Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Sylvia Snowden Papers, 1962-2017, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.snowsylv
Creators:
Snowden, Sylvia
Dates:
1962-2017
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.7 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of African American abstract painter Sylvia Snowden measure 1.7 linear feet and date from 1962 to 2017. The collection contains biographical material, including recorded interviews with Snowden; correspondence; material related to professional activities, including exhibitions and symposia; printed material; and photographic material, as well as one sketch.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of African American abstract painter Sylvia Snowden measure 1.7 linear feet and date from 1962 to 2017. The collection contains biographical material, including recorded interviews with Snowden, resumes and chronologies, and certificates; correspondence with galleries and museums including M. Hanks Gallery and the Corcoran Gallery of Art; material related to professional activities, including exhibitions and symposia, and related audiovisual and born-digital materials; printed material, including exhibition invitations, exhibition catalogs, calendars, clippings, and magazines; and a small amount of photographic material, as well as one sketch.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as five series.
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1962, 1985-2004 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1975-2005 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Professional Activities, 1985-2017 (Box1; 0.5 linear feet)
  • Series 4: Printed Material, 1964-2017 (Boes 1-3, OV 4; 0.9 linear feet)
  • Series 5: Photographic Material and Artwork, 1989-2005 (Box 3; 0.1 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Sylvia Snowden (1942- ) is an African American abstract painter in Washington, D.C. known for her large mixed-media works that convey a sense of texture or the "feel of paint."
Snowden earned both a Bachelor and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Howard University. She also attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and earned a certificate from le Grande Chaumière in Paris, France. She has served as an instructor, visiting lecturer, panelist, and artist-in-residence at universities, galleries, and art schools across the country and internationally. Her work has been included in exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Parish Gallery, and the California African American Museum; as well as in exhibitions in Chile, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Australia, the Bahamas, France, Mexico, Italy, and Japan.

Administration

Author
Rayna Andrews
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Sylvia Snowden papers were donated in 2019 by Sylvia Snowden, as part of the Archives' African American Collecting Initiative funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Processing Information
The collection was minimally processed and a finding aid prepared by Rayna Andrews in 2021 with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation.

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 Reference Services for more information.
Conditions Governing 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
Sylvia Snowden papers, 1962-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Washington (D.C.) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corcoran Gallery of Art Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
M. Hanks Gallery (Santa, Monica, Calif.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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