Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Ron Ho Papers, 1975-2003, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.horon
Creators:
Ho, Ron
Dates:
1975-2003
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.4 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of Seattle jeweler Ron Ho measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1975 to 2003. The collection comprises the Bellevue Arts Award, Best of the Eastside Award, and Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair awards; correspondence with Helen Drutt, Tacoma Art Museum, Society of North American Goldsmiths, Susan Biskeborn, Seattle Art Museum, and others; files for the several exhibitions; and printed material relating to Ho that includes clippings and exhibition catalogs and announcements.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of Seattle jeweler Ron Ho measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1975 to 2003. The collection comprises the Bellevue Arts Award, Best of the Eastside Award, and Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair awards; correspondence with Helen Drutt, Tacoma Art Museum, Society of North American Goldsmiths, Susan Biskeborn, Seattle Art Museum, and others; files for the several exhibitions; and printed material relating to Ho that includes clippings and exhibition catalogs and announcements.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Ron Ho (1936-2017) was a Chinese American jeweler in Seattle, Washington.
Ho was born Ronald Tau Wo Ho in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1936. After being introduced to crafts by a music teacher, Ho realized that he enjoyed working with his hands. He went on to study art education at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and received a Master of Art Education degree from the University of Washington. Ho became close friends with fellow Seattle artist Ramona Solberg who shared his love of travel and using found objects to create jewelry pieces.
Ho has won numerous awards including Asian Artist of the Year by the Wing Luke Asian Museum in 1988 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Seattle Metals Guild in 2007. He also became a fellow at the American Craft Council, as well as a lifetime member of Northwest Designer-Craftsmen.
Ho died in 2017 in Seattle.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Ron Ho papers were donated in 2004 by Ron Ho as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2022.

Using the Collection

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 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
Ron Ho papers, 1975-2003. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Ron Ho conducted on May 9, 2017 by Lloyd Herman for the Archives of American Art at Ho's home in Seattle, W.A.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Chinese American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Asian American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Asian American jewelers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jewelers -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American studio craft movement Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drutt, Helen Williams Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Biskeborn, Susan Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Society of North American Goldsmiths Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wing Luke Asian Museum (Seattle, Wash.) Corporate 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