Archives of American Art
David Weinrib papers
Weinrib, David, 1924-2016
AAA.weindavi
Archival Resource Key
0.28 Gigabytes
4.6 Linear feet
circa 1950-2015
The papers of multimedia sculptor, curator, and instructor David Weinrib measure 4.6 linear feet and date from circa 1950-2015. The collection documents Weinrib's life and career through a small amount of biographical material, project files, and printed and photographic material. Project files make up the bulk of the collection and document Weinrib's teaching at Black Mountain College, his curation of the Pratt Sculpture Park, and an extensive project that he undertook with his second wife, JoAnn Weinrib, in 1998 titled "Sculptors in Their Environments." This project file includes photographic documentation of numerous artists working in their studios including Vito Acconci, Louise Bourgeois, Petah Coyne, Mary Frank, Judy Pfaff, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and many others.
Collection is in English
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as four series
Missing Title
- Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1970-2015 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
- Series 2: Project Files, circa 1968-2011 (2.9 linear feet; Box 1-3, OV 5-6; 28.2 megabytes; ER01-ER03)
- Series 3: Printed Material, circa 1950-2010 (0.6 linear feet; Box 3-4)
- Series 4: Photographic Material, circa 1970-2010 (0.9 linear feet; Box 4, OV 6)
Biographical / Historical
David Weinrib (1924-2016) was a sculptor, ceramicist, and instructor who worked primarily in New York City. Born in Brooklyn, New Work, Weinrib attended Brooklyn College before receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Alfred University. Weinrib taught pottery at the Craft Institute at Black Mountain College from 1952-1953 with his first wife Karen Karnes. In the 1960s, Weinrib began experimenting in a variety of media and exhibited at the Howard Wise Gallery. He continued to work in different media through the decades including cast resin, cut paper, acrylic collages, and photography through collaboration with his second wife, JoAnn Weinrib. Weinrib taught at Pratt Institute for thirty years and also curated the Pratt Sculpture Park, which displays over fifty works on the urban campus. He is the recipient of numerous National Endowment for the Arts grants as well as Guggenheim and Fulbright grants. Weinrib's work is in the collections of the Walker Art Center, the Whitney Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C.
Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of born digital records requires advance notice.
Terms of Use
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 Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Archives of American Art in 2016 by Abel Weinrib, David Weinrib's son.
Preferred Citation
David Weinrib papers, circa 1950-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2017.
Scope and Contents
The papers of multimedia sculptor, curator, and instructor David Weinrib measure 4.6 linear feet and date from circa 1950-2015. The collection documents Weinrib's life and career through a small amount of biographical material, project files, and printed and photographic material. Project files make up the bulk of the collection and document Weinrib's teaching at Black Mountain College, his curation of the Pratt Sculpture Park, and an extensive project that he undertook with his second wife, JoAnn Weinrib, in 1998 titled "Sculptors in Their Environments." This project file includes photographic documentation of numerous artists working in their studios including Vito Acconci, Louise Bourgeois, Petah Coyne, Mary Frank, Judy Pfaff, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and many others.
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York
Artists' studios -- Photographs
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York
Multimedia (Art)
Photographs
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York
Frank, Mary, 1933-
Weinrib, Joann
Pfaff, Judy, 1946-
Von RydingsvƤrd, Ursula, 1942-
Acconci, Vito, 1940-
Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, N.C.) -- Faculty
Coyne, Petah
Pratt Institute. Sculpture Garden
Bourgeois, Louise, 1911-2010
Biographical Material
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
0.2 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1970-2015
Scope and Contents
Biographical material dates from circa 1970-2015 and includes Weinrib's application for tenure at Pratt Institute, provenance documentation for his artworks, and resumes. Also arranged here are a few drawings by an unknown artist illustrating words, and a few short writings both by and about Weinrib. Weinrib writes about his philosophy of teaching and learning in one essay and about the concept of fences in another.
Application for Tenure at Pratt Institute
Archival Resource Key
2009
1
1
Provenance Documentation
Archival Resource Key
2015
1
2
Resumes
Archival Resource Key
circa 1993-2003
1
3
Word Drawings by Unknown Artist
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980
1
4
Writings
Archival Resource Key
1970s-1980s
1
5
Project Files
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
28.2 Megabytes
ER01-ER03
2.9 Linear feet
Box 1-3, OV 5-6
circa 1968-2011
Scope and Contents
Project files date from circa 1968-2011 and demonstrate a variety of personal and professional projects and commissions Weinrib was involved in. Found here are two transcripts of interviews with Weinrib regarding his time spent at Black Mountain College. Several folders and born digital records document Weinrib's curation of the Sculpture Park at Pratt Institute, where he also taught. There is documentation from Thorpe Intermedia, a collaboratively run gallery in Garnerville, New York.
