Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Elyn Zimmerman Papers, 1967-2022, in the Archive of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.zimmelyn
Creators:
Zimmerman, Elyn, 1945-
Dates:
1967-2022
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
37.8 Linear feet
1,710.223 Gigabytes
Repository:
The papers of sculptor and site-specific installation artist Elyn Zimmerman measure 37.8 linear feet and 1710.223 gigabytes, and date from 1967-2022. The collection documents the artist's life and work through correspondence, interviews, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, teaching files, printed material, and photographic material. Project and commission files comprise the majority of the collection at 19.40 linear feet and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. Photographic material documents Zimmerman's work through color and black and white slides, transparencies, contact sheets, negatives, and prints. The papers include a small number of born digital records, including interviews, digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations. There is a 2.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes project files, photographs, works of art on paper, journals, a scrapbook and printed material regarding Elyn Zimmerman. Materials date from circa 1967-2022.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor and site-specific installation artist Elyn Zimmerman measure 37.8 linear feet and 1710.223 gigabytes, and date from 1967-2022. The collection documents the artist's life and work through correspondence, interviews, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, teaching files, printed material, and photographic material. Project and commission files comprise the majority of the collection at 19.40 linear feet and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. Photographic material documents Zimmerman's work through color and black and white slides, transparencies, contact sheets, negatives, and prints. The papers include a small number of born digital records, including interviews, digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations.
Correspondence is comprised predominately of received letters and fewer drafts and copies of outgoing letters. Notable correspondents include Zimmerman's late husband, curator Kirk Varnedoe, arts advocate Agnes Gund, and artists Ruth Dicker, Richard Diebenkorn, Kady Hoffman, and Masami Teraoka. Interviews include digital video recordings of Elyn Zimmerman discussing various public projects between circa 1991 and 2005. Writings include drafts of journal articles, a book mock-up, project notes, and statements. Agendas and address books are filed with writings. Project and commission files comprise the bulk of the collection and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. The files include a small number of born digital records, including digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations. Exhibition files document Zimmerman's site-specific installations and exhibitions in a gallery and museum context. Files include correspondence, photographs, slides, statements, press releases, shipping information, and price lists. Teaching files document the many courses Zimmerman taught in painting, drawing, design, architecture, and landscape architecture. Items include syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, reading lists, and articles. Printed material primarily consists of items cataloging Zimmerman's career including exhibition announcements, catalogs, and press clippings. Subject files were saved and collected by Zimmerman and are arranged at the end of the series. Photographic material document Zimmerman's installations of commissioned works, exhibitions, and other installations through color and black and white slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and digital photographs.
There is a 2.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes project files, photographs, works of art on paper, journals, a scrapbook and printed material regarding Elyn Zimmerman. Materials date from circa 1967-2022.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as nine series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1978-2011 (3.7 linear feet; Box 1-4)
  • Series 2: Interviews, circa 1991-2005 (0.2 linear feet; Box 100)
  • Series 3: Writings, Agendas, and Address Books, 1970-2003 (0.5 linear feet; Box 4-5)
  • Series 4: Project and Commission Files, 1970-2022 (20.4 linear feet, Box 5-15, 21-22, 100, 123-125 OV 23-85, 109-116, 120-122, 126-127 RD 97-98; 0.223 gigabytes, ER01-04)
  • Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1969-2018 (4.6 linear feet; Box 15-16, 20-21, 100, 103, 123, OV 86-96,105-108, 120, RD 99)
  • Series 6: Teaching Files, 1970-1994 (0.4 linear feet; Box 16)
  • Series 7: Printed Material, 1970-2018 (2.2 linear feet; Box 16-19, 100, 123)
  • Series 8: Photographic Material, 1967-2018 (3.6 linear feet; Box 100-102, 123-125, OV 117-119)
  • Series 9: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1967-2022 (2.2 linear feet; Box 128-130, OV 131-135)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Elyn Zimmerman (1945-) is a New York City and Los Angeles based sculptor best known for her large scale site-specific outdoor installations incorporating granite, water features, and landscape architecture.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Zimmerman moved to California for college, earning both her BFA and MFA from University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, she studied with Richard Diebenkorn and Robert Irwin, and worked in photography, drawing, and site-specific installation. In 1978 she created Monarch's Trough for Artpark in Lewiston, New York, her first site-specific work using granite. For the next several decades Zimmerman would complete dozens of site-specific installations in public and private spaces across the United States, and submit proposals for dozens more. Working frequently with stone and granite, she developed a decades long relationship with a granite quarry in Cold Spring, Minnesota, which fabricated many of her designs. Zimmerman's clients have included the National Geographic Society, the Birmingham Art Museum, and the New York City Parks Department.
In addition to her site-specific work, Zimmerman has had an extensive exhibition history, and has shown for many years with Gagosian Gallery. In 2016, Zimmerman was the recipient of the Isamu Noguchi Award. She has taught at Mills College, California Institute of the Arts, Harvard University, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Zimmerman was married to the late curator Kirk Varnedoe from 1978-2002.

Administration

Author
Hilary Price
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated in 2015-2023 by Elyn Zimmerman.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2018. The 2021 addition was processed by Jennifer E. Neal and Lewis Tio, and merged into the collection in 2022. An addition received in 2022 was processed and merged into the collection by Sarah Mundy in 2023.

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.
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
Elyn Zimmerman papers, 1967-2022. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women sculptors Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Installations (Art) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Installation artists -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Installation artists -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Diebenkorn, Richard, 1922-1993 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gund, Agnes Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Teraoka, Masami, 1936- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Varnedoe, Kirk Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dicker, Ruth Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-7950
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions