Art historian and critic Helen L. Kohen has authored numerous articles on contemporary art focusing on the formation of the art culture in Miami since the early 1980s. Helen L. Kohen is art critic emeritus for the The Miami Herald newspaper in Miami, Florida.
The papers of art historian and critic Helen L. Kohen measure one linear foot and date from 1976 through 1996. They consist primarily of letters, postcards, exhibition announcements and invitations from artists in the Miami area. Also found are eighty-two mini cassette tapes of seventy-six interviews Kohen conducted with art dealers, collectors, contemporary artists, and others in the Miami area as research and background for her newspaper column and other articles. Also included are two event recordings.
The collection is arranged into five series:
Helen L. Kohen donated her papers to the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution in 1997.
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the
Helen L. Kohen intends to deposit additional letters from artists in the future.
Helen L. Kohen papers, 1978-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Processing of the collection was completed by Rosa M. Fernández in 1997. The finding aid was written in 2001. This collection, along with numerous other Latino collections, was acquired through the Archives of American Art's 1996 "Latino Art Documentation Project" in South Florida with funding from the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Latino Initiatives. Additional finding aid description of the sound recordings was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2023.
This series houses one file of correspondence with American abstract artists and author, Esphyr Slobodkina, 1954, 1984-1933 and undated, and nine folders of letters received (1978-1996) from artists concerning exhibitions, art openings, and Kohen's reviews. Letters are from artist Carol Anthony, Miguel Cubiles, performance artist Marilyn Gottlieb-Robers, Arturo Rodriguez, Emilio Sanchez, Bill Schaaf, and others. Three of the nine folders include general letters received from other artists and art institutions. Attachments include postcards, birthday and anniversary cards and exhibition announcements.
Printed Material, 1979-1996, includes exhibition announcements, invitations and catalogs Kohen gathered about artists during the course of her career as art critic for the newspaper The Miami Herald. Photographs,1969,1974, and 1980-1994, are of artwork by several artists. Also found are color photocopies of the same.
This series contains a 1983 gallery guide, a copy of art journal Artifacts, information on the death of Renate Hofmann, widow of abstract expressionist artist Hans Hofmann, and other material.
This series includes seventy-six untranscribed interviews and two event recordings (on eighty-two mini cassettes) with artists, arts administrators, art dealers, collectors and others. Interviews are with Jane Alexander, Carlos Alfonso, Mario Algaze, José Bedia, Margarita Cano, Matthew Corone, Wendy Blazer, Maria Brito, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Ramon Carulla, Dora Valdez-Fauli, Agustin Fernández, Lynn Golob Gelfman, Barbara Gillman, Marta Gutierrez, Pat Jones, Roberto Juarez, Guillermo Kuitca, Bianca Lanza, Annie Leibovitz, Marisol, Celia Muñoz, Nam June Paik, Janet Paparelli, Gina Pellon, Demi and Arturo Rodriguez, Vivian Rodriguez, Lydia Rubio, Jason Rubell, Baruj Salinas, Kenny Scharf, Haydee and Sahara Scull aka the Scull sisters, Joel Shapiro, David Spitzer, Barbara Strasser, and others.
All interviews in slide box 4 are recorded on the same audio cassette.
Interview with Irene and David Abel
Event to honor Jane Alexander's nomination as the chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts
Interview with Carlos Alfonzo
Interview with Mario Algaze
Interview with Gregory Amenoff
Interview with Karel Appel
Interview with Jose Bedia
Interview with Dorothy Blau
Interview with Wendy Blazier
Interview with Maria Brito
Interview with Steven Brooke
Interview with Margarita Cano
Interview with Ramon Carulla
Interview with Bonnie Clearwater
Interview with Lou Ann Colodny
Interview with Matthew Corone
Interview with James Couper
Interview with Suzanne Delehanty
Interview with Edouard Duval-Carrié
Interview with Alfred Eisenstaedt
Interview with Agustin Fernandez and Conversation about Agustin Fernandez
Interview with John Frohnmeyer
Interview with Lynn Golob Gelfman
Interview with Lynn Golob Gelfman
Interview with Barbara Gillman
Interview with Juan Gonzalez
Interview with Louis Grachos
Interview with Jean Greer
Interview with Allen Horowitz
Interview with Margaret Honda and an artist named Carol
Interview with Ann Jaffe
Interview with Pat Jones
Interview with Pat Jones
Interview with Pat Jones
Interview with Roberto Juarez
Interview with Janet Kardon
Interview with Clive King
Interview with Guillermo Kuitca
Interview with Bianca Lanza
Opening day lecture, Annie Leibovitz. Photographs 19701990, Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art
Interview with Gloria Luria
Interview with Marisol and Notes on Andy Sweet
Interview with Thomas Messer
Interview with Virginia Miller
Interview with Joy Moos
Interview with Celia Munoz
Interview with Cristina Orr-Cahall
Interview with Cristina Orr-Cahall
Interview with the Paddock family
Interview with Nam June Paik
Interview with Janet Paparelli
Interview with Arturo Rodriguez
Interview about public art with Vivian Rodriguez
Interview with Jason Rubell
Interview with Baruj Salinas
Interview with Father Jorge Sardinas
Interview with Kenny Scharf
Interview with Haydee and Sahara Scull
Interview with Joel Shapiro
Interview with Michael Spring
Interview with Barbara Strasser
Interview with Dora Valdez-Fauli
Interview with Estelle and Paul Berg
Interview with Louis Grachos and Interview with Philip Taaffe
Interview with Louise Fishman
Interview with David Spitzer and Interview with Gina Pellon
Interview with Barbara Neijna
Interview with Carole Cleaver and Selden Rodman
Interview with Pablo Cano
Interviews with Suzanne Martinson, José Rodriguez and Rafael Salazar
Interview with Mel Edwards and Lowery Sims
Interviews about South Florida Art Center