Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Avis Berman Research Material on Art and Artists, 1976-1994, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.bermavis
Creators:
Berman, Avis
Dates:
1976-1994
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
2.4 Linear feet
Repository:
Avis Berman research material on art and artists measures 2.4 linear feet and dates from 1976-1994. Included are interviews conducted by Berman, correspondence, printed material, and drafts of writing for articles and essays published by Berman in preparation for various books, articles and exhibitions, magazines and museum and gallery catalog essays. Subjects include Romare Bearden, Adelyn Breeskin, Howard Chandler Christy, Chaim Gross, Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade, Jacob Lawrence, Marisol, Mary Miss, Reuben Nakian, Maxfield Parrish, Helen Farr Sloan, John Sloan, Raphael Soyer, and others.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Avis Berman research material on art and artists measures 2.4 linear feet and dates from 1976-1994. Included are interviews conducted by Berman, correspondence, printed material, and drafts of writing for articles and essays published by Berman in preparation for various books, articles and exhibitions, magazines and museum and gallery catalog essays. Subjects include Romare Bearden, Adelyn Breeskin, Howard Chandler Christy, Chaim Gross, Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade, Jacob Lawrence, Marisol, Mary Miss, Reuben Nakian, Maxfield Parrish, Helen Farr Sloan, John Sloan, Raphael Soyer, and others.
Correspondence consists primarily of letters received from artists and art professionals Berman contacted during her research process for various assignments. This type of correspondence also appears in the artist and art workers files and the topical files of this collection.
The artist and art workers files contains a wide range of research material including correspondence, notes, and copies of published articles and book chapters, generally collected in preparation for a writing assignment. Some drafts for those writing assignments appear in the files as well.
Topical files consist of research materials compiled by Avis Berman on topics she researched and deloped primarily for the sake of writing projects, including correspondence, notes, and copies of published sources.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series:
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1983-1989 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)
  • Series 2: Artists and Art Workers Files, circa 1976-1990 (1.2 Linear feet: Box 1-2)
  • Series 3: Topical Files, circa 1980-1994 (1.1 Linear feet: Box 2-3)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Avis Berman (1949- ) is a writer, curator, and historian of American art, architecture and culture based in New York, N.Y. She holds a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and an master's degree from Rutgers Univerisy, both in English literature. She is the author of numerous books including Rebels on Eighth Street: Juliana Force and the Whitney Museum of American Art; James McNeill Whistler; and Edward Hopper's New York. She was also co-author and editor of Katharine Kuh's memoir, My Love Affair with Modern Art: Behind the Scenes with a Legendary Curator.
Berman has written numerous articles on subjects including painting, sculpture, photography, illustration, design, architecture, and the social history of the visual arts for a broad range of publications including The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Saturday Review, The Boston Book Review, American Art, ARTnews, The San Francisco Examiner, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Baltimore Sun, Art in America, Art & Antiques, House & Garden, and Architectural Digest.
Throughout the 1980s 1990s and 2000s Avis served as a consultant for the Archives of American Art, Washington, D.C., in her capacity as interviewer for the oral history project for which she has researched and interviewed countless artists, collectors, and other figures in the art world in Europe and the United States.

Administration

Author
Ryan Evans
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated incrementally by Avis Berman 1981-1993 and 2021.
Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels 2786 and 4909 are available at Archives of American Art office reading rooms in Washington, D.C. and New York City.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Ryan Evans in 2022.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Interviews with Gross, Lawrence, and Nakian: Authorization to quote or reproduce for purposes of publication requires written permission from Avis Berman. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
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.
Conditions Governing Use
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own in the following material: All writings by Avis Berman.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Preferred Citation
Avis Berman Research Material on Art and Artists, 1976-1994. Archives of American Art., Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
Also in the Archives are the Avis Berman research material on Katharine Kuh, 1939-2006, research material on Julianna Force, circa 1930-2020, research material on Elie Nadelman, 2001, and an interview of Reuben Nakian conducted by Berman for the Archives Oral History Program, June 1981.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women art dealers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women art historians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women authors Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rosenthal, Gertrude, 1903- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Foster, James W., 1920- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sloan, Helen Farr, 1911-2005 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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