Search Results

Interviewee:

Biddle, George, 1885-  Search this

Interviewer:

Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington),, 1920-  Search this

Subject:

Bacon, Peggy  Search this

Benton, Thomas Hart  Search this

Billings, Henry  Search this

Bruce, Edward  Search this

Cahill, Holger  Search this

Demuth, Charles  Search this

Evergood, Philip  Search this

Grosz, George  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor  Search this

Hartley, Marsden  Search this

Marsh, Reginald  Search this

Miller, Kenneth Hayes  Search this

Orozco, José Clemente  Search this

Rivera, Diego  Search this

Robinson, Boardman  Search this

Siqueiros, David Alfaro  Search this

Sterne, Maurice  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred  Search this

Tamayo, Rufino  Search this

Weber, Max  Search this

Zorach, William  Search this

Cassatt, Mary  Search this

Pascin, Jules  Search this

Poor, Henry Varnum  Search this

Curry, John Steuart  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

Kroll, Leon  Search this

Zorach, William  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with George Biddle, 1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art -- Censorship  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

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

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

Theme:

New Deal  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)12696

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213269

AAA_collcode_biddle63

Theme:

New Deal

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_213269

Interviewee:

Zogbaum, Wilfrid Meynell, 1915-1965  Search this

Interviewer:

Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Wilfrid Zogbaum, 1964 November 2. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

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

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11800

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214140

AAA_collcode_zogbau64

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_214140

Creator:

Bry, Edith  Search this

Extent:

1.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1914-1969

Summary:

The papers of Edith Bry measure 1.3 linear foot and date from 1914 to 1969. The papers document her art career and her activities with the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors through biographical material, correspondence, writings and notes, personal business records, printed material, photographs, artwork, and two scrapbooks.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Edith Bry measure 1.3 linear foot and date from 1914 to 1969. The papers document her art career and her activities with the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors through biographical material, correspondence, writings and notes, personal business records, printed material, photographs, artwork, and two scrapbooks.

Correspondence from friends and colleagues largely discusses Bry's artwork and activity within committees and organizations. Correspondents include John Taylor Arms, Alfred H. Barr, Marc Blitzstein, Adolf Dehn, Alma Dettinger, George Gershwin, Adolph Gottlieb, Marsden Hartley, Ruth Lembeck, Abraham Rattner, Sigmund Romberg, C. L. Sulzberger, Louis Untermeyer, John von Wicht, Stow Wengenroth, Harold Weston, and others.

Writings include notes on various techniques and materials used by Bry in her artwork. An etching is by Hermann Struck and a doodle is by Adolph Gottlieb. Two mixed media scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and exhibition announcements and catalogs spanning Bry's career from 1922 to 1967.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Series 1: Edith Bry papers, 1914-1967 (Boxes 1-3; 1.0 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Edith Bry (1898-1991) was an assemblage artist, collagist, painter, and lithographer active in New York City, New York.

Edith Bry was born in 1898 in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to New York City to study art. She began her career making batik and went on to produce oil paintings, enamels, mosaics, jewelry, lithographs, stained glass, collages, assemblage works, woodcuts and silkscreen prints. Later in life, she became an officer with the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors.

Bry married Maurice Shevelson Benjamin and together they had one child, Bry Benjamin. Edith Bry died in 1991 at her apartment located in the Beresford along Central Park in New York City, New York.

Provenance:

Edith Bry loaned her papers for microfilming and later donated them to the Archives of American Art from 1969 to 1976.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Occupation:

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

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

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

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

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women printmakers  Search this

Citation:

Edith Bry papers, 1914-1969. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.bryeditp

See more items in:

Edith Bry papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c9118b41-c9d2-41b8-94c4-84cf02a39cd5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bryeditp

Creator:

DeMonte, Claudia, 1947-  Search this

McGowin, Ed, 1938-  Search this

Extent:

7.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Date:

1960-2018

Summary:

The papers of Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin measure 7.2 linear feet and date between 1960 and 2018. The papers primarily document Claudia DeMonte's career as a painter, and to a lesser extent her husband's career, through correspondence with family, friends, colleagues, and art institutions; notebooks, poetry, and other writings; scrapbooks; curriculum vitas, awards and certificates, commissions, and other professional activity; exhibition announcements and catalogs, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and other printed material; sketchbooks and other artwork; personal photographs, portraits, of artwork, and other photographic material.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin measure 7.2 linear feet and date between 1960 and 2018. The papers primarily document Claudia DeMonte's career as a painter, and to a lesser extent her husband's career, through correspondence with family, friends, colleagues, and art institutions; notebooks, poetry, and other writings; scrapbooks; curriculum vitas, awards and certificates, commissions, and other professional activity; exhibition announcements and catalogs, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and other printed material; sketchbooks and other artwork; personal photographs, portraits, of artwork, and other photographic material.

Correspondence includes letters and postcards to and from family, friends, colleagues, and art institutions.

Writings includes a file of poetry written by DeMonte, manuscripts of books written by DeMonte, and a series of notebooks. Some of the notebooks are a combination of notes and sketches.

Scrapbooks consist of eight scrapbooks consisting of mixed material such as notes, photographs, sketches, and printed material.

Professional material consists of awards and certificates, a large number of calendars, commision work including an art project for the University of Northern Iowa completed by both DeMonte and McGowin, and a number of VHS and Betamax cassettes documenting DeMonte's career and interviews in connection with her Women of the World exhibition.

Printed material consists of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, exhibition announcements and catalogs, exhibition posters, and newsletters.

Artwork consists of a file of drawings and some sketchbooks.

Photographic material consists of photographs and slides of DeMonte, her artwork, and some of her exhibitions. There is also a file of photographs of DeMonte and McGowin at the White House with First Lady Laura Bush, and there are personal photographs of DeMonte and McGowin traveling and with family and friends.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into seven series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1967-2013 (1.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 2: Writings, 1975-2013 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1967-2009 (1.0 linear feet; Box 3, 9-10)

Series 4: Professional Activity Files, 1964-2013 (1.7 linear feet; Boxes 3-5, 9)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1960-2018 (1.9 linear feet; Boxes 5-7)

Series 6: Artwork, circa 1973 (0.1 linear feet; Box 7)

Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1977-2010 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 7-8)

Biographical / Historical:

Claudia DeMonte (1947- ) was born and raised in Astoria, New York City. She has more than 100 one-person shows and 600 group exhibitions nationally and internationally, including exhibitions at the Corcoran Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Mississippi Museum, Tucson Museum, Flint Institute of Art, Museum of the Southwest, etc.

Her work is in numerous museum permanent collections, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Stamford Museum, Boca Raton Museum, and in major corporate collections such as those of Hyatt Regency Hotels, Exxon, Citibank and Siemens. Her public commissions have come from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Brooklyn Library System, Queens Supreme Court, Prudential Life Insurance, the State of New Mexico, and New York City School Construction Authority.

DeMonte is also the curator of "Women of the World: A Global Collection of Art." This traveling exhibition, with accompanying books, includes works of women from 177 countries dealing with the images of women.

DeMonte's work is heavily influenced by her travels to over 80 countries, her interest in the roles of women in contemporary society and Outsider Art, a collection compiled with her husband, artist Ed McGowin.

For 33 years, DeMonte has served on the faculty of the University of Maryland, where she was named Distinguished Scholar Teacher and Professor Emerita. In 2006, She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the College of Santa Fe.

DeMonte presently lives with her husband in New York City and Kent, Connecticut.

Ed McGowin (1938- ) was born in 1938 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and grew up in Mississippi and Alabama, receiving the M.A. from the University of Alabama. He has had one-person exhibitions at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.; the Baltimore Museum; and the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris, France. Since 1979, McGowin has executed major outdoor commissions for numerous public and private organizations, often collaborating with his wife, Claudia DeMonte.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte conducted by Liza Kirwin between February 13 and April 24, 1991; and the Ed McGowin papers, 1962-1998.

Provenance:

The Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin papers were donated in 1994 by Claudia DeMonte and in 2020 by Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

Mixed-media artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Educators -- Maryland -- College Park  Search this

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

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

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Citation:

Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin papers, 1960-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.democlau

See more items in:

Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98cf90804-0751-4bb3-b276-8f730e83692b

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-democlau

Interviewee:

DeMonte, Claudia, 1947-  Search this

Interviewer:

Kirwin, Liza  Search this

Names:

Gracie Mansion Gallery  Search this

McGowin, Ed, 1938-  Search this

Extent:

54 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1991 February 13- April 24

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Claudia DeMonte conducted 1991 February 13-1991 April 24, by Liza Kirwin, for the Archives of American Art.

