Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Gaspar Enriquez Papers, 1973-2017, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.enrigasp
Creators:
Enriquez, Gaspar, 1942-
Dates:
1973-2017
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear feet
0.001 Gigabytes
Repository:
The papers of Chicano painter, portrait artist, and educator Gaspar Enriquez measure 1.5 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from 1973 to 2017. The papers are comprised of biographical materials, correspondence, writings, commission and project files, exhibition files, and printed and digital materials that document Enriquez's career in El Paso, Texas.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of Chicano painter, portrait artist, and educator Gaspar Enriquez measure 1.5 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from 1973 to 2017. The papers are comprised of biographical materials, correspondence, writings, commission and project files, exhibition files, and printed and digital materials that document Enriquez's career in El Paso, Texas.
Biographical materials include several awards and certificates, photographs, and sketches. Correspondence includes general personal and professional correspondence, notes to Enriquez, and letters with Bernadine Antone, Miguel Juarez, Elda Silva. Writings consist of artist statements, one notebook, a student paper about Luis Jimenez, and statements on teaching. Commission and project files contain digital photographs and other records for mural, book, and room design projects.
Files for exhibitions include documentation on Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation (1990-1993), or CARA, a traveling exhibition and Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge (2004), an exhibition of Chicano artwork collected by Cheech Marin. Printed materials contains art reproductions, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, flyers, invitations, magazines, newsletters, and press releases.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as six series.
  • Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1976-2014 (Box 1; 3 folders)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1985-2017 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Writings, 1983-circa 2000 (Box 1; 4 folders)
  • Series 4: Commission and Project Files, 1994-2003 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet, ER01; 0.001 GB)
  • Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1990-2007 (Box 1, OV 3; 0.2 linear feet)
  • Series 6: Printed Materials, 1973-2017 (Boxes 1-2, OV 3; 0.6 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Gaspar Enriquez (1942- ) is a Chicano painter, portrait artist, and educator in San Elizario in El Paso County, Texas.
Enriquez was born in the historic El Segundo Barrio in El Paso. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of El Paso in 1970 and a master's degree in metals from New Mexico State University in 1985. In addition to his art career, he taught art at Bowie High School in El Paso for 34 years.
Enriquez is known for his portraits of individuals who reflect the Chicano community in which he was raised. Enriquez has stated that "one is born Mexican American, but one chooses to be a chicano." His work allows those unfamiliar with the Chicano community to connect through his portraiture.
Enriquez participated in two seminal, multifaceted exhibitions of Chicano art. Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation/CARA (1990-1993) and Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge (2001-2007), an exhibition showcasing the art collection of Cheech Marin, traveled to museums across the United States exposing Chicano art and the Chicano Movement to the traditional art world.
Enriquez has won the 2016 Segundo Barrio Person of the Year Award, the University of Texas at El Paso's Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Mid-Americarts Alliance Fellowship in 1994.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Sponsor
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers were donated by Gaspar Enriquez in 2017.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2018. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2019 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Gaspar Enriquez papers, 1973-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art teachers -- Texas Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Latino and Latin American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mexican American art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Texas Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait painters--Texas Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chicano artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Antone, Bernadin Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jimenez, Luis, 1940-2006 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Juárez, Miguel, 1958- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Marin, Cheech Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Silva, Elda Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives of American Art
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