Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Sam Gilliam

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.gillia89
Creators:
Gilliam, Sam, 1933-2022
Forgey, Benjamin
Dates:
1989 Nov. 4-11
1989 Nov. 4-11
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
4 Items
Sound recording
sound cassettes
54 Pages
Transcript
4 Items
Sound recording
sound cassettes
54 Pages
Transcript
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
An interview of Sam Gilliam conducted 1989 Nov. 4-11, by Ben Forgey for the Archives of American Art. Gilliam speaks of his decision to come to Washington, D.C., from Louisville, Ky.; his shift from figurative painting to abstract painting; meeting Washington painters Robert Gates and Tom Downing; the "stature" of Tom Downing in the Washington art scene in the 1960s and Walter Hopps' role; influential exhibitions at the Jefferson Place Gallery and the Washington Gallery of Modern Art; being a Washington artist and a black artist; artist/teachers at American University; the Johnson Avenue Workshop grant; his relationship with Rockne Krebs; the history of the Washington Coalition of Artists; the Corcoran Gallery and the Washington Project for the Arts' relationship to Washington artists; his involvement with the District of Columbia Art Center; teaching; and his working methods. Gilliam also discusses various paintings, processes, materials, ideas and experiments at length. He recalls Gene Davis, Howard Mehring, Ken Noland, Morris Louis, Nesta Dorrance, Alma Thomas, Lou Stovall, Al Nodal, Jock Reynolds, Michael Botwinick, Willem de Looper, Paul Reed, and others.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Sam Gilliam (1933-2022) was a painter in Washington, D.C.

Administration

Sponsor
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These interviews are 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 others.

Digital Content


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art -- Washington (D.C.) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Technique Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Washington (D.C.) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Downing, Thomas, 1928-1985 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hopps, Walter Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Krebs, Rockne, 1938-2011 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corcoran Gallery of Art Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
District of Columbia Arts Center, Inc. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jefferson Place Gallery Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coalition of Washington Artists Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Washington Gallery of Modern Art (Washington, D.C.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Washington Project for the Arts (D.C.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
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