DeMonte recalls her childhood and growing up in Astoria, New York; her Italian heritage and Catholic education; her early work including the "trade pieces"; the calendar she produced for the Corcoran Gallery show "Five Plus One" in 1976; her marriage to artist Ed McGowin; moving from Washington, D.C. to New York; the making and meaning of her "Claudia dolls"; exhibiting at the Gracie Mansion Gallery; the art community in the East Village in the early 1980s; the dealer Gracie Mansion; gallery representation outside of New York; critical acceptance of her art; collecting the work of Southern self-taught artists and the influence of Sister Gertrude Morgan and James Son Ford Thomas; work methods and techniques; autobiographical and feminist themes; teaching at the university of Maryland from 1972 to the present; and new directions in her art.

Biographical / Historical:

Claudia DeMonte (1947- ) is a painter, mixed-media artist, and instructor of College Park, Maryland and New York, New York.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 22 min.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

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

Mixed-media artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Educators -- Maryland -- College Park  Search this

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

Topic:

Feminism  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.demont91

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90981449b-2ae6-48db-acbf-6aa8adbdf658

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-demont91

Interviewee:

Edelson, Mary Beth  Search this

Interviewer:

Richards, Judith Olch  Search this

Names:

Heresies Collective, Inc.  Search this

Extent:

4 Items (wav files (4 hr., 39 min.), digital)

80 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2009 February 1-16

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Mary Beth Edelson conducted 2009 February 1 and 16, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at Edelson's studio in New York, New York.

Biographical / Historical:

Mary Beth Edelson (1933-2021) was a feminist artist who lived and worked in New York, New York.

Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former Executive director of iCI in New York, New York. Edelson is considered a pioneer in the Feminist Art movement.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 40 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

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

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

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

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

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Women printmakers  Search this

Women performance artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.edelso09

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cd1b6dc5-e87c-475b-87d0-218e81a7b8af

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-edelso09

Interviewee:

Marisol, 1930-2016  Search this

Interviewer:

Roberts, Colette, 1910-  Search this

Names:

Art Students League (New York, N.Y.) -- Students  Search this

Club (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (France) -- Students  Search this

Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this

Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008  Search this

Extent:

1 Sound tape reel (Sound recording, 7 in.)

34 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound tape reels

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1968 Feb. 8

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Marisol conducted 1968 Feb. 8, by Colette Roberts, for the Archives of American Art.

In the interview Marisol speaks of her childhood spent both in Chile and France; the encouragement of her parents and teachers to draw freely; her progression from painting, to drawing, to collage and reliefs; the influence of Europeans, Matisse and Picasso, and American, Rauschenberg; her time spent in museums as a child and the subsequent exposure to DaVinci and Rembrandt; her art education, predominantly in New York at the Art Students League and briefly in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Art; her association with the Abstract Expressionists at the Club; the contrast of her work to the dream-based Surrealists; her first show for Castelli in 1957; her shows at the '62 and '64 annual exhibitions at the Stable; her more recent exhibitions for the Carnegie and Sidney Janis Gallery of The Beach and The Party; the origins of her wood drawings as a discovery while drawing lines to be sculpted upon wood; her experience working for the Daily Telegraph and completing portraits of historical figures such as Charles DeGalle; the literary influence of Dostoeveski, and more specifically Crime and Punishment; her recent apathy for visual entertainments and diversions (like the Ballet). Both in the interview and afterwards in a supplemental biographical addition Roberts and Marisol allude to her resistence to sit for interviews. The artist feels that she doesn't "have much to say."

Biographical / Historical:

Marisol (1930- ) is a sculptor in New York, N.Y. She was born in Paris to a Venezuelan family.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 15 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.

Restrictions:

Use requires an appointment.

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

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

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

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

Topic:

Latino and Latin American artists  Search this

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Surrealism  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

The digital preservation of this interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.

Identifier:

AAA.mariso68

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e444fa50-829d-4a34-b0f7-2d5a9faa81c4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-mariso68

Creator:

Zorach family  Search this

Subject:

Zorach, Tessim  Search this

Ipcar, Dahlov  Search this

Cunningham, Imogen  Search this

Adams, Ansel  Search this

Zorach, Marguerite  Search this

Zorach, William  Search this

Partridge, Roi  Search this

Newman, Arnold  Search this

Brooklyn Museum  Search this

Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Prints

Articles

Sketchbooks

Photographs

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Notes

Writings

Citation:

The Zorach family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Artist couples  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Theme:

Diaries  Search this

Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6932

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209061

AAA_collcode_zorazora

Theme:

Diaries

Sketches & Sketchbooks

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209061

Creator:

Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt, 1875-1942  Search this

Names:

American Ambulance Field Hospital (Juilly, France)  Search this

Greenwich House (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Whitney Studio Club  Search this

Cushing, Howard Gardiner, 1869-1916  Search this

De Meyer, Adolf, Baron, 1868-1949  Search this

Miller, Flora Whitney  Search this

Strelecki, Jean de, count  Search this

Watson, Forbes, 1880-1960  Search this

Whitney, Harry Payne, 1872-1930  Search this

Extent:

36.1 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Lithographs

Photographs

Interviews

Sketchbooks

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Blueprints

Sketches

Date:

1851-1975

bulk 1888-1942

Summary:

The Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers measure approximately 36.1 linear feet and date from 1851 to 1975, with the bulk of the material dating from 1888 to 1942. The collection documents the life and work of the art patron and sculptor, especially her promotion of American art and artists, her philanthropy and war relief work, her commissions for memorial sculpture, and her creative writing. Papers include correspondence, journals, writings, project files, scrapbooks, photographs, artwork, printed material, two sound recordings, and miscellaneous personal papers.

Scope and Content Note:

The Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers measure approximately 36.1 linear feet and date from 1851 to 1975, with the bulk of the material dating from 1888 to 1942. The collection documents the life and work of the art patron and sculptor, especially her promotion of American art and artists, her philanthropy and war relief work, her commissions for memorial sculpture, and her creative writing. Papers include correspondence, journals, writings, project files, scrapbooks, photographs, artwork, printed material, two sound recordings, and miscellaneous personal papers.

Material relating to more personal aspects of Whitney's life include school papers, a paper doll book dating from her childhood, financial material, interviews, awards and honorary degrees, address and telephone books, committee files, and other items. Correspondence consists of incoming and outgoing letters concerning both personal and professional matters, including her patronage of the arts and sponsorship of artists, her sculpture commissions and exhibitions, and her war relief work and other philantrophic activities. Also found are family correspondence and correspondence received by the Flora Whitney Miller and the Whitney Museum of American Art after Whitney's death. Journals include personal ones that she kept periodically from the time she was a child to near the end of her life, in which she recorded her travels, her impressions of people, her experiences with friends, and her thoughts on art, among other topics; and social ones, in which she recorded dinners and dances attended, and people invited to different social gatherings, and in which she collected invitations received and accepted.

Scattered files can be found that relate to the Whitney Studio Club and the Whitney Museum of American Art, consisting of notebooks, catalogs, a financial report, and other material. Files relating to Whitney's own sculpture projects are more extensive and consist of correspondence, contracts, printed material, notes, financial material for proposed and completed commissions for fountains, memorials, and monuments. The Whitney Museum of American Art, rather than Whitney herself, seems to have kept these files. Files relating to Whitney's philanthropic activities span from the time just before to just after the First World War and consist of correspondence, minutes, reports, and printed material stemming from her contributions to charities and war relief organizations, her sponsorship of the war hospital in Juilly, France, and her support of the Greenwich House Social Settlement.

Whitney's writings include extensive drafts, and handwritten and typed manuscripts and copies of novels, plays, and stories, as well as some autobiographical and early writings, notes and writings on art, and clippings of published writings, documenting her principle means of creative expression towards the end of her life. Also found are some writings by others. Scrapbooks consist of clippings, photographs, letters and other material, compiled by Whitney, Flora Whitney Miller, and possibly others, documenting Whitney's public life, her sculpture commissions and exhibitions, exhibitions at the Whitney Studio, the war hospital in Juilly, France, the death of Harry Payne Whitney in 1930, and the sickness and death of Whitney in 1942.

Photographs include ones of the Whitney and Vanderbilt families, ones of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (including portraits taken by Baron Adolf de Meyer and Count Jean de Strelecki), ones of various Vanderbilt and Whitney residences and of Whitney's studios, ones of Whitney's sculpture exhibitions as well as exhibitions at her studio, and ones of her sculptures, as well as some miscellaneous and unidentified ones. Artwork consists of sketchbooks and sketches by Whitney (including sketches for sculptures) and artwork by others (including a sketchbook of Howard Cushing's containing a sketch of her and albums of World War I lithographs) collected by Whitney. Also found amongst the collection are printed material (clippings, exhibition catalogs, programs, and publications) and blueprints (including drawings for Whitney's studio on MacDougal Alley and various of her sculptures).

