Collector and art patron Mary Heath Keesling (1914-2006) lived in San Francisco, California. Through volunteer work with the Junior League of San Francisco, she sparked an interest in modern art. Keesling served as a longtime member of the San Francisco Art Institute's Women's Board and acted as trustee for the institute.
The papers of California collector and art patron Mary Heath Keesling measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1960 to 1996. The collection consists of personal and professional correspondence documenting the close relationship between Keesling and members of the San Francisco art community. Correspondents include William George Allan, Phyllis and Richard Diebenkorn, Philip Guston, Grace Morley, and others.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Donated 1997 by Mary Heath Keesling.
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
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Mary Heath Keesling papers, 1960-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2023 with support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
Personal and professional correspondence is with artists, galleries, museums, and others affiliated with the art community of the San Francisco Bay area. Among the correspondents are William Allan, David Anderson, Richard and Phyllis Diebenkorn, David Gilhooly, Philip Guston, Jeanne-Claude, Grace McCann Morley, Gerald Norland, Gordon Onslow-Ford, Richard Shaw, and William T. Wiley.