"Sculptors in Their Environments" was a collaborative project between Weinrib and his wife JoAnn Weinrib in which they documented a number of sculptors living and working in their studios. Files for this project consists primarily of photographs and negatives taken by JoAnn of many well known artists, including Vito Acconci, Louise Bourgeois, Petah Coyne, Mary Frank, Judy Pfaff, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and others. Nearly all of these artist folders contain an oversized book assembled by Weinrib from color copies of the photographs.
Black Mountain College
Archival Resource Key
1
Exhibition and Symposium Files
Archival Resource Key
2002-2008
1
6
David Weinrib Interview by Duberman, Transcript
Archival Resource Key
1968
1
7
David Weinrib Interview by Mary Emma Harris, Transcript
Archival Resource Key
1997
1
8
Book Project
Archival Resource Key
circa 2011
1
9
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 1
Designers in The Environments
Archival Resource Key
1990s
1
10
Exhibition Proposal, "Studio as Sculpture"
Archival Resource Key
circa 2003
1
11
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 2
"La Fontaine Amoureuse" Music and Poetry of Guillaume de Machaut for Intermedia Foundation
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980
1
12
Gates and Fences (1982) Exhibitions
Archival Resource Key
circa 1982
1
13
Grants
Archival Resource Key
1
National Endowment for the Arts, Japan
Archival Resource Key
circa 1983
1
14
New York Foundation for the Arts
Archival Resource Key
circa 1984
1
15
Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Gottlieb Foundation
Archival Resource Key
circa 1989-2005
1
16
Pratt
Archival Resource Key
circa 1995
1
17
Rome Prize
Archival Resource Key
circa 2005
1
18
General
Archival Resource Key
1970s-1980s
1
19
"Intentional Communities" Film Synopsis
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970
1
20
Menorah Commission
Archival Resource Key
1989
1
21
Place Setting Project
Archival Resource Key
circa 2005
1
22
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 3
Pratt Sculpture Park
Archival Resource Key
1
Brochures and Printed Material
Archival Resource Key
circa 2006-2010
1
23
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 4; Includes born digital material, see ER01
Brochure
Archival Resource Key
25.3 Megabytes
2 computer files
2007
ER01
Correspondence and Administrative Documents
Archival Resource Key
2000-2010
1
24
"Diary of a Sculpture Park" and Other Writings
Archival Resource Key
circa 2006-2010
1
25
Scope and Contents
Includes born digital material, see ER02
Writings
Archival Resource Key
0.28 Megabytes
2 computer files
2010
2007
ER02
Images
Archival Resource Key
2000s
1
26
Scope and Contents
Includes born digital images, see ER03
Images
Archival Resource Key
2.62 Megabytes
56 computer files
2010
ER03
Public Sculpture Symposium at Pratt Institute
Archival Resource Key
circa 2003
1
27
Sculptors in Their Environments
Archival Resource Key
1
Documentation and Writing
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
1
28
Vito Acconci
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
1
29-30
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 5
Louise Bourgeois
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
1
31
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 6
John Chamberlain
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
1-2
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 7
Petah Coyne
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
3-5
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 8
Tom Doyle
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
6
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 9
Mel Edwards
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
7
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 10
Mary Frank
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
8
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 5, Folder 11
Andy Goldsworthy
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
9
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 1
William King
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
10
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 2
Sol LeWitt
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
11-13
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 3
Roy Lichtenstein
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
14
Donald Lipski
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
2
15
Dennis Oppenheim
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
1
Judy Pfaff
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
2
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 4
Richard Serra
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
3
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 5
Kenneth Snelson
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
4
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 6
William Tucker
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
5
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 7
James Turrell
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
6
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 8
Ursula von Rydingsvard
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
7
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 9
Robert Wilson
