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Ricky Gomez, Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner
Scope and Contents
The taped interviews with artists by Karl Fortess measure 5.6 linear feet and date from circa 1963 to 1985. The interviews consist of 203 cassettes containing 263 interviews, averaging 35 minutes, of painters, sculptors, and printmakers. Fortess conducted seventy-nine of the interviews as a pilot for and as part of a grant from Office of Education, U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare at Boston University's School of Applied Arts. Included in the collection is the final report for the grant, June 1968, summarizing the objective was "to develop a library of taped interviews with contemporary American painters, sculptors, and graphic artists, such interviews to be concerned with questions of technical, professional and personal interest" and the evaluation process and outcomes of the value of the interviews as a teaching resource for faculty and students. The interviews followed guidelines to include background, training, work patterns, interests, teachers, influences, teaching experiences, attitudes toward teaching, and opinions on art trends. Fortess continued interviewing artists after completion of the grant, including many with artists associated with the Woodstock, N.Y. art community.
Language
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The interviews were donated by Karl Fortress between 1978 and 1985.
Funding
Sponsor
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid created by Ricky Gomez in 2020. Additional finding aid description of the sound recordings was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2024.