Folk artists

Abstract

David Davies (1926-2012) was a collector of American folk art. He served on the board of the American Folk Art Museum from 1990 to 2010. His papers include two general files on folk art and folk artists, as well as alphabetical artist and photograph files, primarily of artists featured in his personal collection. Included in these files are photographs, correspondence between Davies and artists or dealers, printed matter from exhibitions, and press clippings.

Abstract The Deborah Goldsmith Throop Family Collection contains the family papers related to artist Deborah Goldsmith Throop (1808-1836). The collection includes family correspondences, receipts, appraisal documents, donation letters and deeds, and loan agreements in relation to the donation of Deborah’s works to various exhibits and institutions between 1975-1989. Also included in the collection are two scrapbooks containing photographs and handwritten descriptions, and other material related to...

Abstract

Gerald Kornblau was an authority on American folk art and a dealer who sold works to private and museum collections. This collection contains reference material on specific objects from the Kornblau Gallery, some of which eventually came to be in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum. Also included is reference material on American folk art painting and sculpture, including rare eighteenth-century manufacturer catalogs of weathervanes and decorative objects.

Abstract The Julia Weissman Papers are the files that Julia Weissman kept during the process of writing the book Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists with Herbert Waide Hemphill, published by Dutton in 1974, as well as files on artists that they did not include in the book. Included are some organizational and research files, including drafts of the publication. The majority of the material is artist files, and includes a large amount of correspondence with...

Scope and Contents Julie Deeds Phillips is the niece of artist Edward Deeds Jr. Deeds was institutionalized as a teenager due to behavioral issues and after a suicide attempt. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. He spent thirty-seven years in the state psychiatric hospital. While Deeds was in the institution he began drawing. Phillips only met her uncle once in her life, and as a result most of this interview contains her account of stories she heard from other individuals in her family. Phillips...

Abstract

Richard Gasperi is an American gallerist and self-taught art collector. The Richard Gasperi Papers include research files related to artists, as well as records about exhibitions and art fairs. These files include newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, and other print materials, primarily from the 1980s and 1990s.

Scope and Contents

In this interview, the owners of Cavin-Morris Gallery, Shari Cavin and Randall Morris, discuss their distinct approach and contribution to the field of Folk Art. They touch upon their definition of Folk Art, the importance of cultural context, and their goal of redefining the canon.They also discuss the life and work of artists Bessie Harvey and David Butler.

Summary written by Maylyn Iglesias, AFAM Archives Intern

Abstract

The record group contains exhibition files related to the American Folk Art Museum's earliest exhibitions (1962-1966), when the museum was called the Museum of Early American Folk Arts (MEAFA). The files include a range of materials, such as correspondence, checklists, installation and object photography, publicity and press releases, and more.