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
8
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 10
Other Photographic Material
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
3
9
Thorpe Intermedia Gallery, Church of the Tabernacle
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980-2005
3
10
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 11
Transparent Structures (1983), Exhibition
Archival Resource Key
1980s
3
11
Yoga Book Photographs by David and JoAnn Weinrib
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980
3
12
Oversized Book Project from Box 1, Folder 9
Archival Resource Key
5
1
Oversized Exhibition Proposal from Box 1, Folder 11
Archival Resource Key
5
2
Oversized Place Setting from Box 1, Folder 22
Archival Resource Key
5
3
Oversized Pratt Sculpture Park from Box 1, Folder 23
Archival Resource Key
5
4
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Acconci from Box 1, Folder 29
Archival Resource Key
5
5
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Bourgeois from Box 1, Folder 31
Archival Resource Key
5
6
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Chamberlain from Box 2, Folder 1
Archival Resource Key
5
7
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Coyne from Box 2, Folder 3
Archival Resource Key
5
8
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Doyle from Box 2, Folder 6
Archival Resource Key
5
9
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Edwards from Box 2, Folder 7
Archival Resource Key
5
10
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Frank from Box 2, Folder 8
Archival Resource Key
5
11
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Goldsworthy from Box 2, Folder 9
Archival Resource Key
6
1
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, King from Box 2, Folder 10
Archival Resource Key
6
2
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, LeWitt from Box 2, Folder 11
Archival Resource Key
6
3
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Pfaff from Box 3, Folder 2
Archival Resource Key
6
4
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Serra from Box 3, Folder 3
Archival Resource Key
6
5
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Snelson from Box 3, Folder 4
Archival Resource Key
6
6
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Tucker from Box 3, Folder 5
Archival Resource Key
6
7
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Turrell from Box 3, Folder 6
Archival Resource Key
6
8
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, von Rydingsvard from Box 3, Folder 7
Archival Resource Key
6
9
Oversized Sculptors in Their Environments, Wilson from Box 3, Folder 8
Archival Resource Key
6
10
Oversized Thorpe Intermedia from Box 3, Folder 10
Archival Resource Key
6
11
Printed Material
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
0.6 Linear feet
Box 3-4
circa 1950-2010
Scope and Contents
Printed material dates from circa 1950-2010 and consists of announcements, press releases, clippings, exhibition catalogs, and articles in periodicals that document Weinrib's career. A printed portfolio assembled by Weinrib as well as a signed and annotated published oral history with Weinrib's friend, artist Gerd Stern, are also found here.
Announcements and Press Releases
Archival Resource Key
1970s-2000s
3
13
Book, Oral History with Artist Gerd Stern
Archival Resource Key
1996
3
14
Clippings
Archival Resource Key
1950s-2000s
3
15
Exhibition Catalogs
Archival Resource Key
1950s-2000s
3
16-18
Periodicals
Archival Resource Key
2000s
1960s
4
1-2
Portfolio, Printed and Bound
Archival Resource Key
circa 1992
4
3
Photographic Material
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
0.9 Linear feet
Box 4, OV 6
circa 1970-2010
Scope and Contents
Photographic material dates from circa 1970-2010 and includes predominantly photographic prints, although slides, negatives, contact sheets, transparencies, and digital prints are also found here. Subjects include Weinrib, friends, family; artists including John Cage and Sari Dienes; artworks including sculptures and studio views; and projects including an Earth Day parade and teahouse installation. A few files at the end of the series contain unlabeled photo packets with mixed subjects. Additional photographic material of sculptors is in Series 2 under the "Sculptors in Their Environments" file grouping.
David and JoAnn Weinrib
Archival Resource Key
1980s-2000s
4
4
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 12
Artworks and Weinrib in Studio
Archival Resource Key
1970s-2000s
4
5-10
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 12
John Cage
Archival Resource Key
1987
4
11
Sari Dienes
Archival Resource Key
1986
4
12
Earth Day Parade
Archival Resource Key
circa 2000
4
13
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 12
Sculptures
Archival Resource Key
1970s-2000s
4
14
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 12
Teahouse, Amagansett, New York
Archival Resource Key
2007
4
15
Unidentified Photographs and Negatives
Archival Resource Key
1970s-2000s
4
16-18
Oversized David and JoAnn Weinrib from Box 4, Folder 4
Archival Resource Key
6
12
Oversized Artwork and Weinrib in Studio from Box 4, Folder 5
Archival Resource Key
6
12
Oversized Earth Day Parade from Box 4, Folder 13
Archival Resource Key
6
12
Oversized Sculptures from Box 4, Folder 14
Archival Resource Key
6
12