Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Judith Weinshall Liberman Papers, circa 1940-2003, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.libejudi
Creators:
Liberman, Judith Weinshall
Dates:
circa 1940-2003
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
8.6 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of artist Judith Weinshall Liberman measure 8.6 linear feet and date from circa 1940-2003. The papers consist of biographical material regarding Liberman's family and art history; images, ephemera, and correspondence related to Liberman's artwork, exhibitions, and creative process, especially related to her Holocaust Wall Hangings series; sound and video recordings of interviews, lectures, pannel discussions, and show openings; papers related to her career as a writer; and some papers related to her academic career.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of artist Judith Weinshall Liberman measure 8.6 linear feet and date from circa 1940-2003. The papers consist of biographical material regarding Liberman's family and art history; images, ephemera, and correspondence related to Liberman's artwork, exhibitions, and creative process, especially related to her Holocaust Wall Hangings series; sound and video recordings of interviews, lectures, panel discussions, and show openings; papers related to her career as a writer; and some papers related to her academic career.
The bulk of the collection was in labeled binders upon donation; the contents of these binders were kept intact. The binders were created by Judith Liberman circa 2003, and each consists of introductions to the material as well as a rough table of contents. The binders cover a variety of topics including biographical and geneological histories; records of Liberman's donated material; papers related to Liberman's major series of works and exhibitions; and photographs and slides of Liberman's work. This collection also includes videocassette and audiocassette tapes containing lectures, interviews, pannel discusions, and show openings.
In addition to Liberman's career as an artist, material related to Liberman's education as a lawyer as well as her life-long interest in writing fiction and non-fiction is found in this collection. Academic papers consist of ephemera, transcripts, correspondence, and resumes; and material related to Liberman's writing includes drafts, published copies, interviews, and reviews. Most notable are a published copy of her children's book The Bird's Last Song, with related interviews, and an edited manuscript of Miriam's Diary.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as 5 series.
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1940-2003 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 9-10)
  • Series 2: Writings, circa 1947-2003 (14 folders; Box 2)
  • Series 3: Art Projects, 1987-2003 (4.5 linear feet; Boxes 2-6, 9)
  • Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1972-2003 (8 folders; Boxes 7, 9)
  • Series 5: Photographs, circa 1960-2003 (1.0 linear foot; Boxes 7-8)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Judith Weinshall Liberman (1929- ) is a painter, ceramicist, and illustrator in Boston, Massachusetts.
Born in Haifa, Israel (then Palenstine), Judith Weinshall Liberman came to the United States after completing high school in Haifa. She earned four American degrees, including a J.D. degree from the University Chicago Law School and an LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School. After settling in the Boston area in 1956, she studied art at the Art Institute of Boston, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, DeCordova Museum School, and the Massachusetts College of Art. She also received an M.F.A. degree in Art Education from Boston University School for the Arts.
Liberman explored a variety of materials and techniques throughout her career including oil and acrylic paint, block printing, transfer printing, sewing, embroidery, and ceramics. Her major series of work, Holocaust Wall Hangings, Holocaust Paintings, and Self Portraits of Holocaust Artist--received critical acclaim as she exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions in the United States and Israel. She eventually donated a majority of her artwork to private, public, and religious institutions.

Administration

Author
Christopher DeMairo
Sponsor
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated by Judith Weinshall Liberman in 2003.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid was written by Christopher DeMairo in 2019.

Using the Collection

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.
Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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
Judith Weinshall Liberman papers, circa 1940-2003. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Boston Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ceramicists -- Massachusetts -- Boston Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Illustrators -- Massachusetts -- Boston Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jewish artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women ceramicists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women illustrators Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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