 1938-  Search this

Irwin, Robert, 1928-  Search this

Karp, Michael  Search this

Kienholz, Edward, 1927-  Search this

Nauman, Bruce, 1941-  Search this

Nordman, Maria  Search this

Orr, Eric, 1939-1998  Search this

Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008  Search this

Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this

Resnick, Milton, 1917-2004  Search this

Roche, Jim  Search this

Ruscha, Edward  Search this

Shaw, Richard, 1941 Sept. 12-  Search this

Still, Clyfford, 1904-1980  Search this

Turrell, James  Search this

Wheeler, Douglas  Search this

Wortz, E.  Search this

Wortz, Melinda  Search this

Young, R. Joshua  Search this

Interviewee:

Cage, John, 1912-1992  Search this

Extent:

15 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Transcripts

Interviews

Scrapbooks

Date:

1950-1997

Summary:

The papers of Jan Butterfield measure 15 linear feet and date from circa 1950 to 1997. Papers contain hundreds of recorded interviews with and lectures by artists, panel discussions of artists and art historians, as well as extensive writings by Butterfield. Also found are project files, personal business records, printed materials, photographs, and additional sound and video recordings related to art subjects.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Jan Butterfield measure 15 linear feet and date from circa 1950 to 1997. Papers contain hundreds of recorded interviews with and lectures by artists, panel discussions of artists and art historians, as well as extensive writings by Butterfield. Also found are project files, personal business records, printed materials, photographs, and additional sound and video recordings related to art subjects.

Interviews and Lectures include hundreds of interviews conducted by Butterfield between 1971 and 1987 with contemporary artists about whom she was writing at the time. The artists Robert Irwin and Sam Francis are represented particularly well. Also found are slide talks, class discussions, and lectures given by artists, which are assumed to have been recorded by Butterfield in most cases. Also among the recordings are recorded performances by John Cage, Joe Goode, Newton and Helen Harrison, Jim Roche, and George Greene. Panel discussions include two notable recordings involving Milton Resnick, one with the painter Edward Dugmore in 1959, and the other with the painter Ad Reinhardt at The Club in 1961, which was later dubbed "The Attack."

The bulk of the writings relate to Butterfield's published work The Art of Light and Space, represented here in multiple drafts, research, and photographs of works of art by the artists discussed in the work including Robert Irwin, James Turrell, Maria Nordman, Douglas Wheeler, Bruce Nauman, Eric Orr, Larry Bell, DeWain Valentine, Susan Kaiser Vogel, and Hap Tivey. Also found are extensive drafts and research for catalog essays for exhibitions of Larry Bell, Richard Shaw, Robert Hudson, and Elmer Bischoff. Drafts of articles and publicity writing are mainly about artists but also some galleries and other art events. There are a few transcripts of recorded interviews, and it appears that many of the writings are based on Butterfield's interviews.

Project files include records relating to Butterfield's involvement with the production of a catalog for the corporate art collection of Pacific Enterprises. These also include additional artist interviews and artist files containing research and writing, mainly by her associate Michael Karp. Also found are photographs and sound recordings for the Waterfront Project at the San Francisco Art Institute, an interdisciplinary community-centered development project that involved Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, Melinda Wortz, Eric Orr, Dr. E. Wortz, Frank Gehry, Newton and Helen Harrison, Josh Young, and students at the Art Institute. And finally, project files include photographs, interviews, and printed material related to publications of Lapis Press, where Butterfield was Executive Director.

Personal business records include correspondence, price lists, financial records, notes, press releases, and career documentation of Butterfield. Printed materials include articles by Butterfield, articles about Butterfield, and articles by Henry Hopkins, most of which are photocopies. There are also clippings, exhibition catalogs, exhibition posters, and publicity. Of note is a disassembled scrapbook pertaining to the controversial Ed Kienholz exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1966, and a directory of art spaces in Los Angeles from 1978.

Most of the photographs are of works of art by artists about whom Butterfield wrote. Also found are a few files of photographs of artists, some taken by Butterfield, including Philip Guston, Ed Kienholz, Henry Hopkins with Clyfford Still, Robert Irwin, Robert Rauschenberg, and James Turrell. Additional video and sound recordings include artist installations, a documentary on Sam Francis, and an acoustiguide for an Ed Ruscha exhibition.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 7 series.

Series 1: Interviews and Lectures (Boxes 1-5; 4.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Writings (Boxes 5-7, 16, OV 17; 3.7 linear feet)

Series 3: Project Files (Boxes 8-10, 16; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 4: Personal Business Records (Boxes 10-11, OV 17-19; 1.1 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Materials (Boxes 11-12, 16, OV 17-19; 1.8 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs (Boxes 12-14, 16; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 7: Sound and Video Recordings (Box 15; 0.4 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Jan Butterfield (1937-2000) was an art writer and critic of contemporary art who spent most of her career in California. She is best known for her writings on late twentieth century installation and craft artists, particularly those who worked in California and the American West.

