Seymour Tubis Papers
Collection
Identifier: IAIAMS027
Scope and Contents note
IAIA MS 27, the Seymour Tubis Papers (1941-1993 [1947-1993, Bulk]) consists of correspondence, publications, photographs, manuscripts, audio-visual, and other documentary materials related to the life and career of artist Seymour Tubis (1919-1993) and is preserved in 14 manuscript cases (7 cu. ft). The focus of this collection is not only on Tubis's professional career as an artist, but also on his time as a member of the faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) from 1964-1981. It is an excellent resource on the history of printmaking at IAIA as well as Tubis's active art career.
This collection is structured according to the creator's original order. The first series focuses on Tubis's professional art career, which was meticulously documented by year from 1946-1993. The second series is related to Tubis's time at IAIA and required a bit more arrangement. Of particular interest are his gradebooks, exhibition records, course outlines, publications, and writings about teaching printmaking and graphic arts. The third series is a collection of materials used by Tubis to create a working manuscript titled "Contemporary American Indian Printmaking." While the book was drafted and detailed between 1971-1992, it was never published; this series consists of the manuscript drafts, images, correspondence, and source materials used to develop the book. Many of the materials are closly related to the second series of IAIA materials. The final series is an Assorted group of documents including resumes, biographical info, publications, photographs, and other materials related to Tubis's career.
For researchers of the Contemporary Native Art, the Tubis papers are an important resource. The printmaking materials show the introduction and application of experimental techniques and methods to American Indian students; Tubis penned a position paper titled "Thoughts, Theories and Conclusions in the Teaching of the Graphic Arts to (and for) the American Indian in Higher Education" in 1972 (Box 6, F. 6) outlining pedagogical theory on graphic art instruction at IAIA. For researchers interested in IAIA and the modern style it's artists developed in the 1960s and 1970s, the Tubis papers are an extremely important view into the studio. Tubis had direct experience with Modernism in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s and may have had an immense influence on the development of the IAIA style. Additionally, Tubis's course outlines are important to understand the development of the experimental curriculum at IAIA.
This collection is structured according to the creator's original order. The first series focuses on Tubis's professional art career, which was meticulously documented by year from 1946-1993. The second series is related to Tubis's time at IAIA and required a bit more arrangement. Of particular interest are his gradebooks, exhibition records, course outlines, publications, and writings about teaching printmaking and graphic arts. The third series is a collection of materials used by Tubis to create a working manuscript titled "Contemporary American Indian Printmaking." While the book was drafted and detailed between 1971-1992, it was never published; this series consists of the manuscript drafts, images, correspondence, and source materials used to develop the book. Many of the materials are closly related to the second series of IAIA materials. The final series is an Assorted group of documents including resumes, biographical info, publications, photographs, and other materials related to Tubis's career.
For researchers of the Contemporary Native Art, the Tubis papers are an important resource. The printmaking materials show the introduction and application of experimental techniques and methods to American Indian students; Tubis penned a position paper titled "Thoughts, Theories and Conclusions in the Teaching of the Graphic Arts to (and for) the American Indian in Higher Education" in 1972 (Box 6, F. 6) outlining pedagogical theory on graphic art instruction at IAIA. For researchers interested in IAIA and the modern style it's artists developed in the 1960s and 1970s, the Tubis papers are an extremely important view into the studio. Tubis had direct experience with Modernism in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s and may have had an immense influence on the development of the IAIA style. Additionally, Tubis's course outlines are important to understand the development of the experimental curriculum at IAIA.
Dates
- 1946-1993
Language of Materials
English
Biography of Seymour Tubis (1919-1993)
Seymour Tubis was born in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania on September 20, 1919. Tubis first received fine art training in 1941 and 1942 at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art before serving the Army in World War II. Upon returning to the States, Tubis studied at the Art Students League of New York from 1946-1949. Tubis lived in Europe from 1949 to 1950. His first solo exhibition of paintings, drawings, and tapestries was shown at the Galerie St. Placide in Paris, France in 1950. Over the next three decades, Tubis exhibited his artwork coast to coast until his death in 1993. His artwork, including paintings, sculptures, and prints have been collected by the Library of Congress, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United States Department of State, and the Museum of New Mexico--just to name a few. Art education may be Tubis's lasting legacy. Tubis began teaching private classes in New York and Rockport, Massachusetts in 1948, and continued to teach classes in painting and printmaking in New York until his move to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1960. In September of 1963, Tubis joined the faculty of the Institute of American Indian Arts where he tought until 1980. Tubis is credited with starting the printmaking department at IAIA in 1965.
Extent
7.0 Cubic Feet
Arrangement note
Series I: Tubis Career Exhibition Records, 1947-1993 Series II: Institute of American Indian Arts, 1964-1981 Series III: Video Interview, 1989 Series IV: "Contemporary American Indian Printmaking," 1971-1993 Series V: Assorted
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
The collection was donated to the IAIA Archives by Nina T. Wooderson in 2018. The provenance of the collection is clear; the records were maintained by Tubis until his death in 1993 and then stored by family members until donation.
- Title
- Guide to the Seymour Tubis Papers, IAIA.MS.027 1946-1993
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Ryan S. Flahive
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the Institute of American Indian Arts Repository
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