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Archives of American Art
Oral history interview with Alan Fink
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.fink97
- Creators:
-
Fink, Alan, 1925-Brown, Robert F.
- Dates:
-
1997 Jan. 22 and Jan. 29
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
2 Sound cassettesSound recording (2 1/2 hrs.)analog45 PagesTranscript
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
An interview of Alan Fink conducted 1997 Jan. 22 and Jan. 29, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art, at Fink's Alpha Gallery, Boston, Mass.
Scope and Contents
JANUARY 22, 1997 SESSION: Fink discusses his childhood, early education, and first profession; traveling in Europe and meeting his future wife, the painter, Barbara Swan; and becoming interested in art.
Scope and Contents
JANUARY 29, 1997 SESSION: Coming to Boston in 1951 largely because Barbara Swan was there; first work as a gallery manager (1951-1967) for Boris Mirski; the New York dealer, Edith Halpert with whom he worked closely; the painter and head of Brandeis University art department, Mitchell Siporin; Leonard Baskin, and David Aronson; the lack of support for young local artists from Boston institutions; the major local collector of young local artists, Jerry Goldberg and Abe Pollin who followed his example; the increased number of Boston art galleries in the 1960s as art collecting grew; great success of a show of African masks at Mirski Gallery; his last years with Mirski; opening of his Alpha Gallery in September 1967; and taking on some of Mirski's artists, including Michael Mazur, Robert Birmelin, Philip Gausman, Barbara Swan, Marianna Pineda, Harold Tovish, Elbert Weinberg, and others.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Alan Fink (1925-) is an art dealer in Boston, Mass. and is married to Barbara Swan.
Administration
Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript available on line at http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/fink97.htm
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Digital Content
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Keywords
Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
---|---|---|---|
Sound recordings | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Interviews | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Art dealers -- Massachusetts -- Boston | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Swan, Barbara, 1922- | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Mirski, Boris, 1898-1974 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions