Riva Castleman Papers

in The Museum of Modern Art Archives

Overview of the Collection

Arrangement

Index Terms

Series I: Curatorial Committee on Exhibitions 1976-1993.

17 folders, two 5" and one 2 1/2" boxes.
All folders begin with the title "Curatorial Committee on Exhibitions." Box 1 contains administrative documentation of the coordination of exhibition activities of all curatorial departments; incl. internal and external exhibition proposals both approved and rejected, budgetary information, grant applications, minutes, exhibition procedures, exhibition schedules, memoranda and correspondence; Boxes 2 and 3 contain specific exhibition documentation for each of the curatorial departments; incl. approved proposal sheets for exhibitions with name of curator, subject/title of exhibition, dates, and projected costs.

0.5"
Some correspondence in this folder concerns international exhibitions;
Incl. copy of TLS Linda Shearer (Painting and Sculpture) - Margarita Tupitsyn (Contemporary Russian Art Center) (8/88)
Waldo Rasmussen (International Program) re: "Venice Biennale" (11/14/85)
Richard Oldenberg corresp. with Russian art museum directors
Arthur Drexler and Ian Sinclair corresp. re: new designs (9/25-10/15/1985)
Feb. 1985 Agenda on Curatorial issues
Proposals for "projects" gallery

1"
Incl. list of "Modern Shows in New York Area, 1989-1993"

1.5"

Incl. Waldo Rasmussen corresp. re: Latin American Artists of the Twentieth Century [MoMA Exh. #1654, June 2-September, 7 1993]
Alan Bowness of Tate Gallery, London re: possible joint exhibition with Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Museum Nationale d'Art Moderne, Paris, "International Contemporary Art of the Last Two Decades", (March 1988)
High and Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture [MoMA Exh.# 1559, October 7, 1990-January 5, 1991]

1"
Concerns both rejected and accepted proposals from domestic and international institutions, scholars, and museums
Many proposals unsolicited

1"

1"
Photocopies of eight Philip Johnson TLS, dated December 1987, forwarded to Stuart Wrede (Director, Architecture and Design Department) re: Deconstructivist Architecture [MoMA Exh.# 1489, June 23-Aug 30 1988]

1"
Incl. corresp. with Magdelena Dabrowski, John Elderfield, and Bernice Rose.

Incl. corresp. with Mary Lea Bandy, Laurence Kardish, and Adrienne Mancia

1"
Incl. corresp. with Richard Palmer and Kirk Varnedoe

1"
Incl. corresp. with John Elderfield, Richard Palmer, and Linda Shearer

1"
Incl. corresp. with Peter Galassi and John Szarkowski

1.25"
Concerns the "Projects" exhibition series
Incl. proposals, memoranda and corresp. from curatorial staff such as Richard Palmer, Linda Shearer, John Szarkowski, and Kirk Varnedoe
Curatorial Committee on Exhibition minutes of meeting on the series (October 16, 1985)
Exhibition brochure for Win Knowlton (March 13-April 22, 1986) and Judith Barry (May 3-June 3, 1986)

Restricted materials removed: Condition correspondence.

Series II: Contemporary Art in Context 1985-1992

33 folders; three 5" document boxes
All folders begin with the heading "Contemporary Art in Context" CAIC. In 1986, the National Endowment of the Arts created a category of grants in its Museum Program called "Special Artistic Initiatives." Contemporary Art in Context, an effort to increase awareness of MoMA as a focus for the study and appreciation of contemporary art, was a program of exhibitions of contemporary art drawn from the museum's collection and several series of lectures, symposia, forums, and artists talks funded by the NEA program in 1988-1989. With the assistance of the Museum's auxiliary Contemporary Arts Council, interaction with the artists and participants was an informal and unique element of the program. The program intended to focus on how the art of our time is perceived. See Subseries descriptions for detailed information on separate programs.

Subseries A: Artists Talks n.d

4 folders; one half of 5" document box
Official title of program: "Artists' Talks in the Galleries"; Contemporary Artists chose a work (or room) in MoMA to discuss in terms of their own work, experience, aesthetic, or philosophy. Contains lists of artists and the subjects of their talks, biographical information, and correspondence.

