Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Los Angeles Art Association Records, 1922-1990, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.losangea
Creators:
Los Angeles Art Association
Dates:
1922-1990
Languages:
Collection is in English
Physical Description:
12.6 Linear feet
Repository:
The Los Angeles Art Association records measure 12.6 linear feet and date from 1922-1990. Almost a third of the collection consists of artists' files containing a wide variety of materials documenting the association's relationship with numerous California and international artists. Also found are ten scrapbooks documenting exhibitions and events over the course of 50 years, administrative files, correspondence, subject files, exhibition files, financial and legal records, printed material, and photographic material depicting artists, events, and artwork. Scattered files of Executive Director Helen Wurdemann's are also found throughout the collection.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Los Angeles Art Association records measure 12.6 linear feet and date from 1922-1990. Almost a third of the collection consists of artists' files containing a wide variety of materials documenting the association's relationship with numerous California and international artists. Also found are ten scrapbooks documenting exhibitions and events over the course of 50 years, administrative files, correspondence, subject files, exhibition files, financial and legal records, printed material, and photographic material depicting artists, events, and artwork. Scattered files of Executive Director Helen Wurdemann's are also found throughout the collection.
Administrative records include board of trustees' meeting minutes, membership correspondence, materials relating to publicity, visitor and artist registers, founding documents, and files on the history of the organization. Files about or created by Executive Director Helen Wurdemann are also found.
Correspondence, including greeting cards and notes, documents the LAAA's relationship with artists, other associations, museums, and collectors. Hans Burkhardt, Emil J. Kosa Jr., Roger Kuntz, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Arnold Menches, and Peter Selz are among the correspondents.
Subject files compiled and maintained by the LAAA document special interests, events, and projects. There are files for various arts organizations, Stendhal Gallery, and the Watts Towers Commission.
Exhibition files are found for "Loan Exhibition of International Art" (1937), "Photographs of the George Eastman House Collection 1840-1915" (1968), "Independent Artists of Los Angeles" (1923), and "Top Flight Artists of Southern California" (1941), among others.
Almost a third of the collection consists of artists' files documenting the LAAA's relationship with many California and international artists over the years. Files are varied but often include artists' biographical information, resumes, photographs, price lists, artist statements, and printed materials. Artists include Hans Burkhardt, Jules Engel, and Jack Zajac, among many others.
Financial and legal records consist of daily and exhibition ledgers, art rental and sales files, audit reports and financial statements, billing receipts, bankruptcy legal papers, a prints price list, and miscellaneous financial notes.
Printed material consists of museum and LAAA bulletins, clippings, art school catalogs and brochures, exhibition announcements and catalogs, bulletins and newsletters from other organizations, periodicals, proofs of the "Loan Exhibition of International Art" (1937) exhibition catalog, and a limited edition copy of the book, Paintings by William Merritt Chase signed to the LAAA by B. M. Newhouse.
Photographs, slides, negatives, and copy prints depict LAAA events and gallery openings, artists and people, Executive Director Helen Wurdemann, and works of art by various artists. There are also photographs for publications and a photograph album of artwork by Douglass Parshall.
Ten scrapbooks document LAAA events and exhibitions through clippings, articles, photographs, notes and annotations, announcements, and printed materials.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as 9 series. Records are generally arranged by material type and chronologically thereafter.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Administrative Records, 1925-1989 (Box 1; 0.75 linear feet)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1933-1990 (Boxes 1-2; 0.5 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Subject Files, 1924-1987 (Box 2; 0.5 linear feet)
  • Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1923-1982 (Boxes 2-3; 0.45 linear feet)
  • Series 5: Artists' Files, 1926-1986 (Boxes 3-6; 3.6 linear feet)
  • Series 6: Financial and Legal Records, 1932-1987 (Boxes 6-8; 1.6 linear feet)
  • Series 7: Printed Material, 1922-1987 (Boxes 8-9; 1.5 linear feet)
  • Series 8: Photographic Materials, 1925-1980 (Boxes 9-10, 13; 0.9 linear feet)
  • Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1934-1985 (Boxes 10-12, 14; 2.8 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Originally founded as the Museum Patrons Association in 1925, the Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA) supported California artists and played an integral role in developing the Los Angeles art community.
The original intent of the Museum Patrons Association was to purchase works of art for the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art. In 1933, the organization separated from the museum and was renamed the Los Angeles Art Association with a primary goal to connect to the broader Los Angeles art community through exhibitions, limited sales, rentals, events, and education. In 1944, with Helen Wurdemann (1892-1988) as Executive Director, the LAAA began to focus more on contemporary local artists, providing a place for the Southern California "hard-edge" abstractionist movement to flourish. In 1951, California painter Lorser Feitelson curated an exhibition of Hans Burkhardt, the LAAA's first solo exhibition of a local artist. Throughout its existence and continuing today, the LAAA has served as a place for arts education, outreach, and community-from its representation of artists studying under the GI bill between 1953 and 1965, to its participation in Monday night art-walks after its move to "Gallery Row" in 1960.

Administration

Author
Anna Rimel
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Anna Rimel in 2015, with funding provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund. The Archives of American Art has implemented minimal processing tactics when possible in order to increase information about and access to more of our collections.
Minimal processing included arrangement to the series, subseries, and folder levels. Generally, items within folders were simply verified with folder titles, but not arranged further. The collection was rehoused in archival containers and folders, but not all staples and clips were removed.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Los Angeles Art Association records were donated to the Archives of American in 1990 and 1991 by Richard Campbell of the Los Angeles Art Association.

Using the Collection

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
Los Angeles Art Association records, 1922-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arts organizations -- California Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Exhibitions -- California -- Los Angeles Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artists -- California -- Los Angeles Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Visitors' books Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Selz, Peter Howard, 1919-2019 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wurdemann, Helen Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Zajac, Jack, 1929- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
George Eastman House Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kosa, Emil Jean, 1903-1968 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kuntz, Roger, 1926-1975 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Menches, Arnold Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engel, Jules Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Burkhardt, Hans Gustav, 1904-1994 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stendahl Art Galleries Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Watts Towers Commission Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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