Nina Perera Collier Papers
Collection
Identifier: MSS-800-BC
Scope and Content
The Nina Perera Collier Collection contains a range of materials pertaining to the various organizations and important works that were developed by Collier. The collection is divided into five series. Four of the series (including Youth Concerts of New Mexico, Arts and Audiences, Young Audiences and Young Musicians) contain documents relating specifically to the organizations founded by Nina Collier. Information concerning the nature and operations of each organization, sources of funding, types of educational programs and artists files are included in each series.
The final series in the collection includes a compilation of research and administrative documents that were used in preparation of a guide detailing how to establish and organize a youth-based performing arts program. The guide is entitled Guide to Performing Arts Programs in Elementary and Secondary Schools.
Youth Concerts of New Mexico: Youth Concerts of New Mexico was a non-profit organization that provided performing arts services for the young people of New Mexico. The series is the most substantial of the four series pertaining to youth organizations. It contains administrative files, information on sources of funding and finances, files on the New Mexico schools that benefited from the programs, reports that were completed by Nina Collier and other affiliates of Youth Concerts, correspondence files, a scrapbook and press releases, folders on the various artists and musicians that were hired by the organization and information on special programs that were organized by Youth Concerts.
Arts and Audiences: Arts and Audiences was a national non-profit audio-visual agency that was engaged in developing music teaching films for school and college level students. The series contains administrative files and documents pertaining to a program entitled 'Jazz for Juniors', which features jazz musicians from the Mitchell Ruff Trio.
Young Audiences: Young Audiences is a national 'arts-in-education' organization that was originally designed to provide chamber music programs and other classical repertoire for elementary students. The series contains administrative files, information on sources of funding and finances, files on the Young Audiences' chapters, correspondence, reports and publications and publicity on the organization.
Young Musicians: Young Musicians is an earlier performing arts program that was based in Baltimore, Maryland. The series contains administrative files, financial information, correspondence and information on concert series and publicity.
Guide Preparation: This series contains documents and compiled information on the publication, Guide to Performing Arts Programs in Elementary and Secondary Schools, by Nina Collier, Sherman Van Solkema and Richard Kapp. Included in the series are 2 copies of the guide (one from 1970 and another from 1972), administrative documents relating to publication and copy-right issues, general correspondence, a collection of published books and other documents used in preparing the guide, information on various performing arts programs and arts councils in the United States during the 1960s and 70s and detailed information on the documents compiled for each chapter in the guide.
The final series in the collection includes a compilation of research and administrative documents that were used in preparation of a guide detailing how to establish and organize a youth-based performing arts program. The guide is entitled Guide to Performing Arts Programs in Elementary and Secondary Schools.
Youth Concerts of New Mexico: Youth Concerts of New Mexico was a non-profit organization that provided performing arts services for the young people of New Mexico. The series is the most substantial of the four series pertaining to youth organizations. It contains administrative files, information on sources of funding and finances, files on the New Mexico schools that benefited from the programs, reports that were completed by Nina Collier and other affiliates of Youth Concerts, correspondence files, a scrapbook and press releases, folders on the various artists and musicians that were hired by the organization and information on special programs that were organized by Youth Concerts.
Arts and Audiences: Arts and Audiences was a national non-profit audio-visual agency that was engaged in developing music teaching films for school and college level students. The series contains administrative files and documents pertaining to a program entitled 'Jazz for Juniors', which features jazz musicians from the Mitchell Ruff Trio.
Young Audiences: Young Audiences is a national 'arts-in-education' organization that was originally designed to provide chamber music programs and other classical repertoire for elementary students. The series contains administrative files, information on sources of funding and finances, files on the Young Audiences' chapters, correspondence, reports and publications and publicity on the organization.
Young Musicians: Young Musicians is an earlier performing arts program that was based in Baltimore, Maryland. The series contains administrative files, financial information, correspondence and information on concert series and publicity.
Guide Preparation: This series contains documents and compiled information on the publication, Guide to Performing Arts Programs in Elementary and Secondary Schools, by Nina Collier, Sherman Van Solkema and Richard Kapp. Included in the series are 2 copies of the guide (one from 1970 and another from 1972), administrative documents relating to publication and copy-right issues, general correspondence, a collection of published books and other documents used in preparing the guide, information on various performing arts programs and arts councils in the United States during the 1960s and 70s and detailed information on the documents compiled for each chapter in the guide.
Dates
- 1950-1972
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.
Biographical Information
Nina Perera Collier (Box 1 Folder 5)
Nina Perera Collier was an avid proponent of the arts and education programs in the United States and in New Mexico. During her career she founded and contributed to the development of numerous performing arts programs and actively encouraged the incorporation of arts programs into elementary and secondary schools.
Nina Collier was born in New York in 1907. Raised in an environment that nurtured artistic and musical development, Collier's career in the arts began with her work for the WPA during the depression era. While employed at the WPA, Collier was responsible, in part, for the development of the Federal Arts Program; a government sponsored organization that employed artists and musicians during this period of economic hardship. Following her employment with the WPA, her career took a turn as she recognized the importance of encouraging arts and music education for American youth. Her passion for the arts and superior organization skills prompted her development of numerous arts-in-education organizations that sought to bring accomplished musicians into a classroom setting. Throughout the 1950s, Collier was a founding member of organizations such as Young Audiences Inc., Baltimore's Young Musicians, and Arts and Audiences, Inc.
