Claire Falkenstein papers

  1. Resources
  2. View Resource

ArchivalResource

Claire Falkenstein papers

circa 1914-1997

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9911c74ff-413b-4b54-9280-89c8b0480495

The papers of sculptor, painter, jewelry designer, and teacher Claire Falkenstein measure 42.8 linear feet and date from 1917 to her death in 1997. There is extensive correspondence with fellow artists, collectors, critics, friends, museums, and galleries. The collection also contains biographical materials, much of it collected and organized by Falkenstein, personal and business records, writings, diaries, exhibition files, commission files, teaching files, photographs, original artwork, scrapbooks, and printed materials. There is a short motion picture film of an interview with Falkenstein featuring the windows she designed for St. Basil's Church in Los Angeles.Biographical material includes appointment calendars, awards and honorary degrees, interview transcripts, passports, resumes, wills, and scrapbooks. Scrapbooks were compiled by Falkenstein and focus primarily on her exhibitions at the Galerie Stadler and Gallery Meyer in 1959 and 1960. Also of interest are the "biography files" created and arranged by Falkenstein. These files contain material that she personally felt was the most important in documenting her activities each year. They include correspondence, exhibition catalogs, printed material, and invitations.Measuring nine linear feet, correspondence is extensive and comprehensively documents Falkenstein's work, social life, relationships, and other business and personal activities. Correspondence dates from 1941 to 1997 and includes business letters and correspondence with friends and family. Her communications with friends, family, clients, gallery owners, collectors, museums, publishers, foundations, and grant agencies reveal many of her ideas and techniques. Individual correspondents include Ray Green, Peggy Guggenheim, Katharine Kuh, May O'Donnell, Ken Sawyer, Clyfford and Pat Still, Michel Tapie, Allan Temko, Mark Tobey, and Frans Wildenhain. Gallery and museum correspondence is with the San Francisco Museum of Art, Coos Art Museum, Los Angeles Museum of Art, Galerie Stadler (Paris), Gallery Mayer (Paris), Malvina Miller (New York), Martha Jackson Gallery (New York), Jack Rutberg Fine Arts (Los Angeles), Galerie Anderson-Mayer (Paris), and Bolles Gallery. Correspondence is also found in the Commission Files and Exhibition Files. Personal and business records contain a wide variety of material documenting Falkenstein's business, financial, legal, professional, and personal transactions. Files are found for sales and prices, art inventories, smaller jewelry commissions, her work as a juror, her business with galleries, legal affairs and contracts, expenses, records of arts organizations to which she belonged, conferences, grants and fellowships, studio and house renovations, her Paris studio and Paris expenses, travel, donations, loans and consignments, conservation, art shipping, insurance, and taxes. Oversized visitor's logs contain comments from visitors to Falkenstein's studio in Venice, California.Falkenstein maintained comprehensive documentation of her exhibitions from her first exhibition in the 1930s to the last one at the Merging One Gallery in 1996. Files include both a chronological record and individual record for nearly all of her exhibitions. Found with the files are correspondence, photographs, loan and shipping records, catalogs, announcements, clippings, articles, and other records. Most of the photographs related to exhibitions are found in the Photographs Series. The files for exhibitions at the Fresno Art Museum, Martha Jackson Gallery and Jack Rutberg Fine Art Gallery are particularly rich. Commission files document nearly all of Falkenstein's public and private large-scale projects and often contain a visual record of the work, as well as correspondence, design notes, contracts, and expense reports. There is documentation of the St. Basils Church windows in Los Angeles; the Peggy Guggenheim gate in Venice, Italy; and the fountain at the California Savings and Loan, in Los Angeles; and many others. There is also a chronological record of her commissions. The bulk of the photographs of commissions are found in the Photograph series. Also, most of Falkenstein's jewelry design commissions are found in the Personal and Business Records series. Falkenstein's work as a prolific writer, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s, is well-documented here through her numerous published articles in <emph render="italic">Arts and Architecture</emph> magazine, and the <emph render="italic">New York Herald-Tribune</emph>. Her work for <emph render="italic">Arts and Architecture</emph> was primarily written for the "Art Comments from San Francisco" section. She was living in Paris when she contributed an art news column to the <emph render="italic">New York Herald-Tribune</emph>. Also found here are five diaries and one journal dating from circa 1929-1978. The entries are inconsistent and concern mostly travel. The diaries from 1929 and 1934 are more personal. Falkenstein also maintained extensive notes and notebooks about artwork ideas, observations about art, research, and even drafts of letters. There are also many notes about various topics, including art and class notes. Additional writings are eclectic and cover a wide range of topics, including music, poetry, the script for Falkestein's film entitled <emph render="italic">Touching the Quick</emph>, and drafts of her unpublished book on murals. A handful of writings by others are found, most with annotations by Falkenstein. Teaching files include Falkenstein's numerous lectures given while teaching at Mills College, Pond Farm Workshops, and California School of Fine Arts, and various symposiums and conferences. Also found are lesson plans, contracts, scattered correspondence, and notes. The files on her tenure at the Pond Farm Workshops are particularly interesting, with notes about her fellow teacher Frans Wildenhain and correspondence with workshop owners, Jane and Gordon Herr.There are extensive photographs of Falkenstein, her family and friends, colleagues, commissions, exhibitions, and works of art. Included are many images of Falkenstein, of Falkenstien with her art, of Falkentstien working, and of Falkenstein's studio. There are numerous photographs of Falkenstein with friends, family, and colleagues in social or work settings. Also found are photographs of exhibition openings, installation views, and works of art exhibited. Additional photographs document Falkenstein's commissions, including images of her at work. Additional images of commissions may also be found in the Commission Series, but the bulk are filed here. There are numerous photographs of Falkenstein's works of art, including drawings, sculpture, jewelry, murals, lamps, and ceramics.Falkenstein's papers include a large amount of sketches, sketchbooks, and drawings. Many of the sketches and drawings relate to her ideas about commissions and large sculpture, jewelry designs, and general sketches. Sketches are also found in the Commission Files. Also included are drawings by Mark Tobey and Michel Tapie, and others. Finally, printed materials include general exhibition catalogs, newspapers clippings, and clippings of articles by and about Falkenstein. Also included are books that have been inscribed and signed by the author.