Arrangement:

The Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers are arranged into twelve series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Miscellaneous Personal Papers, 1888-1947, 1975 (Boxes 1-3, 33-34, OV 42; 2.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1889-1949, 1959 (Boxes 3-9; 6 linear feet)

Series 3: Journals, circa 1886-1939 (Boxes 9-12, 33; 2.5 linear feet)

Series 4: Whitney Studio Club and Whitney Museum of American Art Files, 1921-1943 (Box 12; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 5: Sculpture Files, 1900-1960 (bulk 1909-1942) (Boxes 12-15; 3 linear feet)

Series 6: Philanthropy Files, 1902-1923 (bulk 1915-1920) (Boxes 15-17; 2 linear feet)

Series 7: Writings, 1889-1942, 1974 (Boxes 17-26; 10 linear feet)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1893-1942 (Boxes 26-27, 33, 35; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1859-1942 (Boxes 27-28, 36; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographs, 1862-1942 (Boxes 28-32, 36-41, OV 43-51; 6.4 linear feet)

Series 11: Artwork, 1871-1930s (Boxes 32, 41, OV 52-54; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 12: Blueprints, 1913-1945 (OV 55; 0.1 linear feet)

Biographical/Historical note:

New York art patron and sculptor, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875-1942), was the eldest daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt, and founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Whitney was born January 9, 1875 in New York City, the. She was educated by private tutors and attended Brearley School in New York. From the time she was a young girl, she kept journals of her travels and impressions of the people she met, and engaged in creative pursuits such as sketching and writing stories. In 1896, she was married to Harry Payne Whitney. They had three children, Flora, Cornelius, and Barbara.

In 1900, Whitney began to study sculpture under Hendrik Christian Anderson, and then under James Fraser. Later, she studied with Andrew O'Connor in Paris. From the time she started studying sculpture, her interest in art grew, as did her particular concern for American art and artists. In 1907, she organized an art exhibition at the Colony Club, which included several contemporary American paintings. She also opened a studio on MacDougal Alley, which became known as the Whitney Studio and was a place where shows and prize competitions were held. (She also had other studios in Westbury, Long Island and Paris, France.) Over the years, her patronage of art included buying work, commissioning it, sponsoring it, exhibiting it, and financially supporting artists in America and abroad. From 1911 on, she was aided in her work by Juliana Force, who started out as Whitney's secretary, was responsible for art exhibitions at the Whitney Studio, and became the first director of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

The first recognition Whitney received for her sculpture came in 1908 when a project on which she had collaborated (with Grosvenor Atterbury and Hugo Ballin) won a prize for best design from the Architectural League of New York. The following year she received a commission to do a fountain sculpture for the Pan-American Building in Washington, D. C. She went on to do numerous other commissioned works over the next several decades, including: a fountain for the New Arlington Hotel in Washington D.C. (the design of which was reproduced in various sizes and materials, one cast being submitted to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition where it won a bronze medal and a later cast being installed on the campus of McGill University, Montreal, Canada in 1930); the Titanic Memorial (designed in 1913 and erected in 1930); the Buffalo Bill Memorial (1924) in Cody, Wyoming; the Columbus Memorial (1929) in Port of Palos, Spain; the Peter Stuyvesant statue in Stuyvesant Square (1939); and The Spirit of Flight (1939) for the New York World's Fair. In 1916, she had her first one-man show at the Whitney Studio, another at the Newport Art Association, and a retrospective at the San Francisco Art Association Palace of Fine Arts. A traveling exhibition in the Midwest followed in 1918.

During the First World War, Whitney was involved with numerous war relief activities, most notably establishing and supporting a hospital in Juilly, France. She made several trips to France during the war, keeping a journal and eventually publishing a piece on the hospital in several newspapers. Her sculpture during this period was largely focused on war themes. In 1919, she exhibited some of these works at the Whitney Studio in a show called "Impressions of War." In the years after the war, she was also commissioned to do several war memorials, including the Washington Heights War Memorial (1922) and the St. Nazaire Memorial (1926) commemmorating the landing of the American Expeditionary Force in France in 1917.

In 1918, Whitney opened the Whitney Studio Club, which served as pioneering organization for American art, putting on exhibition programs and offering social space and recreational amenities to its members (one point numbering over four hundred artists living in New York). She planned an "Overseas Exhibition" of American art, which traveled to Paris and other European cities in 1920-1921, and had her own shows in Paris and London in 1921. In 1928, the Whitney Studio Club was transformed into an art gallery, known as the Whitney Studio Galleries and directed by Juliana Force, which eventually became the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1931.

Whitney pursued creative writing throughout her life, but beginning in the 1930s writing became her principle means of creative expression. Over the years, she produced numerous manuscripts for stories, novels, and play. One novel, Walking the Dusk, was published in 1932 under the pseudonym L. J. Webb. Beginning in 1940, Whitney took a "Professional Writing" course at Columbia University with Helen Hull, which resulted in the production of numerous short stories. In 1941, she collaborated with Ronald Bodley to adapt one of her stories as a play and attempted to get it produced, although unsuccessfully.

In 1934, Whitney was involved in a custody battle for her niece, Gloria Vanderbilt (daughter of her late brother, Reginald Vanderbilt and his wife, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt). In an agreement reached by the court, custody was awarded to Whitney and visitation rights to Gloria's mother. Litigation continued in the ensuing years.

In 1935, Whitney established the World's Fair Five Organization, with Juliana Force and four architects, to work on preparing a plan for the site of the 1939 New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, although the fair's own Board of Design ended up coming up with its own plan.

Whitney continued her work in sculpture, writing, art patronage, and philanthropy throughout the remaining years of her life. She died on April 18, 1942.

Related Archival Materials note:

Related material found in the Archives includes Research Material on Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney compiled by Flora Miller Irving and the Whitney Museum of American Art artists' files and records, available on microfilm only (originals are located in the Whitney Museum of American Art). Also found in the Archives of American Art's Miscellaneous Exhibition Catalog Collection are a bundle of Whitney Studio Club and Mrs. H. P. Whitney's Studio catalogs and announcements.

Provenance:

The Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers were donated in 1981 and 1991 by Whitney's granddaughter, Flora Miller Irving.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

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

Topic:

Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

World War, 1914-1918  Search this

Genre/Form:

Lithographs

Photographs

Interviews

Sketchbooks

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Blueprints

Sketches

Citation:

Whitney Museum of American Art, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Papers, 1851-1975 (bulk 1888-1942). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

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

Identifier:

AAA.whitgert

See more items in:

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9db113d72-cc31-4974-85fe-3e99c53dd62e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-whitgert

Creator:

Russell, Morgan, 1886-1953  Search this

Names:

Alvarez, Mabel, 1891-1985  Search this

Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this

Huston, Walter, 1884-1950  Search this

Kikoïne, Michel, 1892-1968  Search this

Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this

Stein, Leo, 1872-1947  Search this

Stravinsky, Igor, 1882-1971  Search this

Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt, 1875-1942  Search this

Extent:

6.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1891-1977

Summary:

The Morgan Russell papers, 1891-1977, present a good overview of Russell's career as a painter and sculptor, with an emphasis on his development of the color theory movement, Synchromism. The papers include correspondence, biographical material, transcripts of lectures given by Russell, illustrated notebooks and sketches, printed material and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The Morgan Russell papers present a good overview of Russell's career as a painter and sculptor, with an emphasis on his development of the color theory movement, Synchromism. The papers include correspondence with many prominent individuals who played a role in Russell's artistic development; biographical material primarily documenting his activities in Europe; transcripts of lectures given by Russell; illustrated notebooks and sketches documenting his interest in, and development of, color theory, music and Synchromism; printed material such as exhibition announcements, catalogs and clippings; and photographs of Russell, his wife, friends and artwork.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 7 series according to record type and reflecting the lender's arrangement. With the exception of Series 1: Correspondence, all series are arranged chronologically.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1909-1964 (Reels 4524-4527)

Series 2: Biographical Material, 1925-1941 (Reel 4527)

Series 3: Business Records, 1911-1946 (Reel 4527)

Series 4: Writings, 1931-1953 (Reel 4527)

Series 5: Unbound Notes and Sketches, 1891-1977 (Reels 4528-4538)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1908-1963 (Reels 4539-4541)

Series 7: Photographs, 1908-1948 (Reel 4542)

Biographical Note:

Painter and sculptor Morgan Russell was born in New York City. He studied at the Art Students League and the New York School of Art with James Earle Fraser, Andrew Dasburg and Robert Henri from 1906 to 1907, before settling in Paris in 1909 where he remained for almost forty years. After meeting Stanton Macdonald-Wright in 1911, he became interested in Synchromism and studied with Canadian color theorist Ernest Tudor-Hart. In 1913 Russell produced the first abstract Synchromies and in 1917 developed a series of Synchromies entitled EIDOS. He visited California in the early 1930s, teaching at the Chouinard School of Art in Los Angeles from 1931-1932, in addition to lecturing at museums in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Russell left France permanently in 1946 and died in Pennsylvania in 1953.

