The papers of Abstract Expressionist painters James Brooks and Charlotte Park measure 18.7 linear feet and are dated 1909-2010, bulk 1930-2010. Correspondence, subject files, personal business records, printed material, and a sound recording document his painting career, interests, professional and personal activities. Also found are biographical materials, interviews, writings, and art work. The collection also includes papers of his wife, Abstract Expressionist painter Charlotte Park, regarding her painting career, personal life, activities as executor of James Brooks' estate, and some material concerning the James Brooks and Charlotte Park Brooks Foundation. There is a 1.4 linear foot addition to this collection donated in 2017 that includes 58 "week-at-a-glance" appointment books, three journals and one address/ telephone book of Charlotte Park; a hand written chronology with significant dates and notes; postcards and exhibition announcements sent to Charlotte and James; doodles; and a sketch, possibly by Don Kingman.

The papers of artist Robert Pearson McChesney measure 6 linear feet and date from 1913 to 2006. McChesney was an abstract expressionist painter and muralist based in Petaluma, California. The papers include biographical materials, correspondence, exhibition files, printed materials, scrapbooks, and photographic materials.

The papers of multimedia sculptor, curator, and instructor David Weinrib measure 4.6 linear feet and date from circa 1950-2015. The collection documents Weinrib's life and career through a small amount of biographical material, project files, and printed and photographic material. Project files make up the bulk of the collection and document Weinrib's teaching at Black Mountain College, his curation of the Pratt Sculpture Park, and an extensive project that he undertook with his second wife, JoAnn Weinrib, in 1998 titled "Sculptors in Their Environments." This project file includes photographic documentation of numerous artists working in their studios including Vito Acconci, Louise Bourgeois, Petah Coyne, Mary Frank, Judy Pfaff, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and many others.

Photographs from a project entitled "Kentucky Coal Country," in which photographer Gordon Smith concentrates on economic and social factors in Kentucky. The photographs document poverty, erosion of the land through strip mining, and other harsh realities in Kentucky.

Letters, mainly from artists, and documents selected from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's miscellaneous manuscript collection (Society Collection). Letters are to various people; 46 of them are to Townsend Ward and a few are to John A. McAllister, photographer. Many of the letters refer to paintings, portraits, commissions, and awards.

The papers of artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi measure 14.3 linear feet and 2.84 gigabytes and date from 1906-2016, bulk 1920-1990. The collection documents his career as a painter, graphic artist, and photographer, as well as his involvement in political, social, and art organizations, especially during World War II. Included are biographical material; correspondence; writings and lectures by Kuniyoshi and others; organization records primarily on his participation in various associations and groups he was a member of; professional and gallery records regarding business dealings with American and Japanese galleries, museums, and dealers; exhibition files; printed material; four scrapbooks; artwork; photographs of Kuniyoshi and others in various locations and at events; and artwork records which mostly consist of photographs and provenance information. The collection also contains materials on Kuniyoshi's career and artwork obtained after his death by his widow Sara Mazo Kuniyoshi.

The Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) began its Oral History Program in 1973. The purpose of the program is to supplement the written documentation of the Archives' record and manuscript collections with an Oral History Collection, focusing on the history of the Institution, research by its scholars, and contributions of its staff. P...

The papers of African American artist and educator Maren Hassinger measure 11.3 linear feet and 4.55 gigabytes, dating from 1955 to 2018. The collection contains biographical material; personal and professional correspondence; and writings; as well as project and exhibition files; material related to Hassinger's tenure at the Rinehart School of Graduate Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA); material related to other professional activities, including teaching files; photographic material; and artwork and artifacts.

The papers of technical artist, fabricator, and conservator Jack Brogan measure 4.25 linear feet and date from 1968 to 2016 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1971 to 2009. The collection documents Brogan's collaboration with many artists associated with Southern California Light and Space art to help realize their ideas. Papers include biographical material, project files, printed material, photographic material, and artwork. There is a 2.0 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2020 that includes files related to projects with Robert Irwin, Tony DeLap, Robert Therrien, Philip Aziz, Peter Alexander, Roy Lichtenstein, Lita Albuquerque and others. Some files relate to repairs to work by Lynda Benglis, Larry Bell, John McCracken, Hal Metzer. Several files relate to projects Brogan worked on for churches and synagogues, including First Baptiste Church, Pomona, California. Many contain multiple original drawings, sketches, and notes by artists. Material dates from 1973-2014.

The papers of art historian, art critic, author, librarian and educator Ellen Hulda Johnson measure 61.5 linear feet and date from 1872-2018, with the bulk of the material dating from 1921-1992. The papers include biographical materials; personal and family files; personal, professional, and business correspondence; extensive research and writing files; teaching files; subject files; professional and curatorial files; and artists' files. Johnson's papers reflect the full range of her career, interests, and close relationships with many artists. There is a 0.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes letters to Ellen Johnson from others, letters from Johnson to Carl Gerber, and a sketch by Johnson. Materials date from circa 1956-1991.