0.25"
Artists--
Tina Barney, Houston Conwill, Brice Marden, Mark Rappaport, Dorothea Rockburne, and Francesc Torres.
See also Sound Recordings, #89.11 for Tina Barney talk.

0.25"
May:
Ashley Bickerton, Robert Cumming Eric Fischl, Izhar Patkin, Howardena Pindell, Michael Young

May 8:
Alice Aycock, Emilio Cruz, David Diao, Jenny Holzer, Brian Hunt, Neil Winokur

View PDF of folder II.A.2

0.25"
Nov 10:
Jake Berthot, Ross Bleckner, R.M. Fischer, Michael Spano, Pat Steir

Nov. 15:
Ida Applebroog, Larry Fink, Tim Rollins, David Salle, Joel Shapiro

Nov. 17:
Richard Bosman, Peter Campus, Jane Dickson, Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler, Annette Lemieux, and James Wines.

View PDF of folder II.A.3

0.5"
March 1:
Scott Burton, Ken Feingold, Jan Groover, Vitaly Komar & Alexander Melamid, Yvonne Rainer, Mark Tansey, Elizabeth Murray, Leon Golub, and Nancy Spero

March 3:
Joseph Kosuth, Justen Ladden, Robert Longo, William Wegman, Terry Winters

March 4:
Donald Sultan, Vito Acconci, Sue Coe, Faith Ringgold. See also Sound Recordings, #88.1 for Ken Feingold talk.

Subseries B: Budget and Funding

Six folders of budgets and financial reports, processed as Subseries B, were retained for the required seven year period and then discarded.

Subseries C: Exhibition n.d

Concerns Contemporary Art in Context: Recent Acquisitions, MoMA Exh. # 1478, February 29-March 5, 1988.

2 items
Kruger was a guest curator of "Picturing Greatness" segment of primary exhibit, January 14-March 29, 1988
Incl. article, " 'I am the greatest': Kruger and Albers" by Richard Woodward, New Criterion June 1988, 1 item

0.25"
Contemporary Art in Context: Recent Acquisitions [M0MA Exh. #1478]
Incl. five (5) Polaroids from the exhibition
One folder floor plan of the Lobby Gallery space in the Roy and Niuta Titus Theater I
Acquisition inventories for the years 1968, 1978, and 1988 from Architecture and Design, Film, Photography, and Painting and Sculpture departments
Committee on Painting and Sculpture Minutes, 1987-1988.

Subseries D: "Open Forum" n.d

Open Forums were round table discussions with representatives of museums, alternative spaces, and corporate collections, as well as freelance curators concerned with the presentation of contemporary art. Incl. membership lists, attendance lists, cv and biographies of presenters, correspondence, and memoranda.

0.25"
Luis R. Cancel, Director of the Bronx Museum of the Arts, led Curator's forum concentrating on multicultural issues
Incl. his 1990 case study, "Building Partnerships: Museums & Their Communities: The Anytown Museum Case Study"

0.25"
Concerns "Legal Issues Surrounding the Exhibition, Production, Subjects, and Rights of the Creators of Contemporary Art" addressed by Harriet K. Dorsen, Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel, Bantam, Doubleday, Dell Publishing Group Inc.
Stephen Weil, Deputy Director, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; and Beverly Wolff, Secretary and General Counsel of the Museum of Modern Art

0.25"
Concerns "Influence, Intervention, and Influence"
Incl. Stephen Weil, Deputy Director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden's cv and correspondence

0.25"
"Exhibiting Contemporary Art;"
No main speaker

Subseries E: Panels and Symposia

0.75"
Original copy TLS (signed with a lipstick kiss) October 21, 1988 Guerrilla Girls to Linda Shearer forwarded to RC with note

May 4: "A Generation Apart: The Galleries" Panelists Josh Baer and Paula Cooper
May 5: "A Generation Apart: Artists" Panelists: John Baldessari and Tim Rollins
Incl. one Polaroid and fact sheet of John Baldessari
One photograph of Josh Baer
Incl. sheet on Paula Cooper

1"
Incl. biographical info. and resumes of artists: Parly Chin, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, David Driskell, Luis Jimenez, G. Peter Jimison, Inverna Lockpez, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Patterson Sims, and Lorna Simson
Incl. Conwill's notes on index cards and highlighted copies of scholarly articles on multiculturalism

0.25"

Subseries F: General Administrative Matter; Folder Descriptions: n.d.

