Archives of American Art

Finding Aid to the Long Point Gallery Records, 1959-1999, bulk 1976-1998, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.longpoin
Creators:
Long Point Gallery (Provincetown, Mass.)
Dates:
1959-1999
bulk 1976-1998
Languages:
The collection is in English
Physical Description:
7.1 Linear feet
Repository:
The records of the Long Point Gallery measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1959 to 1999, bulk 1976 to 1998. The collection documents the history of the gallery through administrative records, guest books, correspondence, exhibition files, artists' files, financial records, printed material, and photographic materials.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The records of the Long Point Gallery measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1959 to 1999, bulk 1976 to 1998. The collection documents the history of the gallery through administrative records, guest books, correspondence, exhibition files, artists' files, financial records, printed material, and photographic materials.
Administrative records consist of legal documents, contracts, mailing lists, price lists, membership files, correspondence, meeting minutes, gallery history, projects files, and one videocassette of the Long Point Gallery dinner filmed by Renate Ponsold Motherwell in 1993. Guest books document the signatures and salutations of attendees at gallery exhibitions. Correspondence is with artists, organizations, and gallery customers. Exhibition files contain correspondence, press releases, articles, and exhibition announcements. Artists' files consist of news clippings, exhibition records, price lists, and correspondence. Financial records contain bills, receipts, deposits, financial reports, gallery sales, and records for the transport of artwork. Printed material includes news clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, press releases, obituaries, publications, souvenirs, and posters signed by the artists. Photographic materials include slides and printed photographs of artwork, artists, exhibitions, parties, and candid moments. Overall the collection documents the activities of artist members, including Varujan Boghosian, Fritz Bultman, Carmen Cicero, Sideo Fromboluti, Edward Giobbi, Budd Hopkins, Rick Klauber, Leo Manso, Robert Motherwell, Paul Resika, Judith Rothschild, Sidney Simon, Nora Speyer, Tony Vevers, Robert Beauchamp, Paul Bowen, Gilbert Franklin, Dimitri Hadzi, Renate Ponsold, and Michael Mazur.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as 8 series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Administrative Records, 1976-1999 (1.5 linear ft.; Box 1-2)
  • Series 2: Guest Books, 1986-1998 (7 folders; Box 2)
  • Series 3: Correspondence, 1979-1998 (0.8 linear ft.; Box 2-3)
  • Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1959-1998, bulk 1972-1998 (0.6 linear ft.; Box 3-4)
  • Series 5: Artists' Files, 1963-1997 (0.8 linear ft.; Box 4)
  • Series 6: Financial Records, 1976-1998 (0.8 linear ft.; Box 5)
  • Series 7: Printed Material, 1972-1998 (0.8 linear ft.; Box 5-6, OV 8)
  • Series 8: Photographic Materials, 1972-1998 (1.5 linear ft.; Box 6-7)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Long Point Gallery (est. 1977, closed 1998) was a cooperative art gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The gallery operated in the American Legion building during the summer seasons as an artist cooperative. Members contributed financially, as well as artistically, enabling the promotion and preparation of exhibitions throughout the summer. The founding members were Varujan Boghosian, Fritz Bultman, Carmen Cicero, Sideo Fromboluti, Edward Giobbi, Budd Hopkins, Rick Klauber, Leo Manso, Robert Motherwell, Paul Resika, Judith Rothschild, Sidney Simon, Nora Speyer, and Tony Vevers. Later in the gallery's history Robert Beauchamp, Paul Bowen, Gilbert Franklin, Dimitri Hadzi, Renate Ponsold, and Michael Mazur also became members. Some notable friends of the gallery were Nassos Daphnis, Jack Tworkov, and Myron Stout. The gallery's first director was Rick Librizzi.
The Long Point Gallery gained a reputation for showing progressive, expressionist and abstract paintings and sculptures that veered away from the traditional tourist scenes of Cape Cod. During the 1980's, Provincetown was becoming a popular tourist destination, which caused real estate values to climb. Fortunately, members of the cooperative were able to afford the rising costs and remain in Provincetown allowing the gallery to become a fixture within the community. The gallery often held dual exhibits featuring two artists who presented their artwork individually. Other exhibitions include "Homeric Themes" (1987), "Myth & Ritual" (1989), "From the Studio Wall" (1990), "A Long Point Portfolio" (1991), "Keyworks" (1991), "Those Lovely Golden Thighs" (1991), and "A Story to Tell" (1996). Members also represented the Long Point Gallery in exhibitions at the Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC), the Cape Museum of Fine Arts (CMFA), the Archives of American Art, and exhibitions in Europe. For over 20 years, the Long Point Gallery was the site of art exhibitions, poetry readings, musical performances, and parties until its closing in 1998.
In 1998, the American Legion building was sold at a price that was too high for the gallery to continue in the same location. The advanced ages and deaths of a few members prior to the sale of the building contributed to the members' decision to dissolve the gallery, which was under the direction of Rosalind Pace at the time of closing.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated in 1999 and 2013 by the Long Point Gallery via Rosalind Pace, former Director.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2014. The collection has been minimally rearranged and retains the existing/original folder titles when possible. All materials have been rehoused in archival folders and boxes for long-term stability, but often staples and other fasteners have not been removed. Materials within folders have not been rearranged.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
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
Long Point Gallery records, 1959-1999, bulk 1976-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Visitors' books Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artist-run galleries -- Massachusetts Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Giobbi, Edward Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fromboluti, Sideo, 1921- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cicero, Carmen, 1926- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bultman, Fritz, 1919-1985 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Boghosian, Varujan Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Vevers, Tony Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beauchamp, Robert, 1923- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Franklin, Gilbert, 1919- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hadzi, Dimitri, 1921-2006 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ponsold, Renate Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mazur, Michael, 1935-2009 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Simon, Sidney, 1917-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Speyer, Nora Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rothschild, Judith Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Motherwell, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Resika, Paul Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manso, Leo Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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