SMITHSONIAN ARCHIVES OF AMERICAN ART

Little nuggets of treasure from the art world's Fort Knox.

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Please join us in celebrating National Teacher Day! To all of the teachers out there: we thank you for your dedication, creativity, and passion. 

Here are just a few teachers from the Archives.

Credits:

Yasuo Kuniyoshi's Art Students League Class, c. 1940. Art Students League records, 1875-1955.

Robert Motherwell teaching at Black Mountain Rock, ca. 1945. Joseph Cornell papers, 1804-1986.

Photograph of Chiura Obata teaching a children's art class at Tanforan Art School, 1942. Chiura Obata papers, circa 1891-2000, 1942-1945.

Mel Rosenthal. Photograph of Linda Nochlin receiving an award and Joyce Kozloff, 1990. Linda Nochlin papers, circa 1876, 1937-2017.

Cosmos Andrew Sarchiapone. Joseph Beuys at The New School, 1974. Cosmos Andrew Sarchiapone papers, circa 1860-2011.

Olive Rush and Corcoran School of Art class, ca. 1890. Olive Rush papers, 1879-1967.

William Hsu. Esther Rolick teaching art class, 1968. Esther G. Rolick papers, 1940-1985.

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Painter, assemblage, and collage artist Janice Lowry was born this day in 1946 and kept elaborate visual journals like this one. I wonder what her birthday to-do list had on it... 

Happy Birthday, Janice Lowry!

Janice Ann Lowry. Janice Lowry journal 98, 2002-2003. Janice Lowry papers, 1957-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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Senga Nengudi is a performance artist, installation artist and sculptor. She often expresses her ideas about the human body through her work. The quote below is from our 2013 Oral History interview with Senga Nengudi conducted by Elissa Auther.

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SENGA NENGUDI: I’ve always been intrigued with materials that are connected to time and place, materials that people basically think, Okay, I can tape something—I can put something together with it; I can use it to prep for painting a wall or something like that. And I like to take those materials and find other uses for them, so that in the same vein, people know that they can expand themselves, that they don’t have to be viewed as one thing and kept in that box.

It was the cheapest thing; that’s why I used a lot of stuff, like paper tarps that I would get from the paint store. I could utilize them very quickly. They were very large, and they allowed me to do a lot of things in a grand manner, so that’s why I used them. They were cheap; they were only like two dollars a piece, and the tape was like 49 cents. So I then wanted to explore elements, say like an African culture and so on. I always loved the costumes and so on. And so in that way, I could do it very quickly.

ELISSA AUTHER: So you’d just tear off pieces of the tape and adhere them to yourself?

SENGA NENGUDI: Mm-hmm. [Affirmative.] I kept doing that. Then once my body was covered, then I moved with it in the studio.

ELISSA AUTHER: So there was a dance element?

SENGA NENGUDI: Always. Oh, I should say always a movement element to pretty much everything I did. And I just can’t say enough about these photographers, because without that kind of documentation, it just would have been lost.

---- 📸: Unknown photographer. Contact sheet with portraits of Senga Nengudi for Contextures (exhibit catalog), circa 1978. Senga Nengudi papers, 1947, circa 1962-2017

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Maren Hassinger is an African American artist in New York known for sculpture, performance, and public art in which she uses natural and industrial materials. In 1973 she completed a Master of Fine Arts in fiber structure at UCLA. During her time in Los Angeles, Hassinger began to collaborate with Senga Nengudi — a collaborative relationship that has continued throughout their careers.

Maren Hassinger papers, 1955-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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What does it mean to listen to an image? What does a work of art demand of the viewer? Our blog post examines these questions and the storytelling of Howardena Pindell.

Image: Still from Interview with Howardena Pindell, 1991 January 14. Linda Freeman papers, 1971-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. © Linda Freeman, L and S Video

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We hope you enjoyed our 12 days of gifmas, and whichever holiday you celebrate (Festivus, anyone?), we wish you a warm and happy one.

Frank di Gioia holiday card, 1957. Milch Gallery records, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the twelfth day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Twelve windowpanes, eleven sparkly trees, ten ornaments, nine blinking lights, eight nuns a-running, seven ladybugs, six nesting envelopes,  FIVE HULA HOOPS … four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and (sing it with us) a PEACOCK IN A PINE TREEEEEEE!!!

Un-Ichi Hiratsuka Christmas card to Prentiss Taylor, ca. 1970. Prentiss Taylor papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the eleventh day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Eleven sparkly trees, ten ornaments, nine blinking lights, eight nuns a-running, seven ladybugs, six nesting envelopes,  FIVE HULA HOOPS … four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Judy Petacque holiday card to Kathleen Blackshear and Ethel Spears, 197-?. Kathleen Blackshear and Ethel Spears papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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And now for a ballet in celebration of the birthday of artist and filmmaker Joseph Cornell. Happy birthday, JC!

Explore his fully digitized papers: https://s.si.edu/joseph-cornell

Image credit: Ballerina cutout, between 1940 and 1970. Joseph Cornell papers, 1804-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the tenth day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Ten ornaments, nine blinking lights, eight nuns a-running, seven ladybugs, six nesting envelopes,  FIVE HULA HOOPS … four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Jill Sheedy Christmas card to James Mullen, 2000. James Mullen Christmas card collection, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the ninth day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Nine blinking lights,  eight nuns a-running, seven ladybugs, six nesting envelopes,  FIVE HULA HOOPS … four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Louisa Winslow Robins Christmas card, between 1930 and 1960. Louisa Robins papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the eighth day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Eight nuns a-running, seven ladybugs, six nesting envelopes,  FIVE HULA HOOPS … four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Noche Crist Christmas card to Prentiss Taylor, between 1962 and 1975. Prentiss Taylor papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the seventh day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Seven ladybugs, six nesting envelopes,  FIVE HULA HOOPS … four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Harrison Cady Christmas card to Eric Hudson, 19—. Eric Hudson and Hudson family papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the sixth day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Six nesting envelopes,  FIVE HULA HOOPS … four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Abril Lamarque Christmas card to unidentified recipient, 1930 Dec. Abril Lamarque papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the fifth day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: FIVE HULA HOOPS …  four flopping fish, three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Miné Okubo christmas card to unidentified recipient, 1959. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the fourth day of GIFmas, my true love gave to me: Four flopping fish,  three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Nancy Whorf holiday card to Peter Hunt, not before 1950. Peter Hunt papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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On the third day of GIFmas my true love gave to me: Three stacked sheep, two Tarzans, and a peacock in a pine tree.

Reiji Kimura Christmas card to Dorothy Canning Miller, 1966. Dorothy C. Miller papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.