Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Paul Allen Reed Papers, 1936-2008, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.reedpaul
Creators:
Reed, Paul, 1919-2015
Dates:
1936-2008
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear feet
0.774 Gigabytes
Repository:
The Paul Allen Reed papers measure 1.5 linear feet and 0.774 GB and date from 1936 to 2008. The papers document Reed's career as a painter through correspondence with friends and colleagues; writings by Reed including lecture notes and teaching plans; professional files including binders with curriculum vitae and cataloged artwork, and sound, video, and born-digital recordings including interviews; printed material such as clippings, exhibition announcements, and catalogs; studies for paintings; and photographs of Reed and his artwork.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Paul Allen Reed papers measure 1.5 linear feet and 0.774 GB and date from 1936 to 2008. The papers document Reed's career as a painter through correspondence with friends and colleagues; writings by Reed including lecture notes and teaching plans; professional files including binders with curriculum vitae and cataloged artwork, and sound, video, and born-digital recordings including interviews; printed material such as clippings, exhibition announcements, and catalogs; studies for paintings; and photographs of Reed and his artwork.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into six series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1963-2007 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Writings, 1966-1981 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 3: Professional Activity Files, 1936-2008 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 4: Printed Material, 1963-2007 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1, 0.774 GB; ER01)
  • Series 5: Artwork, 1952-1990 (0.7 linear feet; Box 1-3)
  • Series 6: Photographic Material, 1964-2008 (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Painter Paul Allen Reed (1919-2015) was born, and lived for most of his life, in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the Washington Color School, whose style of abstract color-field painting emerged and flourished in the city's art scene during the 1960s.
Reed taught at the Corcoran School of Art from 1971 to the early 1980s. His work can be found in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and other museums.

Administration

Author
Ricky Gomez
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
The Paul Allen Reed papers were donated by Paul Reed between 1995 and 2008.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2020. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2020 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.

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 born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
All images of works of art: Authorization to reproduce for purposes of publication requires written permission from Paul Reed or Jean Reed Roberts. Contact Reference 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
Paul Allen Reed papers, 1936-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history with Paul Reed conducted by Judith Zilczer, April 29, 1994.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
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
Painters -- Washington (D.C.) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Washington Color School (Group of artists) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- Washington (D.C.) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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