Will Barnet papers, 1897, 1929-2016
Object Details
- Place of publication, production, or execution
- United States
- Physical Description
- 30.7 Linear feet; 7.24 Gigabytes
- Arrangement
- The collection is arranged as 8 series. Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1945-1995 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, FC 34) Series 2: Correspondence, 1940-2001 (3 linear feet; Boxes 3-5, OV 12) Series 3: Writings, 1940-2000 (3.1 linear feet; Boxes 5-9) Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1950-1981 (5 folders; Box 9) Series 5: Printed Material and Publications, 1938-2001 (2.3 linear feet; Boxes 9-11) Series 6: Photographic Materials, 1939-2001 (0.5 linear feet; Box 11, OV 12) Series 7: Artwork, 1938-1983 (3 folders; Box 11) Series 8: Addition to the Will Barnet Papers, 1897, 1929-2016 (19.7 linear feet; Box 13-32, OV 33; 7.24 Gigabytes; ER01-ER06)
- Access Note / Rights
- Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
- Summary
- The papers of painter, printmaker, and educator Will Barnet date from 1897 and 1929-2016. The collection measures 30.7 linear feet and 7.24 gigabytes. Found within the papers are biographical material, including numerous recorded interviews of Barnet; personal and professional correspondence; writings and lectures; financial records; printed material; artwork; and photographs of Barnet, his family and friends, and his work. An addition received in 2016 includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, diaries and daybooks, gallery and exhibition files, project and professional files, printed material, and photographic material.
- Citation
- Will Barnet papers, 1897, 1929-2016. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
- Additional Forms
- Portions of the collection and material lent for microfilming is available on 35mm microfilm reels N68-22, N68-35, N69-46, N69-126, N70-48, and 98 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the collection as described in this finding aid does not reflect the order of the collection on microfilm.
- One 8mm motion picture film of a 1966 exhibition at Hirschl and Adler (Series 1) was transferred onto video recordings (VHS and digital Betacam), which are available for research access at the Archives of American Art's Washington D.C. office. The original reel is not available for playback due to fragility.
- Funding
- Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Funding for the preservation and transfer of motion picture film was provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
- Use Note
- 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.
- Related Materials
- The Archives of American Art holds three oral history interviews with Will Barnet, one conducted by Richard Baker, January 20, 1964, one by Paul Cummings, January 15, 1968, and another by Stephen Polcari on April 9, 1993. Also found are two additional related collections, a transcript of an interview by Louis Newman with Molly Barnes and Will Barnet, and Peter Barnet's research material on Will Barnet. Syracuse University holds additional papers of Will Barnet. Also found in the Archives are papers that were lent for microfilming (reels N68-22, N69-126, and N70-48.) Most but not all of this material was included in subsequent donations, except for scattered news clippings and exhibition catalogs. The microfilm is not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
- Biography Note
- Will Barnet (1911-2012) was a painter, printmaker, and educator who lived and worked in New York City.
- Barnet was born in Beverly, Massachusetts to Noah and Sarahdina Barnet. After showing an early interest and affinity for art, he attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In 1931, he received a scholarship to attend the Art Students League where he studied with Stuart Davis and began building his printmaking techniques. In 1935, he was appointed the League's official printer, and was given his first teaching position there the following year. In 1938, working in the style of social realism, he held his first gallery show at the Hudson Walker Gallery in Manhattan. That same year, Barnet married Mary Sinclair, with whom he had three sons.
- In the 1940s and 50s, Barnet began to move away from realism and started painting domestic familial subjects in geometric abstract styles, a move influenced by Native American and modern European art. By 1953, he had divorced and was remarried to Elena Ciurlys, with whom he had a daughter. Elena and his daughter were the subject of many of his representational, dimensionally flat paintings in the 1960s and 70s. During the 60s, Barnet also returned to large scale abstract art, and moved back and forth between styles throughout the rest of his career into the 2000s.
- As an educator, Barnet taught graphic arts, printmaking, composition, and painting courses at the League from 1936 to 1980, and also taught courses Cooper Union, Yale, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He received numerous awards, including the first Artist's Lifetime Achievement Award given on the National Academy of Design's 175th anniversary, the College Art Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2011 National Medal of Arts.
- Will Barnet died in his home in Manhattan, New York on November 13, 2012.
- Language Note
- The collection is in English.
- Provenance
- Will Barnet loaned his papers to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1968. He donated most of this material along with additional papers in several increments between 1968-2001. More papers were donated 2016 by Elena Barnet, Will Barnet's widow.
- Location Note
- Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
- Data Source
- Archives of American Art
- Record number
- (DSI-AAA_CollID)8871
- (DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211056
- AAA_collcode_barnwill
- Creator
- Barnet, Will, 1911-2012
- Subject
- Booth, Cameron
- Pearson, Henry
- Savelli, Angelo
- Sternberg, Harry
- Barnet, Peter. Will Barnet: artist and teacher
- Von Wicht, John
- Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)
- Waddell Gallery
- Esther-Robles Gallery
- Type
- Video recordings
- Transcripts
- Interviews
- Visitors' books
- Sound recordings
- Sketches
- Photographs
- Theme
- Sketches & Sketchbooks
- Lives of artists
- Topic
- Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
- Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York
- Theme
- Sketches & Sketchbooks
- Lives of artists
- Record ID
- AAADCD_coll_211056