Butterfield was born Jan Van Alstine in Los Angeles, California in 1937 and attended the Univeristy of California, Los Angeles. She received numerous fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts as an art critic, and contributed art writing to dozens of exhibition catalogs and art publications including Art International, Images and Issues, Art News, Art in America, and Flash Art. Her most ambitious work of writing was The Art of Light and Space (Abbeville Press: 1993), which profiles the work of contemporary artists Robert Irwin, James Turrell, Maria Nordman, Douglas Wheeler, Bruce Nauman, Eric Orr, Larry Bell, DeWain Valentine, Susan Kaiser Vogel, and Hap Tivey. She was also the author of a 1972 monograph of the Abstract Expressionist painter Sam Francis.

Butterfield held positions in public relations at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from its opening until 1970, and at the Fort Worth Art Museum from 1970 to 1974. She taught at Northwood Experimental Art Institute in Dallas, Texas, the San Francisco Art Institute, San Jose State University, and Mills College in Oakland, California between 1973 and 1983. At the San Francisco Art Institute, she was Director of the extension program and Coordinator of the visiting artist program and the Waterfront Project between 1976 and 1978. In 1984, Butterfield and the artist Sam Francis co-founded the Lapis Press, where she served as Executive Director from its founding until 1988.

Butterfield was married twice, the second time to Henry Hopkins, Museum Director at LACMA, the Museum of Fine Art of Houston, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She died in 2000 after an extended illness.

Related Materials:

Also found among the collections of the Archives of American Art is a 1981 panel discussion on Bay area art criticism sponsored by the National Women's Caucus for Art, in which Butterfield participated, as well as an oral history interview Butterfield conducted with Helen Lundeberg for the Archives' Oral History Program in 1980.

Separated Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reel 1042 including two volumes of scrapbooks. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

Jan Butterfield lent material in 1975 for microfilming. She donated the Robert Irwin material in 1980 of and most of the interviews and audio tapes in 1989. An additional 12 feet of papers, including some material previously loaned and microfilmed, along with two additional audio tapes, were donated by Butterfield's brother, and Trustee of the Jan Butterfield Trust, Derek Van Alstine in 2002.

Restrictions:

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

Rights:

The Jan Butterfield 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.

Topic:

Art historians -- California  Search this

Authors -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Art critics -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Transcripts

Interviews

Scrapbooks

Citation:

Jan Butterfield papers, 1959-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources "Hidden Collections" grant program.

Identifier:

AAA.buttjan

See more items in:

Jan Butterfield papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-buttjan

Collection Creator:

Butterfield, Jan  Search this

Extent:

9 Sound cassettes (microcassette)

Container:

Box 8, Folder 24-26

Type:

Archival materials

Sound cassettes (microcassette)

Date:

circa 1990

Scope and Contents:

Microcassette 1 of 9

John Millei

Sam Maloof

David Ireland

Ron Cooper

Microcassette 2 of 9

Ron Cooper -- (continued)

Lita Albuquerque

Gus Foster

David Kimball Anderson

Robert Arneson

Unidentified sculptor

David Pearson

Louis Pearson

Microcassette 3 of 9

Louis Pearson -- (continued)

Guy Dill

Laddie Dill

Microcassette 4 of 9

James Morris

Howard Buchwald

Dean Johnson

Ann Adair

Microcassette 5 of 9

Add Adair -- (continued)

Tom Marioni

James Linnehan

Annette McCormick

Tim Mather

Microcassette 6 of 9

Gillian Theobald -- (Note with Theobald's name indicates this may be part 2 of this interview, but no part 1 is extant.)

Keith Milow

Norma Pechansky Glasser

Zizi Raymond

Rosaline Delisle

Marilyn Levine

Nelson Valentine

Frank Romero

Peter Alexander

Yoshio Taylor

Microcassette 7 of 9

Gretchen Ewart -- (Note by Ewart's name indicates this is part 2 of the interview, but no part 1 is extant.)

Skip Miller

Buelbo (?)

Richard Deutsch

Tom Ashcraft

Microcassette 8 of 9

Inez Storer

Jean Lowe

Eleane Grove

Andrew Ginzel

Kristen Jones

Charles Arnoldi

Microcassette 9 of 9

Charles Arnoldi -- (continued)

Fran Martin

Paul Sarkisian

Carol Sarkisian

Steven Beye

Collection Restrictions:

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

Collection Rights:

The Jan Butterfield 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.

Collection Citation:

Jan Butterfield papers, 1959-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources "Hidden Collections" grant program.

See more items in:

Jan Butterfield papers

Jan Butterfield papers / Series 3: Project Files / 3.1: The Art Collection of Pacific Enterprises Artist Files and Interviews

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-buttjan-ref417

Creator:

National Portrait Gallery  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2014-12-18T15:29:27.000Z

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_7tZah-bIxpk

Creator:

Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this

Topic:

Decorative arts  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7352

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209506

AAA_collcode_castwend

Theme:

Lives of American Artists

Craft

Architecture & Design

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209506