spa,

fre,

ita,

Archives of American Art

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6630482

Archives of American Art

Related Entities

There are 27 Entities related to this resource.

Falkenstein, Claire, 1908-1997

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hh6m9d (person)

b. Coos Bay, Ore., 1908; d. Venice, Calif., Oct. 23, 1997. From the description of Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. (Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)). WorldCat record id: 122459083 Falkenstein is known primarily as a glass sculptor. Resident of Venice, California. From the description of Allegory #4 [&amp;] Allegory #5 [graphic] / Claire Falkenstein. 1981. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220205549 Sculptor; Venice, Calif. From the...

O'Donnell, May, 1906-2004

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sp10hz (person)

May O'Donnell (May 1, 1906 – February 1, 2004) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Born in Sacramento, California, May O'Donnell studied dance in San Francisco with Estelle Reed and performed in Reed's company before moving to New York City to study with Martha Graham. O'Donnell was a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company from 1932 until 1938. In 1939, she returned to California and, with her husband, the composer Ray Green, and another former Graham dancer, Gertrude Shurr, f...

Gallery Stadler

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6t2874p (corporateBody)

Malvina Miller

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wv1xnk (corporateBody)

Still, Patricia

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bx0h81 (person)

Merging One Gallery

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6b40zpv (corporateBody)

University of California, San Francisco

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j42mjj (corporateBody)

The video and audio materials came in several donations over the length of the project and were combined into a single collection. The single largest set of materials relates to the Shanti Project; there are also significant materials relating to the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. For more information on Shanti Project see MSS 98-48, and for the Sixth International Conference see AR 91-19. Other materials come from various television stations, amateur and professional production compani...