Provenance:

The Morgan Russell papers were lent to the Archives of American Art for microfilming by the Montclair Art Museum in 1991. The material was returned to the lender in 1992.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.

Topic:

Synchromism (Art)  Search this

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

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

Citation:

Morgan Russell papers, 1891-1977. Microfilm reels 4524-4542. Originals in the Montclair Art Museum.

Identifier:

AAA.russmorg

See more items in:

Microfilm of the Morgan Russell papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw978433968-7693-4610-a726-1f731d84a594

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-russmorg

Creator:

Zorach Family  Search this

Names:

Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Brooklyn Museum  Search this

Adams, Ansel, 1902-1984  Search this

Cunningham, Imogen, 1883-1976  Search this

Ipcar, Dahlov, 1917-2017  Search this

Newman, Arnold, 1918-2006  Search this

Partridge, Roi, 1888-1984  Search this

Zorach, Marguerite, 1887-1968  Search this

Zorach, Tessim  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Extent:

4.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Prints

Articles

Sketchbooks

Photographs

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Notes

Writings

Date:

1900-1987

Summary:

The Zorach family papers measure 4.4 linear feet and consist of materials relating to the lives and careers of sculptor and painter William Zorach, his wife painter and weaver Marguerite, and their children, painter and multi-media artist Dahlov Ipcar and collector and art dealer Tessim Zorach. The bulk of the papers consists of letters to Tessim regarding his parent's artwork. Additional materials include scattered letters to William Zorach; writings and notes by William, Marguerite, and Tessim; a sketchbook and drawings by William; prints by Marguerite; Marguerite's scrapbook; printed materials; and photographs of the Zorach family and of William Zorach in his studio and at work.

Scope and Content Note:

The Zorach family papers measure 4.4 linear feet and consist of materials relating to the lives and careers of sculptor and painter William Zorach, his wife painter and weaver Marguerite, and their children, painter and multi-media artist Dahlov Ipcar and collector and art dealer Tessim Zorach. The bulk of the papers consists of letters to Tessim regarding his parent's artwork. Additional materials include scattered letters to William Zorach; writings and notes by William, Marguerite, and Tessim; a sketchbook and drawings by William; prints by Marguerite; Marguerite's scrapbook; printed materials; and photographs of the Zorach family and of William Zorach in his studio and at work.

The majority of correspondence is between Tessim Zorach and various museums and galleries concerning exhibitions and donations of his parents' works of art. There are scattered letters to William Zorach among the correspondence. Business records consist of materials relating to the Collection of the Zorach Children, including lists of works of art by the Zorach's, a file relating to an exhibition of Zorach artwork at the Brooklyn Museum, and photographs of works of art considered for donation.

Writings and Notes include a typescript of an article written by Marguerite Zorach, writings by William Zorach, a typescript of Young Poems by William and Marguerite, as well as articles written by others about the Zorachs. Artwork by Marguerite Zorach includes two prints and a tracing. Also found is one sketchbook, and additional drawings by William Zorach. There is one unsigned lithograph.

The majority of exhibition announcements, catalogs, and clippings concern William and Marguerite Zorach although there are two announcements for Dahlov Ipcar. There is one scrapbook of clippings about Marguerite.

The papers include photographs of Marguerite and William Zorach, their parents, baby photos of Tessim and Dahlov, family pictures of the Zorachs, and of Marguerite and William in their studios. There are several folders of William Zorach working in his studios and additional photos of him carving a relief sculpture and a sculpture for the Southwest Bank. Most of these photographs contain detailed annotations written by William Zorach about the work. There is one folder of photographs of William in France in 1910-1911, including one of Zorach in Roi Partridge's studio. There is one photograph of Zorach taken by Ansel Adams in Yosemite, a photo of Zorach working by Arnold Newman, and several taken by Imogen Cunnigham.

Other photographs are of works of art, most of which depict William's works.

Artifacts include Marguerite's batik tools and approximately fifty commercially made printing blocks.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1907-1969 (Box 1, 6; 3 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1982 (Box 1-2; 1.75 linear feet)

Series 3: Business Records, 1967-1971, circa 1960s-1970s (Box 2-3; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1930s-1973, 1987 (Box 3; 8 folders)

Series 5: Artworks, 1900-circa 1920s (Box 3, 6; 12 folders)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1922-1953 (Box 3; 1 folder)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1912-1982 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, 1908-1966 (Box 3-5; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 9: Artifacts, circa 1910s, circa 1950s (Box 4; 0.5 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

William Zorach (1887-1966) was a modernist painter and sculptor working primarily in New York city, along with his wife Marguerite (1887-1968) who worked as a fauvist painter, printmaker, and textile artist. Their children were painter Dahlov Ipcar (1917-) and art collector Tessim Zorach (1915-1995.)

Born in Lithuania, William Zorach immigrated to the United States where his family settled in Cleveland, Ohio. An early interest in art led to a printmaking apprenticeship. He then moved to New York City and enrolled in the National Academy of Design where he studied painting and drawing. In 1910, Zorach traveled to Paris to study and where he met his wife Marguerite Thompson at the La Palette art school. Marguerite grew up in Fresno, California and studied art at Stanford University. Both artists were heavily influenced by the fauvist and cubist art movements.

Returning to America, Marguerite and William married and both continued to create and experiment with varied media. Their paintings were featured in the 1913 New York City Armory Show and they are credited with being among the first artists to introduce European modernist styles to American modernism. The Zorachs were very close both as a couple and as working active artists.

In the 1920s, Marguerite began to experiment with textiles and created large, fine art tapestries and hooked rugs. Also, she used batik dying techniques on fabrics. William also expanded his genre by creating direct sculpture in 1918, which would become his primary medium.

In 1915, William and Marguerite started a family with their son, Tessim. Two years later, their daughter Dahlov was born. The Zorachs divided the year and lived in New York City, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. In 1923, the family bought a farm on Georgetown Island, Maine where they lived, worked, and entertained friends.

Dahlov and Tessim were exposed to art from an early age. Dahlov showed artistic promise as a child and her parents supported her creativity by allowing her to express herself without formal training. Dahlov pursued painting and later became an illustrator for children's books. Additionally, she wrote fantasy novels and short stories. Dahlov married Adolf Ipcar in 1936. Like the rest of his family, Tessim Zorach developed an interest of art and along with his wife Peggy, he amassed a large private collection of ancient to modern art.

William and Marguerite continued to sculpt and paint until their deaths in 1966 and 1968, respectively.

Together, Dahlov and Tessim established the Collection of the Zorach Children which coordinated donations of their parents' art to many museums throughout the United States and the world. The artwork of both artists is found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Delaware Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Farnsworth Art Museum, Portland Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Philips Collection, and educational institutions such as Colby College, University of Vermont, Williams College, Bowdoin College, and the University of Virginia. In addition William has works associated with many public buildings, among them: Radio City Music Hall, New York City Municipal Court, the U.S. Post Office in Washington D.C. as well as Farleigh Dickinson University.

Related Material:

The Archives of American Art holds the Dahlov Ipcar papers, 1906-1997. Also found is one oral history interview with William Zorach conducted by by John D. Morse on April 2, 1959 and an oral history interview with Dahlov Ipcar conducted by Robert F. Brown on November 13, 1979.

The bulk of William Zorach's papers are held by the Library of Congress.

Separated Material:

The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming on reels NY59-1-NY59-4 and NY59-19. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are now held by the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division. This material is not described in the collection container inventory or finding aid.

Provenance:

William Zorach lent papers for microfilming to the Archives of American Art in 1959. Tessim Zorach donated materials between 1976-1987.

Restrictions:

Use of originals requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

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

Weavers  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Artist couples  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Prints

Articles

Sketchbooks

Photographs

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Notes

Writings

Citation:

The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art

Identifier:

AAA.zorazora

See more items in:

The Zorach family papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99b759247-30c2-4d06-9c75-1c7b0054f5d5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-zorazora

Interviewee:

Scarpitta, Salvatore, 1919-2007  Search this

Interviewer:

Cummings, Paul  Search this

Names:

American Academy in Rome  Search this

Castelli, Leo  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this

Levine, Jack, 1915-2010  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Extent:

67 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1975 January 31.-February 3

Scope and Contents:

Interview of Salvatore Scarpitta conducted 1975 January 31.-February 3, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Scarpitta speaks of his family's background; growing up and going to school in California; moving to Italy and going to art school at 17; attending the American Academy; his experiences in Europe after the war broke out in 1940; being arrested and interned for 18 months in Italy and escaping; joining the United States Navy; getting thrown out of the American Academy after being accused of being a Communist; his abstract paintings; moving back to America after Leo Castelli saw his work; his painting techniques; his thoughts on futurism and cubism; why he shifted from working on a canvas to tearing it apart and using it as materials; his use of color; how his interest in race cars influenced his art work; building race cars; living in New York and the art scene there; his successful art show on the Piazza San Marco in Venice; the reason for using belts in his paintings; how certain paintings led him to building sleds; his feelings about Leo Castelli; and teaching art. He recalls Phil Guston, Jack Levine, Franz Kline, Bill de Kooning, Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko, and many others.

