Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Emilio Cruz papers, 1961-2008, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.cruzemil
Creators:
Cruz, Emilio, 1938-
Dates:
1961-2008
Languages:
The collection is in English.
Physical Description:
5 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of African American artist and writer Emilio Cruz measure 5 linear feet and date from 1961 to 2008. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, exhibition and project files, printed material, and photographic material.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of African American artist and writer Emilio Cruz measure 5 linear feet and date from 1961 to 2008. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, exhibition and project files, printed material, and photographic material.
Biographical material includes Cruz's career narratives, an interview with Ben Looker for a book about the Black Artists' Group, an address book, and a recording of Emilio Cruz's memorial service.
Correspondence includes drafts and final copies of correspondence sent and received by Cruz. Though primarily professional in nature, some letters include Cruz's theories regarding art and literature.
Writings includes two subseries: general writings as well as literary work and performance material. General writings consist of Emilio Cruz's writings about art, exhibition text, and other essays and writing. Literary work and performance material includes poems, short stories, novels, and plays, as well as materials related to the performance of these works. This subseries includes audiovisual material in a variety of formats related to Cruz's performances.
Personal business records include shipping invoices and a small number of gallery records.
Exhibition and project files include correspondence, planning documents, financial documents, printed material, and photographic material related to Emilio Cruz's exhibitions and projects.
Printed material includes publications in which Emilio Cruz's writing was published or in which he was written about; exhibition and performance catalogs, programs, and invitations; and clippings of reviews.
Photographic material includes photographs of Emilio Cruz and slides of his artwork.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged in seven series.
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1988, 2001-2005, undated (Box 1; 4 folders)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1965-2008 (Box 1, 0.9 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Writings, 1969-2004 (Boxes 1-3, FC 5-6, Box 7-9; 2.5 linear feet)
  • Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1989-2000 (Box 3; 5 folders)
  • Series 5: Exhibition and Project Files: 1963-2004 (Boxes 3-4; 1.2 linear feet)
  • Series 6: Printed Material, 1964-2003 (Box 4; 0.6 feet)
  • Series 7: Photographic Material, 1961-2003 (Box 10, OV 11; 0.3 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Emilio Cruz (1938-2004) was an African American artist, playwright, and novelist of Cuban descent. He was born in the Bronx and spent much of his life in New York. He taught at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1970s and was active in the Chicago art scene. In the 1980s he returned to New York where he continued to exhibit. He later taught at Pratt Institute and New York University. His two plays Homeostasis: Once More the Scorpion and The Absence Held Fast to Its Presence were first performed in New York in 1981, and later in Europe as part of the World Theater Festival.
Throughout his career, Cruz received a number of honors and awards, including a John Hay Whitney Fellowship and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Emilio Cruz died in 2004.

Administration

Author
Rayna Andrews
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Emilio Cruz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Patricia Cruz, Emilio Cruz's widow, in 2016.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Rayna Andrews with funding from the Luce Foundation in 2018.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of electronic records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Conditions Governing Use
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that she may own, in the following material: Emilio Cruz's unpublished short stories, poems, plays, and novels.
Terms of 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.
Preferred Citation
Emilio Cruz papers, 1961-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Abstract expressionism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Philosophy Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cuban American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dramatists -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Latino and Latin American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black Artists' Group Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Looker, Ben Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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