Sam Gilliam papers, 1957-1989

Object Details

Creator

Gilliam, Sam, 1933-2022

Subject

Andrews, Benny

Driskell, David C.

Gilliam, Dorothy Butler

Krebs, Rockne

Mondale, Walter F.

Carl Solway Gallery

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Studio Museum in Harlem

Place of publication, production, or execution

United States

Physical Description

7.9 Linear feet; 7.9 Linear feet

Arrangement

This collection is arranged as 9 series. Series 1: Biographical Material, 1958-1988, (Box 1; 0.8 linear feet) Series 2: Correspondence, 1965-1989, (Boxes 1-2; 0.6 linear feet) Series 3: Writings, 1962-1988, (Box 2; 0.4 linear feet) Series 4: Business Records, 1957-1986, (Boxes 2-3; 1.0 linear foot) Series 5: Printed Material, 1962-1987, (Boxes 3-4; 1.0 linear foot) Series 6: Subject Files, 1963-1988, (Boxes 4-7; 2.2 linear feet) Series 7: Scrapbook, 1958-1968, (Box 7; 0.2 linear feet) Series 8: Artwork, 1970-1980, undated, (Boxes 7-9; 0.4 linear feet) Series 9: Photographic Material, 1960-1985, (Boxes 8-9; 0.3 linear feet)

Access Note / Rights

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Summary

The papers of contemporary Color Field painter and educator Sam Gilliam measure 7.9 linear feet and date from 1957 to 1989. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writings, business records, printed material, subject files, a scrapbook, artwork, and photographic material that document Gilliam's life beginning as a student, through to his teaching, professorial, and artistic career based in Washington D.C. The collection highlights Gilliam's close involvement with the art institutions, racial politics, and artistic innovation from the 1960s through the 1980s, and particularly showcases the planning and creation of Gilliam's large-scale three-dimensional paintings, often associated with the Washington Color School.

Citation

Sam Gilliam papers, 1957-1989. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Funding

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Use Note

Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce requires written permission from Sam Gilliam. Contact Reference Services for more information.

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.

Related Materials

Also found in the Archives of American Art are two oral history interviews with Sam Gilliam, one conducted by Kenneth Young, September 18, 1984, and the other by Ben Forgey, November 4-11, 1989.

Biography Note

Sam Gilliam (1933-2022) was an African American artist based in Washington, D.C. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where he began painting as a child, eventually attending the University of Louisville where he received his B.A. in Fine Art and M.A. in Painting. He went on to teach art to high school students in the Washington D.C. public school system, and university-level students at the Corcoran School of Art, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), the University of Maryland, and Carnegie Mellon University. His numerous grants and awards include the 1971 Solomon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship and multiple Honorary Doctoral degrees.

Language Note

English .

Provenance

The Sam Gilliam papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Sam Gilliam in 1989.

Location Note

Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Record number

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9584

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211785

AAA_collcode_gillsam

Type

Interviews

Scrapbooks

Sketches

Sound recordings

Topic

Art -- Study and teaching

Color-field painting

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)

Washington Color School (Group of artists)

African American artists

African American educators

African American painters

Theme

Sketches & Sketchbooks

African American

Lives of artists

Theme

Sketches & Sketchbooks

African American

Lives of artists

Data Source

Archives of American Art

Metadata Usage

Usage conditions apply

Record ID

AAADCD_coll_211785