Biographical / Historical:

Salvatore Scarpitta (1919-2007) was a sculptor.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 11 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

Transcript is available on the Archives of American Art's website.

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

Sculptors -- Interviews  Search this

Futurism (Art)  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Automobile racing  Search this

Art, Abstract  Search this

Cubism  Search this

Painting -- Technique  Search this

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

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.scarpi75

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95bac49d5-0671-41ab-b93a-f734a61ff344

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-scarpi75

Interviewee:

Kadish, Reuben, 1913-1992  Search this

Interviewer:

Polcari, Stephen  Search this

Names:

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Extent:

1 Sound cassette (Sound recording)

40 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound cassettes

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1992 Apr. 15

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Reuben Kadish conducted 1992 Apr. 15, by Stephen Polcari, for the Archives of American Art. Kadish discusses designing murals for the WPA in the 1930s; working as an artist in the South Pacific for the U.S. Army during World War II; the N.Y. art scene in the 1940s; and his views on government support of the arts and on art censorship. He recalls Jackson Pollock.

Biographical / Historical:

Reuben Kadish (1913-1992) was a painter, sculptor, and mural painter from New York, N.Y.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Mural painting and decoration, American  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art and war  Search this

Art and state  Search this

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

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

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

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.kadish92

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw969a2210b-c5e9-4f71-b9eb-6ef0ee5547dd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kadish92

Creator:

Tatti, Benedict, 1917-1993  Search this

Names:

American Medallic Sculpture Association  Search this

American Numismatic Association  Search this

Anthology Film Archives  Search this

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

Galerie Claude Bernard  Search this

Mercer Arts Center (Organization: New York, N.Y.)  Search this

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

Canfield, Jane  Search this

Goodrich, Lloyd, 1897-1987  Search this

Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988  Search this

Slobodkin, Louis, 1903-  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Extent:

1.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Notes

Awards

Lists

Christmas cards

Photographs

Designs

Sketches

Date:

1936-2011

bulk 1945-1993

Summary:

The papers of New York sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist, Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1936-2011, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945-1993. Papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, project files, subject files, exhibition files, writings, notes, and lists, printed materials, and photographs. Exhibition files and printed material, such as catalogues and checklists provide an overview of Tatti's activities as a sculptor and video artist. Also, photographs of artwork are a rich source of provenance-related information on Tatti's sculptures.

Scope and Contents note:

The papers of New York sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist, Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1936-2011, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945-1993. Papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, project files, subject files, exhibition files, writings, notes, and lists, printed materials, and photographs. Exhibition files and printed material, such as catalogues and checklists provide an overview of Tatti's activities as a sculptor and video artist. Also, photographs of artwork are a rich source of provenance-related information on Tatti's sculptures.

Biographical materials include curriculum vitae, Who's Who in American Art, memberships, and awards. Correspondence is primarily from colleagues, dealers, collectors, and representatives of museums, galleries, and arts organizations. There are a few outgoing letters from Benedict Tatti, including a handmade holiday card. Among the notable correspondents are Jane Canfield, Lloyd Goodrich, Louis Slobodkin, and William Zorach. Also found is a small portion of Adele Tatti's correspondence relating to her late husband's artwork.

Project files contain Tatti's commissions for Eutectic-Castolin Institute, Staten Island Community College, Statue of Liberty Restoration, and the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts; application proposals to Creative Artists Public Service program (CAPS); and the artist's invention of the rewind reel adapter. Subject files include Tatti's memberships and activities in professional associations, e.g., American Medallic Sculpture Association, American Numismatic Society, and Audubon Artists; Tatti's Artist-in-Residence proposals for the Television Lab, WNET 13; and his involvement in educational video presentations. Exhibition files consist of scattered materials on Tatti's shows at the Anthology Film Archives; Burr Galleries; Galerie Claude Bernard; The Kitchen, Mercer Arts Gallery; Northeast Harbor Gallery; and Roko Gallery.

Writings, notes, and lists include writings by Benedict Tatti; writings about Benedict Tatti, including a statement on the artist by Isamu Noguchi; and lists compiled by Adele Tatti relating to her late husband's work. Artwork contains Tatti's sketch of a sculpture for the Northeast Harbor Museum and sketches of medal designs. Printed material consists of announcements, brochures, invitations, exhibition catalogues and checklists, clippings, periodicals, newsletters, reproductions, other printed matter, and monographs. Photographs include black and white prints of portrait shots of Benedict Tatti, Tatti in his studio and with others, video equipment and Tatti's video art; also found are color photographs of Tatti's sculptures and design maquettes.

Arrangement note:

The collection is arranged as 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1936-1993 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1945-2008 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 3: Project Files, 1966-2005 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 4: Subject Files, circa 1950s-2008 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1945-1992 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 6: Writings, Notes, and Lists, circa 1940s-2009 (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 7: Artwork, 1970-circa 1990s (Box 1; 3 folders)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1937-1976 (Boxes 1-2; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 9: Photographs (circa 1936-1970s), circa 1964-2010 (Box 3; 0.4 linear feet)

Biographical/Historical note:

Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) worked in New York as a sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist.

Born in New York in 1917, Tatti began his art education at Haaren High School. He continued his studies at the Roerich Museum with Louis Slobodkin, the Art Students League with William Zorach and Ossip Zadkine, and the Leonardo da Vinci School of Art under Attillio Piccirelli. Later in his career, he attended the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. During World War II, Tatti served in the United States Army Air Force, where he spent three years assigned to variety of projects. In 1948, Benedict Tatti married Adele Rosenberg in New York City.

Throughout his career, Tatti continuously experimented with various media. From 1952-1963, Tatti executed sculptural models of architectural and consumer products for the industrial designers, Raymond Loewy Associates; later he became a color consultant for the firm. In the 1960s, influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, Tatti turned from carving directly in wood and stone to creating assemblage sculptures, using bronze metal and other industrial materials. During this period, Tatti spent summers on Monhegan Island in Maine, where he developed his water coloring techniques. In 1963, Tatti was hired to teach sculpture at the High School of Art and Design in New York, a position that he held for fifteen years.

In the 1970s, Tatti, with no previous background in video work developed technology for video imaging. He became an associate member of the Kitchen at the Mercer Arts Center exhibiting his video sculptures along with other early innovators of this new art form. In 1975, he invented a rewind reel adapter device. Despite health problems, Tatti continued to work and exhibit into the 1980s. He assisted his brother, Alexander Tatti and his nephew, Steven Tatti on the restoration of the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, which was completed in 1985.

Benedict Tatti received solo and group exhibitions at museums and galleries in the United States and abroad, including the Burr Gallery, Claude Bernard Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the Artists for Victory Program, Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, Northeast Gallery, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Roko Gallery. Also, Tatti's work was regularly featured in annual exhibitions of several arts organizations: American Society of Contemporary Artists, Annual Avant Garde Festival, Audubon Artists, Brooklyn Society of Artists, and Painters and Sculptors Society of New Jersey. His awards included the National Soldier Art Competition at the National Gallery of Art (1945); Artist-in-Residence, National Center of Experiments TV, San Francisco, California, (1969); and the Creative Artists Public Service (CAPS), (1972). Tatti's artwork is in the permanent collections of the American Numismatic Society, Art Students League, Dumbarton Oaks, Monhegan Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts.

Benedict Tatti died on July 30, 1993.

