Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Chuck and Jan Rosenak Research Material, circa 1938-2008, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.rosechuc
Creators:
Rosenak, Chuck
Dates:
circa 1938-2008
Languages:
The records are in
English
and
Spanish
.
Physical Description:
17.6 Linear feet
Repository:
The Chuck and Jan Rosenak research material dates from circa 1938-2008 and measures 17.6 linear feet. The collection contains research files for four books by the Rosenaks and includes letters, writings, notes, printed matter, tape-recorded interviews with artists, and photographic material.

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note
The Chuck and Jan Rosenak research material dates from circa 1938-2008 and measures 17.6 linear feet. The collection contains correspondence, writings, notes, printed matter, tape-recorded interviews of artists, and photographs and slides of artists and artwork. The records document the Rosenak's research and collecting trips in the United States, often to isolated locales, in pursuit of new art and insights for their writing projects. The collection relates primarily to their research for Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists, The People Speak: Navajo Folk Art, Contemporary American Folk Art: A Collector's Guide, The Saint Makers: Contemporary Santeras y Santeros, and are an important source of information on twentieth-century folk art.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 5 series:
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Research Files, circa 1938-1999 (Boxes 1-9, 19; 9.2 linear ft.)
  • Series 2: Loans to Exhibitions, circa 1991-1997, undated (Box 10; 0.4 linear ft.)
  • Series 3: Miscellaneous Files, circa 1969-2003 (Boxes 10-12; 2.0 linear ft.)
  • Series 4: Interviews of Artists, circa 1990s (Box 12-13; 1.5 linear ft.)
  • Series 5: Photographs and Slides, circa 1990s (Boxes 13-18; 4.5 linear ft.)

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Chuck and Jan Rosenak are widely regarded as authorities in the field of American folk art. They amassed one of the finest collections of contemporary folk art in the United States and authored four books: Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists (New York: Abbeville, 1990), The People Speak: Navajo Folk Art (Flagstaff, Arizona: Northland Publishing, 1994), Contemporary American Folk Art: A Collector's Guide (New York: Abbeville, 1996), and The Saint Makers: Contemporary Santeras y Santeros (Flagstaff, Arizona: Northland Publishing, 1998).

Administration

Author
Liza Kirwin, Stephanie Ashley, and Carrol Park
Provenance
The collection was donated by Chuck and Jan Rosenak, 1998-1999.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level by Liza Kirwin between 1998 and 2000. Additional work on the collection was completed by intern Carrol Park in 2012. Box 13 was merged into box 12 in 2023, so the current collection inventory goes from box 12 to box 14.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
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
Chuck and Jan Rosenak research material, circa 1938-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Audiotapes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk artists -- United States Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Collectors and collecting Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Navajo Indians -- Art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Navajo Indians -- Social life and customs Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artists -- New Mexico -- Interviews Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Slides (photographs) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Santeros Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rosenak, Jan Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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