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Ruth Weisberg papers

 Collection
Identifier: 0360

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Scope and Contents

The Ruth Weisberg papers, 1963-2014, consist of correspondence, notebooks, memorandums, reports, photographs, slides, audio visual materials, ephemera and realia, manuscripts and typescripts of articles and essays, teaching materials, records of sales of art, exhibition announcements, and clippings, created and collected by Ruth Weisberg, and documenting her long career as both an artist and educator. Correspondence makes up the bulk of the papers, and includes both personal and professional letters. Some of Weisberg's correspondents include artists June Wayne and Gila Yellin Hirsch; and organizations from the College Art Association to the Women's Caucus for Art. The papers also include reports, correspondence, and other materials relating to Weisberg's teaching and administrative career at USC; manuscripts and typescripts of essays and articles (published and unpublished); records of Weisberg's career as an artist, including research materials, inventories, and receipts for works sold; and records of exhibitions curated by Weisberg.

Dates

  • Creation: 1963 - 2014

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Ruth Weisberg, artist and educator, received her BS in Design, 1963, and MA in Art, 1964, both from the University of Michigan. She has had a long and distinguished career as both artist and educator. As an artist, she works in painting, lithography, and drawing. She has had over 80 solo and 190 group exhibitions at institutions ranging from the Norton Simon Museum to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her work is included in the permanent collections of 60 major museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Norwegian National Museum in Oslo, the National Gallery (Washington, D.C.), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She is particularly interested in incorporating Judaism and Jewish themes in her work, and also explores issues surrounding women artists and feminism. Weisberg began teaching at USC's School of Fine Arts in 1970; she was named Dean of the School of Fine Arts in 1995 (retiring from that position in 2010).



Weisberg has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career, including the Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award, 2009; Doctor of Humane Letters, Hebrew Union College, 2001; College Art Association Distinguished Teaching of Art Award, 1999; Fulbright Award, 1992; School of Art University of Michigan Distinguished Alumni/AE Award, 1992. She was also President of the College Art Association, 1990-1992, Vice-President of the Women's Caucus for Art Western Region, President of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society, and was a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome in 1995.

She is a prolific author, writing dozens of articles and reviews, as well as several book chapters and catalog essays.

Extent

58.78 Linear Feet (84 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Ruth Weisberg, former Dean of the USC Roski School of Fine Arts and long time USC School of Fine Arts faculty member, is a renowned and respected artist and educator. Her work explores issues surrounding women artists and Judaism, and she is especially interested in the techniques of printmaking. Her papers consist primarily of correspondence, both personal and professional, and also contain notebooks, memorandums, reports, photographs, slides, audio visual materials, ephemera and realia, manuscripts and typescripts of articles and essays, teaching materials, records of sales of art, exhibition announcements, and clippings.

Organization

The Ruth Weisberg papers have been organized into the following series: 1. Correspondence; 2. Art; 3. Professional activities; 4. Education and teaching; 5. Daybooks, notebooks, and sketchbooks; 6. Clippings; 7. Audio/Visual; 8. Ephemera and realia; 9. Personal.

Weisberg's original arrangement was primarily chronological; each series has generally been organized to maintain this arrangement.

Processing Information

Processed by Sue Luftschein, Meghan Stephens, Marinela Zubovic, and Stephanie Cipres.

Title
Finding aid for the Ruth Weisberg papers
Status
Completed
Author
Sue Luftschein
Date
2015 October
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States