Provenance:

The Benedict Tatti papers were donated by Adele Tatti, widow of Benedict Tatti, in 2010.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

Topic:

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

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

Genre/Form:

Notes

Awards

Lists

Christmas cards

Photographs

Designs

Sketches

Citation:

Benedict Tatti, 1936-2011, bulk 1945-1993. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.tattbene

See more items in:

Benedict Tatti papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b58b3ec4-c37d-49b9-8159-5cff7c512cf1

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-tattbene

Creator:

Starr, Nina Howell, 1903-2000  Search this

Names:

International Women's Art Festival  Search this

Museum of American Folk Art  Search this

Photographic Historical Society of New York  Search this

Professional Women's Photographers, Inc.  Search this

Sharon Arts Center  Search this

Southern Regional Council  Search this

Brandt, Helene, 1936-  Search this

Cohen, Stephenie  Search this

Coke, Van Deren, 1921-  Search this

Connor, Linda  Search this

Daitz, Evelyne Z.  Search this

DiSpirito, Henry, 1898-1995  Search this

Evans, Minnie, 1892-  Search this

Evans, Walker, 1903-1975  Search this

Ghent, Henri, 1926-  Search this

Kanaga, Consuelo, 1894-  Search this

Kernan, Margo, 1927-  Search this

Kruger, Louise, 1924-  Search this

Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this

Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this

Mainardi, Patricia  Search this

Morgan, Barbara Brooks, 1900-1992  Search this

Putnam, Wallace, 1899-1989  Search this

Ringgold, Faith  Search this

Rose, Ruth Starr, 1887-1965  Search this

Savage, Naomi, 1927-2005  Search this

Sherwood, Maggie, 1922-1984  Search this

Siskind, Aaron  Search this

Strand, Paul, 1890-1976  Search this

Szarwarski, John  Search this

Uelsmann, Jerry, 1934-  Search this

Extent:

21.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Interviews

Drawings

Sketches

Transcripts

Sound recordings

Prints

Date:

circa 1933-1996

Summary:

The papers of photographer and art historian Nina Howell Starr measure 21.2 linear feet and date from circa 1933 to 1996. The papers contain research files about various art historical topics, museums and galleries, photography, and artists. There are extensive files documenting Starr's relationship as researcher, dealer, and friend of folk painter Minnie Evans. Additionally, the papers include biographical materials, writings, speeches, project files, printed material collected or authored by Starr, and hundreds of artistic and documentary photographs and negatives created by Starr depicting her travels, Minnie Evans' paintings, roadside folk art, and other topics.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of photographer and art historian Nina Howell Starr measure 21.2 linear feet and date from circa 1933 to 1996. The papers contain research files about various art historical topics, museums and galleries, photography, and artists. There are extensive files documenting Starr's relationship as researcher, dealer, and friend of folk painter Minnie Evans. Additionally, the papers include biographical materials, writings, speeches, project files, printed material collected or authored by Starr, and hundreds of artistic and documentary photographs and negatives created by Starr depicting her travels, Minnie Evans' paintings, roadside folk art, and other topics.

Biographical materials are scattered and include grant and publication applications, curriculum vitae, lists of artwork, and miscellany.

Starr's lectures, writings, and project files are arranged into one series. They include Starr's student writings, a notebook about Civil Rights, files documenting her work on a Florida public housing project, the Southern Regional Council, and the League of Women Voters. A few files of general writings and lectures mostly concern folk artist Minnie Evans and the exhibition Women Photograph Men, held at the International Women's Arts Festival in 1976.

Subject files on artists, art history topics, photographers and photography (including Starr's work), and on folk artist and friend Minne Evans comprise the bulk of the collection. The files are a mix of collated materials and primary sources created by Starr and others and many contain correspondence, notes, photographs, and a few sketches and orginal prints. Also included are materials related to professional and organizational groups in which Starr was involved, including the Professional Women's Photographers, Inc., the Photographic Historical Society of New York, and the Museum of American Folk Art; files on several of Starr's exhibitions; and files on artists that contain printed materials, correspondence, and photographs. The file on Ruth Starr Rose contains prints and drawings. There are also photographs taken by Stephanie Cohen. Particularly rich files are found for Stephanie Cohen; Van Deren Coke, Director of the George Eastman Company; Evelyn Daitz, Director of the Witkin Gallery; Henry DiSpirito; Walker Evans; the Fotofolio printing company; curator Henri Ghent; photographer Consuelo Kanaga and husband Wallace Putnam; Margot Starr Kernan; Lucy Lippard; Stanton Mac-Donald Wright; Sharon Arts Center; photographer Paul Strand; curator John Szarwarski; and photographer Jerry Uelsman.

The collection also documents the friendship between painter Minnie Evans and Starr, and Starr's business dealings on Evans' behalf. There is correspondence about and with Evans, several sound recordings of interviews conducted by Starr and others with Evans, many with transcripts, financial documents, publications about Evans including exhibition catalogs, clippings, journal articles and monographs, two posters, a scrapbook, and one sketch by Evans.

Printed material includes published articles, exhibition catalogs and announcements, and clippings about Starr.

Photographic materials are extensive and include photographs and slides taken by Starr of friends, family, artwork by Minnie Evans, events, exhibition openings, world travels, and folk art, especially roadside. Prominent artists and art historians photographed include: photographers Maggie Sherwood, Naomi Savage, Barbara Morgan, Linda Connor, Aaron Siskind, Consuelo Kanaga, Faith Ringgold, and Walker Evans; sculptors Louise Kruger and Helene Brandt; feminist and art historian Pat Mainardi; and curators Henri Ghent and John Szarkowski. Starr's artistic photographic work is also represented, and includes two silver gelatin prints of Minnie Evans, and subject studies on hands, people, and nature, among others.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 6 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical material, 1954-circa 1990 (8 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Writings, Speeches and Projects, 1933-1995 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 3: Subject Files, circa 1939-1996 (8.3 linear feet; Boxes 2-10)

Series 4: Minnie Evans, 1962-1996 (3.7 linear feet; Boxes 10-13, 23, OV 24)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1936-1995 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 13-16, 23)

Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1939-1993 (5.4 linear feet; Boxes 16-23, OV 24)

Biographical / Historical:

Nina Howell Starr (1903-2000) was a photographer, art dealer, and art historian who worked primarily in New York City. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1903 as Cornelia Margaret Howell, Starr attended Wellesley College and graduated from Barnard in 1926. Also in 1926, she married Nathan Comfort Starr, an English professor, and, over the years the couple lived in Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, and New York City.

In 1963, at the age of 60, Starr received the first M.F.A. in photography granted by the University of Florida. Starr exhibited widely in both solo and group exhibitions, including Magic Lantern (Photographer's Gallery, London, 1976), and the Strength of Women (Witken Gallery, 1991), and numerous shows featuring photographs of outsider art. Her "New Yorker" project became an exhibition in 2016. Her work is owned by several prominent museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography.

As art historian, self-proclaimed critic, and civil rights and feminist advocate, Starr lectured widely, wrote articles and letters to editors, and corresponded with many notable art world figures. She became especially interested in outsider and folk art. Starr met outsider artist Minnie Evans in 1962 and became Evans' lifelong friend, advocate, and representative dealer. She wrote about Evans and introduced Evans' works to galleries and other exhibition spaces in New York, including the Whitney Museum, where she guest-curated an exhibition of Evans' work in 1975.

Starr was an active member of professional organizations including the Photographic Historical Society of New York, Professional Women's Photographers, Inc., and the Museum of American Folk Art where she served on the Advisory Committee.

Nina Howell Starr died in 2000 in Connecticut at the age of 97.

Provenance:

The Nina Howell Starr papers were donated by Nina Howell Starr in 1996.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Folk art  Search this

Civil rights  Search this

African American art  Search this

Folk art -- Photographs  Search this

Women photographers  Search this

Photography  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Interviews

Drawings

Sketches

Transcripts

Sound recordings

Prints

Citation:

Nina Howell Starr papers, circa 1933-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

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

Identifier:

AAA.starnina

See more items in:

Nina Howell Starr papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9dccd352c-b391-49d6-ae20-8b00e1e280d3

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-starnina

Creator:

Kadish, Reuben, 1913-1992  Search this

Names:

Ashton, Dore  Search this

Cherry, Herman  Search this

Conant, Howard  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Hiler, Hilaire, 1898-1966  Search this

Langsner, Jules, 1911-1967  Search this

Neininger, Urban  Search this

O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this

Pollock, Charles C.  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Siqueiros, David Alfaro  Search this

Tully, Judd  Search this

Extent:

7.9 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Photographs

Date:

1851-1995

bulk 1913-1995

Summary:

This collection, which measures 7.9 linear feet and dates from 1851 to 1995 (bulk 1913-1995), documents the life and career of muralist, sculptor, and educator Reuben Kadish. The papers contain biographical material, letters, personal business records, an exhibition file, notes, writings, artwork, printed material, photographs, and artifacts.

Scope and Content Note:

The Reuben Kadish papers measure 7.9 linear feet and date from 1851 to 1995 with the bulk of the material dating from 1913 to 1995. The collection documents the life and career of muralist, sculptor, and educator Reuben Kadish and contains biographical material, letters, personal business records, an exhibition file, notes, writings, artwork, printed material, photographs, and artifacts.

Biographical material, 1938-1992, includes résumés and personal identification items. Letters are from friends and colleagues including Herman Cherry, Philip Guston, Hilaire Hiler, Jules Langsner, Urban Neininger, Charles Pollock, and Jackson Pollock. One letter from the Leonard Stark family contains a small photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe.

Personal business records, 1952-1995, consist of legal documents, including estate papers for Ida and Reuben Kadish, and financial records. The only specific exhibition file documents the 1990 exhibition Reuben Kadish: Works from 1930 to the Present at the New Jersey State Museum in 1990.

Notes include unbound notes on mural painting, printmaking, sculpture, and other art-related topics, and handwritten translations by William H. Thomson of thirty classic texts by Homer, Horace, and Demosthenes. Writings, 1975-1992, consist of an autobiographical manuscript by Kadish, and typescripts concerning Kadish and other art-related topics by other authors including Dore Ashton, Herman Cherry, Howard Conant, and Judd Tully.

Artwork, undated and 1981-1992, includes a hundred sketches and seventeen watercolors by Kadish, and a drawing for DIG (Archeology) by Barbara Kadish. Printed material relates primarily to exhibitions for Kadish and others but also includes a baseball program autographed by Darryl Strawberry. Photographs include prints of Kadish and other artists working on murals, and photographs picturing family and friends.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into ten series, based on type of material. Although acquired as a gift before the rest of the collection was loaned to the Archives of American Art in 1998, eight photographs are described in Series 9: Photographs, with those included in the 1998 loan.

Each series is arranged chronologically, except Series 2: Letters and Series 6: Writings, which are arranged alphabetically according to the surname of the writer.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1938-1992 (box 1, 3 folders)

Series 2: Letters, 1934-1995, undated (boxes 1-3, 2.5 linear ft.)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1952-1995 (boxes 3-4, 37 folders)

Series 4: Exhibition File, 1989-1991 (box 4, 1 folder)

Series 5: Notes, 1851-1853, 1937-1992, undated (boxes 4-5, 35 folders)

Series 6: Writings, 1963-1992, undated (box 5, 14 folders)

Series 7: Artwork, 1981-1992, undated (boxes 5, 10, 8 folders)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1934-1993, undated (boxes 5-7, 76 folders)

Series 9: Photographs, 1913-1992, undated (boxes 7-9, sol 10, 2.0 linear ft.)

Series 10: Artifacts, undated (box 9, 1 folder)

Biographical Note:

Reuben Kadish was born in Chicago on January 29, 1913. His father and mother were from Latvia and the Ukraine respectively.

In 1921, the family moved to East Los Angeles, California, where Kadish studied painting under Lorser Feitelson. During this time, he befriended Jackson Pollock and Philip Guston, who attended the Manual Arts High School.

During a trip to New York City in 1930, Kadish was impressed with the modern art, especially the work of the Surrealists, which he saw there. Upon his return to Los Angeles the following year, Kadish attended the Otis Art School, the Stickney School of Art in Pasadena, and Los Angeles City College. He also shared a studio with Philip Guston.

In 1933, Kadish, Guston and Jules Langsner were apprenticed to Mexican muralist, David Alfaro Siqueiros. Their most notable work being the mural "Triumph of Good Over Evil", at the University of Morelia in Mexico. During the next three years, the three young artists collaborated on painting murals in California and Mexico. After another visit to New York, Kadish was invited to San Francisco by Bill Gaskin to head the art division of the WPA project there, a position he occupied until 1940.

From 1940, Kadish worked as a coppersmith and welder at the Bethlehem Steel Works in San Francisco until 1942, when he joined the Army as a member of the War Artist Unit, serving in India and Southeast Asia during World War II. In 1944, he rejoined his wife Barbara in the Bay Area, but they soon returned to New York City, where Kadish worked for Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17. In the summer of 1945, the Kadish painted with Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner in a shared Long Island house on Slow's Point in Amagansett.

In 1946, the Kadishes moved to a dairy farm in Vernon, New Jersey, where they supported themselves by farming until 1957. A catastrophic fire in the studio destroyed most of Kadish's paintings in 1947, causing him to turn his interest to creating sculpture.

After teaching art and design at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art in 1957, Kadish taught sculpture at the Brooklyn Museum Art School from 1958-1959. In 1960, he began his thirty-year teaching career at Cooper Union, which ended only a few months before his death on September 20, 1992 in Manhattan.

Related Material:

Other resources relating to Reuben Kadish in the Archives of American Art include an oral history interview with Kadish, April 15, 1992.

Provenance:

The eight photographs on Reel 5660 were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1984 by Reuben Kadish. The other material on Reels 5655-5660 was lent for filming in 1998 by Morris and Ruth Kadish, brother and sister-in-law of Reuben Kadish, and executors of his estate, and subsequently donated to the Archives of American Art in 2002.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment. Microfilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

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

Muralists -- California  Search this

Sculptors -- California  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Photographs

Citation:

Reuben Kadish papers, 1851-1995, bulk 1913-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.kadireub

See more items in:

Reuben Kadish papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw974482335-aae0-4e72-8e41-8c2fb3fe28f8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kadireub

Creator:

Skiles, Jacqueline Dean, 1937-  Search this

Extent:

0.7 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1963-1980

Summary:

The papers of sculptor, video artist, printmaker, and educator Jacqueline Skiles measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1963 to 1980. The papers comment on Skiles's feminist activism and career as an educator and exhibiting artist. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, two photographs, printed material, professional files, and writings.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of sculptor, videotape artist, and educator Jacqueline Skiles measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1963 to 1980. The papers comment on Skiles's feminist activism and career as an educator and exhibiting artist. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, two photographs, printed material, professional files, and writings.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical:

Jacqueline Skiles (1937- ) is a sculptor, printmaker, video artist, educator, and writer in New York City, New York. She has been active in New York feminist arts organizations and co-founded the Women's Interart Center.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds an oral history interview of Jacqueline Skiles conducted by Doloris Holmes in 1971 for the Archives of American Art "Art World in Turmoil" oral history project, and the Women's Interart Center records, 1970-1981.

Provenance:

Donated 1979 by Jacqueline Skiles.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

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

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

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

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Feminism and art  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Women printmakers  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Citation:

Jacqueline Skiles papers, 1963-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.

Identifier:

AAA.skiljacq

See more items in:

Jacqueline Skiles papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw996d0f227-78cc-4fd0-860d-9e6e2b982826

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-skiljacq

Creator:

Botkin, Henry, 1896-1983  Search this

Names:

American Abstract Artists  Search this

Artists Equity Association  Search this

Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors  Search this

Gallery 256 (Provincetown, Mass.)  Search this

Arlen, Harold, 1905-1986  Search this

Botkin, Benjamin Albert, 1901-1975  Search this

Brice, Fanny  Search this

Brice, William, 1921-2008  Search this

Gershwin, George, 1898-1937  Search this

Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983  Search this

Godowsky, Frances  Search this

Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991  Search this

Hasegawa, Saburō, 1906-1957  Search this

Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this

Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this

Laurent, Toinette Botkin  Search this

Mocsanyi, Paul  Search this

Motherwell, Robert  Search this

Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this

Newman, Barnett, 1905-1970  Search this

Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this

Putnam, Wallace, 1899-1989  Search this

Rattner, Abraham  Search this

Robus, Hugo, 1885-1964  Search this

Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951  Search this

Shadbolt, Jack, 1909-  Search this

Siqueiros, David Alfaro  Search this

Von Wicht, John, 1888-1970  Search this

Extent:

3.5 Linear feet ((on 10 microfilm reels))

4 Sound tapes (7 & 5 in.)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound tapes

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Date:

1917-1979

Scope and Contents:

Biographical material (1945-1965), letters (1917-1979), notes (1950-1970), writings (1944-1970), business records (1927-1977), art works (1932-1964), subject files (1952-1955), scrapbook (1927-1939), printed material (1923-1977), and photographs (1922-1968) documenting Botkin's career and his friendship with George and Ira Gershwin and other entertainment and artistic figures.

Among the correspondents and subjects of photographs or letters are: George and Ira Gershwin, their sister Frances Godowsky, Botkin's brother Benjamin, Botkin's daughter Toinette Botkin Laurent, and grandson Alexander Laurent, composer Harold Arlen, Fanny Brice and her son William Brice, artists Chaim Gross, Saburo Hasegawa, Hans Hofmann, Karl Knaths, Paul Manship, Paul Mocsanyi, Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson, Barnett Newman, Pablo Picasso, Wallace Putnam, Abrahmam Rattner, Hugo Robus, Arnold Schoenberg, Jack Shadbolt, John Von Wicht, and Abraham Walkowitz. Also included are photographs of Botkin's studio, night picnic in Provincetown attended by many artists; and material relating to American Abstract Artists, New School Art Center, Provincetown Art Association, and the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors. [See Finding Aid for information on location of items on the microfilm].

