#reubentam

[archivesofamericanart]

The papers of landscape painter and educator Reuben Tam have been fully digitized and are available to view online: https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/reuben-tam-papers-8481

Reuben Tam was born in Hawaii and moved to New York City in 1941.  Tam became affiliated with the Downtown Gallery in 1945 and was a prolific exhibitor in national and regional shows, winning critical praise as an abstract landscape painter.  He taught art at the Brooklyn Museum of Art School and other universities and colleges.  

The papers document his career as a painter in New York, Maine, and Hawaii. Tam's work was deeply influenced by coastal landscapes both in Maine and in his native Hawaii.  This rich collection includes biographical material, correspondence, diaries, writings, printed material, sketchbooks, and scrapbooks.

Image: Reuben Tam on Haleakala Crater, before 1941

[archivesofamericanart]

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we're reading this illustrated poem by landscape painter Reuben Tam (1916-1991). Tam's work was deeply influenced by coastal landscapes both in Maine and in his native Hawaii. 

This 1939 poem, "Converted Native" was found amidst his diaries, which often include unpublished writings, poems, and sketches. Browse the papers at http://s.si.edu/2prX1lG

[bm-contemporary-art]

Calm and Sea Glint, Reuben Tam, 1952, Brooklyn Museum: Contemporary Art

Size: Image: 18 x 30 in. (45.7 x 76.2 cm) Medium: Watercolor on paper

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/67181

[archivesofamericanart]

Reuben Tam (1916-1991) was an American landscape painter in Maine and Hawaii. Tam was an instructor at the Brooklyn Museum of Art School from 1946 to 1974. Tam's work was deeply influenced by coastal landscapes and he often exhibited in national and regional shows, winning critical praise as an abstract landscape painter. He was also an accomplished poet.