In 1960, Collier moved to Alcalde, New Mexico where she soon established Youth Concerts of New Mexico, a non-profit organization that encouraged performing arts programs in New Mexico schools. Although the organization was initially intended to be an offshoot of Young Audiences, Inc., Collier soon realized that her vision for the New Mexico program differed from the vision of Young Audiences. Recognizing the need to make concert series more affordable to rural populations in New Mexico, Collier wanted to decrease the fees schools would have to pay for students attending the concerts. In addition, Collier wanted to encourage solo performers and other types of artists (non-musicians) to appear in New Mexico school programs. Because these developments were considered at variance with the rules and regulations of the Young Audiences program, Youth Concerts of New Mexico remained a distinct organization.
During its establishment, Youth Concerts of New Mexico organized numerous performances and workshops throughout school districts in northern and central New Mexico. A range of national, international and local New Mexican performers toured throughout New Mexican schools encouraging youth development in music and the arts. Types of performances and workshops produced by Youth Concerts included classical music, folk music, jazz, ballet, Spanish dance, poetry reading, pantomime performances and puppetry.
Collier also devised numerous publications and reports concerning the benefits of arts programs in education. In conjunction with UNM Department of Music and puppeteer, Elsie Tedford, Collier conducted a study on the effects of art on teaching language skills. Additionally, in her later years, she devised an important educational guide discussing how to establish and organize youth-based performing arts programs.
After several years of illness, Collier died in the mid-1970s, leaving behind a legacy of important contributions to the art world and to youth education.
Nina Perera Collier was an avid proponent of the arts and education programs in the United States and in New Mexico. During her career she founded and contributed to the development of numerous performing arts programs and actively encouraged the incorporation of arts programs into elementary and secondary schools.
Nina Collier was born in New York in 1907. Raised in an environment that nurtured artistic and musical development, Collier's career in the arts began with her work for the WPA during the depression era. While employed at the WPA, Collier was responsible, in part, for the development of the Federal Arts Program; a government sponsored organization that employed artists and musicians during this period of economic hardship. Following her employment with the WPA, her career took a turn as she recognized the importance of encouraging arts and music education for American youth. Her passion for the arts and superior organization skills prompted her development of numerous arts-in-education organizations that sought to bring accomplished musicians into a classroom setting. Throughout the 1950s, Collier was a founding member of organizations such as Young Audiences Inc., Baltimore's Young Musicians, and Arts and Audiences, Inc.
In 1960, Collier moved to Alcalde, New Mexico where she soon established Youth Concerts of New Mexico, a non-profit organization that encouraged performing arts programs in New Mexico schools. Although the organization was initially intended to be an offshoot of Young Audiences, Inc., Collier soon realized that her vision for the New Mexico program differed from the vision of Young Audiences. Recognizing the need to make concert series more affordable to rural populations in New Mexico, Collier wanted to decrease the fees schools would have to pay for students attending the concerts. In addition, Collier wanted to encourage solo performers and other types of artists (non-musicians) to appear in New Mexico school programs. Because these developments were considered at variance with the rules and regulations of the Young Audiences program, Youth Concerts of New Mexico remained a distinct organization.
During its establishment, Youth Concerts of New Mexico organized numerous performances and workshops throughout school districts in northern and central New Mexico. A range of national, international and local New Mexican performers toured throughout New Mexican schools encouraging youth development in music and the arts. Types of performances and workshops produced by Youth Concerts included classical music, folk music, jazz, ballet, Spanish dance, poetry reading, pantomime performances and puppetry.
Collier also devised numerous publications and reports concerning the benefits of arts programs in education. In conjunction with UNM Department of Music and puppeteer, Elsie Tedford, Collier conducted a study on the effects of art on teaching language skills. Additionally, in her later years, she devised an important educational guide discussing how to establish and organize youth-based performing arts programs.
After several years of illness, Collier died in the mid-1970s, leaving behind a legacy of important contributions to the art world and to youth education.
Extent
9 boxes (8.4 cu. ft.)
Abstract
The Nina Perera Collier collection contains materials pertaining to the various performing arts organizations and educational publications developed by Collier.
Arrangement
5 series:
- Youth Concerts of New Mexico
- Arts and Audiences
- Young Audiences
- Young Musicians
- Guide Preparation
Separated Material
Original films, DVCPro tape and master DVD are stored in B3. DVD for patron use is housed in the collection.
Processing Information
Inquire with reference staff for access to unprocessed addition. 11 boxes. Added June 2016. Located at B3-9A
- Art commissions
- Community arts projects -- New Mexico
- Community arts projects -- United States
- Mural painting and decoration
- Music -- Instruction and study -- New Mexico
- Performing arts -- Study and teaching (Elementary)-- New Mexico
- Performing arts -- Study and teaching (Elementary)-- United States
- School music -- Instruction and study -- New Mexico
- Youth Concerts of New Mexico
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Nina Perera Collier Papers, 1950-1972
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Sandra Arazi-Coambs
- Date
- © 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
- Sponsor
- Funding provided in part by: University of New Mexico Center for Regional Studies, Dr. Tobias Durán, Director
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu