Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Art Space Records, 1971-1992, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.artspac
Creators:
Adelman, Lucy
Dates:
1971-1992
Languages:
Collection is in English
Physical Description:
13 Linear feet
Repository:
The records of Los Angeles Art Space gallery measure 13 linear feet and date from 1971 to 1992. The majority of the collection consists of the gallery's exhibition files which contain correspondence, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, slides, photos, invoices, price lists, loan records, and other materials. There is also correspondence with artists and organizations, financial and administrative records, and slides of artwork and exhibitions.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The records of Los Angeles Art Space gallery measure 13 linear feet and date from 1971 to 1992. The majority of the collection consists of the gallery's exhibition files which contain correspondence, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, slides, photos, invoices, price lists, loan records, and other materials. There is also correspondence with artists and organizations, financial and administrative records, and slides of artwork and exhibitions.
Most of the correspondence in the collection is from artists regarding exhibition opportunities, with other galleries and organizations about sales and collaborative exhibits and event, including with the 18th Street Gallery, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Texas Commerce Bank, Venice Family Clinic regarding the Venice Art Walk, and The Works Gallery.
About two-thirds of the collection consists of extensive exhibition records for individual and group shows held at Art Space. Contents of files vary but may include correspondence, exhibition announcements and programs, price lists, sales records, loan agreements and other legal forms, artist resumes and statements, photographs and slides of artwork and exhibition installations, and other printed material. Particularly rich files exist for artists Marta Chaffee, David Hines, Walter Gabrielson, Janice Lowry, Lorraine Lubner, Robert Lubner, Kent Rush, Mary Schairer, Marg Starbuck, Robert Tomlinson, and Clark Walding.
Scattered financial and administrative files document the gallery's business dealings, and include price lists, a cost sharing agreement form, an inventory, business correspondence, invoices, and financial statements. Additionally, a substantial number of slides in this collection include images of artwork and of exhibitions held at Art Space. Artists Shigeo Miura and Tracy Colvill have particularly sizeable slide files. Most of the artists with slides are also represented in the exhibition files.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 4 series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1977-1991 (Box 1; 0.8 linear feet)
  • Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1972-1992 (Boxes 1-11; 9.45 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Financial and Administrative Records, circa 1977-1991 (Box 11; 0.35 linear feet)
  • Series 4: Slides, 1971-1992 (Boxes 11-13; 2.4 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The Art Space gallery operated in Los Angeles from 1977 to 1991 and was owned by artist, philanthropist, and activist Lucy Adelman (1909-2007). Settling in Los Angeles in 1938, Adelman was also one of the founders of the Womanspace Gallery, a cooperative gallery for feminist activities established in 1972 in Los Angeles.
Located at 10550 Santa Monica Boulevard, Art Space's first show honored the work of women artists. Specializing in contemporary art, the gallery, according to Adelman, had two purposes: "[Art Space] is for artists, creative people who communicate through many different fields of expression...It will also be a meeting place for people who wish to acquaint themselves with different concepts and directions." The gallery held 118 exhibitions before closing its doors in 1991.
Adelman and her husband, Isadore, were involved in other activities and gave generously to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Venice Family Clinic, which honored them at its annual fund-raising Art Walk Festival in 1988. Lucy Adelman died in 1997.

Administration

Author
Eden Orelove
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Eden Orelove in 2016, with funding provided by the Smithsonian's Collection Care Pool Fund. The Archives of American Art has implemented minimal processing tactics when possible in order to increase information about and access to more of our collections.
Minimal processing included arrangement to the series, subseries, and folder levels. The exhibition files were rearranged into three subseries. Otherwise, the original order was maintained. The collection was rehoused in archival containers and folders, but not all staples and clips were removed.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The records were donated in 1992 by Lucy Adelman, the director of Art Space.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
This collection is temporarily closed to researchers due to archival processing and digitization. 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
Art Space records, 1971-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- California -- Los Angeles Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art galleries, Commercial -- California -- Los Angeles Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Walding, Clark Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chaffee, Marta Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hines, David Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
18th Street Gallery Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Works Gallery Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Starbuck, Marjorie, 1921- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tomlinson, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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