Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Margaret Tomkins, 1984 June 6. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Wilfrid Zogbaum, 1964 November 2. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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
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
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.
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
The scattered papers of sculptor Joyce Cutler Shaw measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1974 to 1977. The papers include a proposal for her work The Lady and the Bird Odyssey, general printed material, and printed copies of letters, photographs, and newsletters relating to Shaw's attempt to erect her ice sculpture We the People in Washington, D.C. on the Capitol grounds.
Scope and Contents:
The scattered papers of sculptor Joyce Cutler Shaw measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1974 to 1977. The papers include a proposal for her work The Lady and the Bird Odyssey, general printed material, and printed copies of letters, photographs, and newsletters relating to Shaw's attempt to erect her ice sculpture We the People in Washington, D.C. on the Capitol grounds.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Joyce Cutler Shaw (1935-2018) was a sculptor active in San Diego and La Jolla, California, who carved many of her notable works in ice.
Originally from New York, Cutler Shaw received a bachelor's degree from New York University and a master's degree from the University of California, San Diego in visual arts. Her work explored the natural world, human nature, and the built environment within nature.
Provenance:
Donated 1977 by Joyce Cutler Shaw.
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.
The papers of Jirayr Zorthian measure 2.0 linear feet and date from circa 1937 to 2004. The papers document Zorthian's career as a muralist through correspondence with family and friends; an interview, resumes, certificates, writings, and other professional activity material; clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, pamphlets on the Zorthian Day Ranch for Children, and other printed material; and photographs of Zorthian, his friends and family, and some of his artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Jirayr Zorthian measure 2.0 linear feet and date from circa 1937 to 2004. The papers document Zorthian's career as a muralist through correspondence with family and friends; an interview, resumes, certificates, writings, and other professional activity material; clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, pamphlets on the Zorthian Day Ranch for Children, and other printed material; and photographs of Zorthian, his friends and family, and some of his artwork.
Correspondence includes letters from family and friends. There are also a small number of letters from colleagues and art institutions in regards to exhibitions. Professional material includes sketches by Zorthian, an interview with Zorthian, writings and observations by Zorthian and others, and financial materials. Also included is "Creative and a Little Bit Crazy," a video recording on the life of Zorthian, and material related to additions made to the Zorthian Day Ranch for Children. Printed material consists of prints of some of Zorthian's artwork, newspaper clippings on Zorthian and the Zorthian Day Ranch for Children, exhibition announcements and catalogs. Photographic material consists of photographs of Zorthian along with friends and family at the Zorthian Day Ranch for Children, photographs of the ranch, and photographs of some of Zorthian's murals.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into four series.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1959-2001 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Professional Activity Files, 1970-2004 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1959-2001 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 4: Photographic Material, circa 1937-1992 (0.9 linear feet; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
Mural painter, painter, sculptor; Los Angeles, Calif.; b. 1911; d. 2004.
Jirayr Zorthian (1911-2004) was a sculptor and mural painter in Los Angeles, California. Born to an Armenian family in the Ottoman Empire, he immigrated to the United States with his family following World War I. Zorthian earned a Masters of Fine Arts from Yale University and went on to study art in Italy during the 1930s. Among some of Zorthian's works are eleven murals for the Tennessee State Capitol, a mural for the United States Post Office in St. Johnsville, New York titled "Early St. Johnsville Pioneers," and "Phantasmagoria of Military Intelligence Training." In the 1960s Zorthian also established a summer camp for children on his ranch, Zorthian Day Ranch for Children.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Jirayr Zorthian conducted by Paul Karlstrom, January 28-July 9, 1997.
Provenance:
Donated 1994 and 1995 by Jirayr Zorthian.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings 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:
Muralists -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Genre/Form:
Video recordings
Drawings
Citation:
Jirayr Zorthian papers, circa 1937-2004. 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.