One project of CAIC not achieved was a corporate section
Concerns some exploratory meetings with executives to promote creativity with the business world and possible new sources of income for museums
Incl. corresp. with Robert Douglass Chair of Chase Manhattan Bank (1 item)
Torsten Lilja of the Swedish insurance company Trygg-Hansa

0.5"

0.5"
Incl. one copy of Contemporary Art in Context catalog (1990) describing the project

0.5"

Subseries G: Photographs n.d.

Artists photographed:
Alice Aycock
Vito Acconci
Tina Barney
Germano Celant
Robert Cumming
Eric Fischl
Jan Groover
Barbara Kruger installation
Brice Marden
Izhar Patkin
Mark Rappaport
Dorothea Rockburne
Mark Tansey
Neil Winokur

Series III: Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs General Administrative Responsibilities, 1980-1992

10 folders; part of 5" document box
Documents admistrative responsibilities of Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs. The bulk of material is general corresp. and memoranda re: Studies in Modern Art Series, 60th Anniversary, travel procedures, and personnel issues.

0.25"
Studies in Modern Art is the publishing vehicle for the Research and Scholarly Publications Program of MoMA, and was initiated with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The goal of the program is to foster and sustain study of the Museum's collections of works of art and archival material. Each issue addresses a different topic of general interest to the student of modern and contemporary art. As Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and representative of the curatorial staff, Riva Castleman served on Editorial Committee. Concerns implementation, first number of series and proposals for second number of series
Incl. corresp. John Elderfield, editor of series.

RC compiled lists of staff participation in and positions on outside organizations boards and committees

Concerns Junior Associates of The Museum of Modern Art
Incl. Contemporary Arts Council Statement of Organization

8 items
Concerns topics such as museum space, staff sabbaticals, and personnel issues

1"
Arranged in alphabetical order by name or subject
Incl. correspondence to RC as Curator of Prints and Illustrated Books before 1986

0.5"

0.5"

Series IV: Education 1986-1992

8 folders; two 5" document boxes
The Deputy Director supervised the departments of Education and Library as well as the six curatorial departments. Of particular interest is MoMA's concern for audience development and its role as educator of the public; materials incl. education and gallery guides, budget and funding records, and Trustee Committee meeting minutes and reports.

0.5"

1"
Incl. preliminary and final drafts of the report "MoMA as Educator: A Retrospective, A Blueprint", December 10, 1986

1 item

1"
Concerns a variety of subjects arranged in chronological order

Series V: Library 1974, 1986-1993

One 2" document box
Concerns Museum Library, its budget and acquisitions, particularly Franklin Furnace Archives and Artists Files. Includes correspondence between Library Director Clive Philpot and RC, memoranda, and Trustee and Advisory Committee Minutes

Composed of representatives from MoMA curatorial depts. incl Judith Cousins, Magdelena Dabrowski, Peter Galassi, Ron Magliozzi, Stuart Wrede, and Debbie Wye
Incl. agenda of meetings and procedures for Library

1"
Concerns gifts and acquisitions, library automation, climate control, etc.
Incl. draft transfer agreement re: Franklin Furnace Archives
Incl. Chadwyck-Healy brochure of "The Artists' Files" microfiche set
Incl. Annual Reports for 1991-1992 and 1988-1989

0.5"
Incl. corresp. re: Museum Archives and gifts

0.25"

0.25"
Concerns acquisitions and budget

Series VI: Additional Files Received After 1995, 1975 and undated

In 2024, the Department of Drawings and Prints transferred drawings, a notebook, and a lithograph by Emilio Sanchez to the MoMA Archives; the same year, they were added to this series. An additional letter, from Sanchez to William S. Lieberman, was added to II.A.113 in the William S. Lieberman Papers.

This folder was added in 2024.

This folder was added in 2024.

This lithograph was originally a Gift of Mrs. Joanne Stern to the Drawings and Prints Study Collection (SC107.2011).

This folder was added in 2024.