Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Stephen Wirtz Gallery Records, 1952-2016, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.stepgall
Creators:
Stephen Wirtz Gallery
Dates:
1952-2016
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
29 Linear feet
Repository:
The Stephen Wirtz Gallery records measure 29.0 linear feet and date from 1952 to 2016. The records tell the history of the San Franciso gallery through artist files, exhibition files, printed material consisting of exhibition annoucnements and catalogs, guestbooks from exhibitions between 2003 and 2008, and photographs of exhibition installations and snapshots of artists and visitors in the gallery.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Stephen Wirtz Gallery records measure 29.0 linear feet and date from 1952 to 2016. The records tell the history of the San Francisco gallery through artist files, exhibition files from 1987 to 2012, printed material consisting of exhibition annoucnements and catalogs, guestbooks from exhibitions between 2003 and 2008, and photographs of exhibition installations and snapshots of artists and visitors in the gallery.
Artist files consist of correspondence between the artist and the gallery, artist resumes and statements, professional activities such as commissions and exhibitions at the gallery or organized by the gallery, and registrar materials such as inventories and loan forms. Also included are some financial material such as invoices and price lists, exhibition announcements and reviews, and photographs of artwork and exhibition installations. Some of the artists represented by the gallery include: Larry Saunders, Deborah Oropallo, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Rachel Weeks, Kathryn Spence, and Marc Katano.
Exhibition files consist correspondence, loan forms, press releases, and exhibition announcements for exhibitions put on by the gallery betwween 1987 and 2012. Some of the more notable exhibitions include "Wax and Lead," "Framed," and "Paper Thin." Printed material consists primarily of binders of exhibition announcements and some exhibition catalogs. Guestbooks consist of four guestbooks for exhibitions at the gallery between 2003 and 2008. Photographic material consists of photographs of exhibition installations, and photographs of visitors and artists inside the gallery.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into five series.
  • Series 1: Artist Files, 1952-2016 (26.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-26)
  • Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1987-2012 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 27-28)
  • Series 3: Printed Material, 1977-2016 (1.6 linear feet; Box 28-29)
  • Series 4: Guestbooks, 2003-2008 (0.1 linear feet; Box 29)
  • Series 5: Photographic Material, ca 1989-2003 (0.1 linear feet; Box 29)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Stephen Wirtz Gallery was established by Stephen and Connie Wirtz in 1976. The gallery was located in San Francisco, California, and it initially exhibited Art Deco works before shifting more towards photography and landscape art. Some of the notable artists to exhibit at the gallery include: Larry Saunders, Deborah Oropallo, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Lucy Puls, and Kathryn Spence. The gallery closed in 2014.

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
Donated 2019 by the Stephen Wirtz Gallery via Stephen and Connie Wirtz, gallery owners.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2021.

Using the Collection

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.
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.
Preferred Citation
Stephen Wirtz Gallery records, 1952-2016. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art galleries, Commercial -- California Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wirtz, Connie Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wirtz, Stephen Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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