UNMICROFILMED: 3 untranscribed interviews of Botkin, 1 done for the "Today" show, NBC, June 4, 1965; 1 for Colette Roberts "Meet the Artist" Program, undated, and 1 by an unidentified interviewer. Also included is an untranscribed monologue, Oct. 11, 1970.

Biographical / Historical:

Painter; New York, N.Y. and Provincetown, Mass. Born in Boston and attended art schools there from 1913-1917. From 1917-1920, he attended the Art Students League and was employed as an illustrator for prominent magazines until 1929. Traveling abroad between 1926 and 1933, he attained his first one-man show in 1927 at the Billiet Galleries in Paris. Through his cousin, composer George Gershwin, Botkin became acquainted with people active in the performing arts, such as Harold Arlen, Fanny Brice, Harry Kurnitz, and Bert Lahr. Botkin was also involved in the American Abstract Artists, Artists Equity Association, Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, and Gallery 256 in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Related Materials:

Henry Botkin papers also at Syracuse University.

Provenance:

Donated 1969-1982 by Henry Botkin and by his son Glenn and his assistant Rene Barilleaux. Many items were returned to Botkin after microfilming.

Restrictions:

Patrons must use microfilm copy. Use of untranscribed tapes requires an appointment at the Washington, D.C. office.

Occupation:

Composers  Search this

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

Painters -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this

Topic:

Art, Abstract  Search this

Function:

Artists' studios -- New York (State)

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Identifier:

AAA.botkhenr

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9556a5d7f-65c5-4c7f-827f-d4664d1cfc35

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-botkhenr

Creator:

Chase, Doris, 1923-  Search this

Extent:

0.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1954-1994

Summary:

The scattered papers of painter, sculptor, educator, and video artist Doris Totten Chase measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1954 to 1994. Found are biographical material, photographs and slides, and printed material concerning Chase's career.

Scope and Contents:

The scattered papers of painter, sculptor, educator, and video artist Doris Totten Chase measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1954 to 1994. Found are biographical material, photographs and slides, and printed material concerning Chase's career.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical:

Doris Totten Chase (1923-2008) was a painter, sculptor, educator, and video artist, active in Washington State and New York City. Born in Seattle, Chase spent her early life in the Pacific Northwest where she was a member of the Women Painters of Washington. Chase was primarily a painter until the early 1970s when she began to focus on sculpture. In 1972, Chase moved to New York City where she began to create video art. She was one of the first video artists to lecture and show her work abroad under the auspices of the United States Information Agency.

Provenance:

Donated 1980 and 1997 by Doris Chase.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

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

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

Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Women video artists  Search this

Citation:

Doris Chase papers, 1954-1994. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.

Identifier:

AAA.chasdori

See more items in:

Doris Chase papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9693bacd2-a659-44e7-bb2d-40e091bc30bf

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-chasdori

Creator:

Novros, David, 1941-  Search this

Names:

Bui, Phong, 1964-  Search this

Colpitt, Frances  Search this

Graham, Robert, 1938-  Search this

Hope, Charles  Search this

Humblet, Claudine, 1946-  Search this

Judd, Donald, 1928-  Search this

McEwen, Rory, 1932-  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Price, Kenneth, 1935-2012  Search this

Extent:

1 Linear foot

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Poems

Transcripts

Interviews

Illustrated letters

Diaries

Date:

1963-2008

Summary:

The papers of abstract painter David Novros are dated 1963 to 2008, and measure 1.0 linear foot. Correspondence, records relating to the Liaunig Boat House commission (Middleburgh, NY), interview transcripts, printed material, and photographs document the painter's professional career.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of abstract painter David Novros are dated 1963 to 2008, and measure 1.0 linear foot. Correspondence, records relating to the Liaunig Boat House commission (Middleburgh, NY), interview transcripts, printed material, and photographs document the painter's professional career.

The vast majority of correspondence consists of incoming letters. The only reciprocal exchanges preserved are with art historian Charles Hope and the Menil Collection. Letters are from artists Rory McEwen, Paul Mogensen, and Ken Price; writers Frances Colpitt and Claudine Humblet; and from other colleagues and friends. The letters David Novros wrote to his family between 1963 and 1979 recount his travels and describe in some detail - many with accompanying illustrations and diagrams - work in progress, exhibitions, and commissions. Also preserved are copies of his letters to the Trustees of the Donald Judd Estate and Ranier Judd concerning the Marfa, Texas properties and projects, his Spring Street studio in New York City, and the Judd Foundation. Novros's letters to editors concern art-related articles that appeared in The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other publications.

Peter Liaunig's commission for a boat house with three fresco paintings in Middleburgh, New York, is documented by correspondence, plans, and designs. The "Boat House Diary, Middleburgh, NY," kept by Novros August 10-15, 2003, describes the process of painting the frescoes with the assistance of Jason, and notes materials and techniques used.

Interview transcripts are of Phong Bui's conversation with David Novros, published June 2008 in The Brooklyn Rail, and an unpublished interview Novros conducted with sculptor Robert Graham in 2008.

Printed material about or mentioning David Novros consists of articles and reviews, exhibition announcements and posters. Items written by Novros are a review of Jackson Pollock and two poems.

Photographs are of David Novros with his family and friends. There are also views of the Novros family's home in Van Nuys, California, and Indian-painted rocks at Sears Point, Arizona that influenced Novros' art.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 5 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1963-2008 (Boxes 1-2; 0.4 linear ft.)

Series 2: Liaunig Boat House, 1998-2004 (Box 2, OV3; 0.2 linear ft.)

Series 3: Interview Transcripts, 2008 (Box 2; 0.1 linear ft.)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1966-2008 (Box 2, OV 4; 0.2 linear ft.)

Series 5: Photographs, 1976-1999 (Box 2; 0.1 linear ft.)

Biographical Note:

David Novros (1941-) is an abstract painter in New York, NY.

Abstract painter David Novros was born in Los Angeles in 1941 and lived with his family in Van Nuys, California. His father, Lester Novros, was an artist whose interest in movement eventually led him to the Walt Disney Company, where he worked on animation projects. In 1941 he established his own production company, Graphic Films, and began teaching in the Cinema Department of the University of Southern California. Both David and his brother Paul were enamored with film; David turned to painting, but Paul followed in their father's line of work and became an award-winning film producer.

David entered the University of Southern California and studied painting with James Jervaisee. He made a few student films and sometimes worked with his father, but before long he turned to painting. During the summer of 1961, Novros attended courses at Yale and met Chuck Close, Brice Marden, and Vija Celmins.

After earning a B.F.A. in 1963, Novros completed his Army Reserve obligations and travelled in Europe. He moved to New York City in 1964 and met many Minimalist artists. Over the next several years, Novros's rectangular paintings gave way to multi-panel paintings and then to shaped panels. From the late 1960s through the 1970s, Novros developed a reputation as a geometric abstractionist. He showed at Park Place Gallery and had a solo exhibition at Virginia Dwan Gallery (Los Angeles) in 1966; the next year, his work was again presented at Park Place Gallery and at the Virginia Dwan Gallery (New York). Several solo exhibitions followed at Klaus Kertess's influential Bykert Gallery, as well as at other venues.

Novros participated in important exhibitions of abstraction, among them "Systemic Painting" (Guggenheim Museum, 1966), "Color and Structure" (Whitney Museum of American Art, 1971), and "Abstract-Geometry-Painting: Selected Geometric Abstract Painting in America since 1945" (Albright-Knox Gallery, 1989). In 1970, he was awarded a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.

In the 1970s, Novros turned to fresco painting, and his eventual decision to focus on murals effectively removed him from the commercial gallery scene. One of his earliest commissions was a fresco painted in 1970 for the second floor of Donald Judd's studio/home. Other commissions include: Solar Triptych, a radial triptych that opens and closes throughout the day, for the lobby of Union Station, Newark, NJ (1984); a fresco in the Old Court House, Miami (1984); a painted-glass and copper fresco in the Gross Building, Winslow, Arizona (1994-1996); and the Liaunig Boat House with fresco paintings, Middleburgh, NY (1996-2003). A number of museums in the United States and Europe include Novros's work in their permanent collections, among them: Menil Collection, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum Liaunig (Austria), and Daimler contemporary (Berlin).

Mr. Novros lives and works in New York City.

Related Material:

An oral history interview with David Novros was conducted by Michael Brennan for the Archives of American Art in 2008.

Provenance:

Gift of David Novros, 2009

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

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

Painting -- Technique  Search this

Genre/Form:

Poems

Transcripts

Interviews

Illustrated letters

Diaries

Citation:

David Novros papers, 1963-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.novrdavi

See more items in:

David Novros papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97500999c-12e4-49d2-9d4e-a6790aeba4d0

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-novrdavi