Coos Art Museum

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sk4q01 (corporateBody)

Tapie, Michel

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p96jnj (person)

John Bolles Gallery (San Francisco, Calif.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62k4m42 (corporateBody)

Commercial gallery; San Francisco, California. Est. 1958 by John Bolles, Chairman of the Board, San Francisco Art Institute. Its original mission was to provide an outlet for students and alumni of the Art Institute. Directors included Grace McCann Morley, Dick Faralla, Phil Lieder, Jim Monte, Harriet Johns, and Hayward King. The Gallery closed February 1975. From the description of John Bolles Gallery records, 1958-1975. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 82680736 ...

Green, Ray

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66h4t09 (person)

Ray Green (1908-1997) was an American composer who created works for dance companies as well as orchestral, choral, and children's pieces. Green was born in Livingston Country, Missouri and began piano lessons at 14. He studied composition as a young man in California with Ernest Bloch, Albert Elkus, and E.G. Stricklen. He also traveled to Paris and studied with Darius Milhaud, Nadia Boulanger and Pierre Monteux. Green received his break after having an entire issue dedicated to his...

Temko, Allan.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6332wjg (person)

Jack Rutberg Fine Arts (Los Angeles, Calif.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zx4q92 (corporateBody)

Kuh, Katharine

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60k2tqs (person)

Katharine Kuh, art historian, art curator, and author. From the description of Katharine Kuh papers, 1937-1964 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702131643 b. 1904; d. 1994. From the description of Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81397405 Art consultant, curator, and critic; Chicago and New York City; b. 1904; d. 1994. From the description of Katharine Kuh interviews, 1982 Mar. 18 - 19...

Los Angeles Museum of Art.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66m994t (corporateBody)

Art gallery; Los Angeles, Calif., operated by Roger Wong. The Gallery opened in the mid-1970's, perhaps 1974, under the name "Roger Wong Gallery". Around 1978, the name changed to the "Los Angeles Museum of Art," located at Beverly and Vermont. Primarily exhibiting avant-garde art, the Gallery closed in 1982-1983. From the description of Los Angeles Museum of Art / Roger Wong Gallery records, [ca. 1970-1987] (bulk 1973-1985). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79...

Galerie Anderson-Mayer

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6r91jmt (corporateBody)

Fresno Art Museum

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vb4b2k (corporateBody)

Martha Jackson Gallery

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mp9wh6 (corporateBody)

Martha Jackson opened her Gallery in New York City at 22 E. 66th St., moving three years later to 32 E. 69th St. The gallery specialized in modern American and European painting and sculpture, particularly Abstract Expressionists. Her son, David Anderson, worked with Jackson and took over the gallery after her death in 1969. He now operates the David Anderson Gallery, 521 W. 57th St. From the description of Martha Jackson Gallery records, 1954-1964. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 830...

Mills College

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c57cx8 (corporateBody)

Sawyer, Kenneth B.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p11876 (person)

Still, Clyfford, 1904-1980

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w661126x (person)

Guggenheim, Peggy, 1898

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63p541n (person)

San Francisco Museum of Art.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vb24dt (corporateBody)

Falkenstein, Claire

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zb1jtq (person)

Claire Falkenstein (1908-1997) spent the majority of her life working as an artist, sculptor, jewelry designer, teacher, and writer in California. Claire Falkenstein was born in 1908 and grew up in Coos Bay, Oregon. In 1920, Falkenstein and her family moved to Berkeley, California, where she attended high school and then college at the University of California at Berkeley, studying philosophy, anthropology, and art. She graduated in 1930. Falkenstein had her first solo s...

Wildenhain, Frans, 1905

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vr635x (person)

Pond Farm Workshop

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6z16chd (corporateBody)

Tobey, Mark (Mark T.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zh973b (person)