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The Archives of American Art has acquired two new collections that deepen their holdings of postwar Los Angeles artists. The Michael Brewster Papers contain materials related to his career as a sound artist, including recordings and documentation of his site-specific works. The Elyn Zimmerman Papers document Zimmerman's interest in the resonance of architectural spaces through light, featuring images and drawings of her innovative glass plank installations. These collections provide valuable insights into the work of these artists and contribute to the understanding of site-specific practices in Southern California. [Extracted from the article]

As the collection demonstrates, the Grinsteins were not just patrons of the arts and arts philanthropists, but lifelong friends of the artists they supported. In a postcard sent from Paris in 1971, Mark di Suvero confides that he misses the Grinsteins and the LA art scene, but announces he is "reading René Char, struggling w/the French. Papers recently donated to the Archives by the family of Elyse and Stanley Grinstein (1929-2016 and 1927-2014) document the central role the couple played in the Los Angeles art world from the 1960s through the early 2000s. [Extracted from the article]

Two new collections deepen the Archives' growing holdings of papers related to California women artists. Unlike Zehr, however, Raciti (b. 1942) was drawn to synthetic, industrially-produced materials, including polyester resin, fiberglass, liquid acrylic, and other plastic-based supports. They will also find documents in the papers related to Zehr's role as a member of Womanspace, a Los Angeles gallery which, in the early 1970s, offered women artists spaces to exhibit their work and discuss challenges facing them. [Extracted from the article]

The Paul J. Smith Papers, measuring 75 linear feet, provide a comprehensive record of the career of museum curator and director Paul J. Smith. The collection includes biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, audio recordings, interview transcripts, photographs, and research files related to exhibitions and publications. Smith's papers document his curatorial work, including landmark exhibitions such as Objects: USA and Craft Today: Poetry of the Physical. The collection also highlights Smith's engagement with experimental forms of artistic and material culture, particularly during the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. Additionally, the papers contain correspondence with notable artists and interviews and photographs of artists involved in the studio craft movement. [Extracted from the article]