The collection is arranged as nine series.
Elyn Zimmerman (1945-) is a New York City and Los Angeles based sculptor best known for her large scale site-specific outdoor installations incorporating granite, water features, and landscape architecture.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Zimmerman moved to California for college, earning both her BFA and MFA from University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, she studied with Richard Diebenkorn and Robert Irwin, and worked in photography, drawing, and site-specific installation. In 1978 she created
In addition to her site-specific work, Zimmerman has had an extensive exhibition history, and has shown for many years with Gagosian Gallery. In 2016, Zimmerman was the recipient of the Isamu Noguchi Award. She has taught at Mills College, California Institute of the Arts, Harvard University, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Zimmerman was married to the late curator Kirk Varnedoe from 1978-2002.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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
The collection was donated in 2015-2023 by Elyn Zimmerman.
Elyn Zimmerman papers, 1967-2022. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2018. The 2021 addition was processed by Jennifer E. Neal and Lewis Tio, and merged into the collection in 2022. An addition received in 2022 was processed and merged into the collection by Sarah Mundy in 2023.
The papers of sculptor and site-specific installation artist Elyn Zimmerman measure 37.8 linear feet and 1710.223 gigabytes, and date from 1967-2022. The collection documents the artist's life and work through correspondence, interviews, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, teaching files, printed material, and photographic material. Project and commission files comprise the majority of the collection at 19.40 linear feet and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. Photographic material documents Zimmerman's work through color and black and white slides, transparencies, contact sheets, negatives, and prints. The papers include a small number of born digital records, including interviews, digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations.
Correspondence is comprised predominately of received letters and fewer drafts and copies of outgoing letters. Notable correspondents include Zimmerman's late husband, curator Kirk Varnedoe, arts advocate Agnes Gund, and artists Ruth Dicker, Richard Diebenkorn, Kady Hoffman, and Masami Teraoka. Interviews include digital video recordings of Elyn Zimmerman discussing various public projects between circa 1991 and 2005. Writings include drafts of journal articles, a book mock-up, project notes, and statements. Agendas and address books are filed with writings. Project and commission files comprise the bulk of the collection and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. The files include a small number of born digital records, including digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations. Exhibition files document Zimmerman's site-specific installations and exhibitions in a gallery and museum context. Files include correspondence, photographs, slides, statements, press releases, shipping information, and price lists. Teaching files document the many courses Zimmerman taught in painting, drawing, design, architecture, and landscape architecture. Items include syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, reading lists, and articles. Printed material primarily consists of items cataloging Zimmerman's career including exhibition announcements, catalogs, and press clippings. Subject files were saved and collected by Zimmerman and are arranged at the end of the series. Photographic material document Zimmerman's installations of commissioned works, exhibitions, and other installations through color and black and white slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and digital photographs.
There is a 2.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes project files, photographs, works of art on paper, journals, a scrapbook and printed material regarding Elyn Zimmerman. Materials date from circa 1967-2022.
Correspondence dates from 1978-2011 and is comprised predominately of received letters and, to a lesser extent, drafts and copies of outgoing letters. The letters, postcards, memoranda, and printed emails found here are both personal and professional and pertain to work, projects, exhibitions, and life events. Notable and frequent correspondents include Zimmerman's late husband, curator Kirk Varnedoe, arts advocate Agnes Gund, and artists Ruth Dicker, Richard Diebenkorn, Kady Hoffman, and Masami Teraoka. Less frequent notable letters were received from Richard Avedon, Ed Colker, Joel Fischer, Shirley Jaffe, Jon Kessler, Lucio Pozzi, Cherie Raciti, Nan Rosenthal, Robert Storr, James Turrell, and DeWain Valentine.
Interviews include digital videos of Zimmerman discussing her work for commission projects between circa 1991 and 2005. Projects of note include "An Artist at Work," "Archeos," and "Sanctuary."
The writings, agendas, and address books date from 1970-2003. Writings include drafts of journal articles, a book mock-up, notes on filmmaking, philosophy, art, personal matters, and projects, and statements pertaining to Zimmerman's art practice. Also filed here is one essay regarding Zimmerman by Yoji Sasaki. Agendas record daily plans and activities from 1978-2001 and address books record contacts from 1977-1995.
Files are arranged chronologically by project date. Most files contain additional oversized material arranged at the end of the series.
Project and commission files comprise the bulk of the collection, and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally. Many of the projects, both temporary and permanent, were designed for the outdoors and incorporate granite, water features, and landscape architecture. The documents capture the many phases of each project including proposals, planning, site visits, contracting, construction, fabrication, transportation, installation, completion, restoration, and preservation. Material includes correspondence, contracts, photographs, slides, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. The files include a small number of born digital records, including digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations.
Major projects documented here include
In addition to these site-specific works, project files, sketches, and stencils pertaining to a series of encaustic drawings titled "Ceremonial Objects" are also filed here. Included here as well are a few files related to residencies, fellowships, and a panel presented at the College Art Association conference.
Includes born digital material, see ER01
Includes born digital material, see ER02
Includes born digital material, see ER03
Includes born digital material from folder 7, see ER04
Exhibition files date from 1969-2015 and document Zimmerman's site-specific installations and exhibitions in a gallery and museum context. Files include correspondence, photographs, slides, statements, press releases, shipping information, and price lists. Many files from the 1970s include large scale drawings of the proposed installations. Several files pertaining to Zimmerman's exhibitions at Gagosian gallery include models and blueprints for large-scale stone works.
Oversized items housed in OV 86
Oversized items housed in OV 87-88
Oversized items housed in OV 89-90
Oversized items housed in OV 91
Oversized items housed in OV 92
Oversized items housed in OV 93
Oversized items housed in Box 21, Folder 13
Oversized items housed in RD 99
Oversized items housed in OV 94
Oversized items housed in Box 20 and OV 95
Oversized items housed in OV 96
Teaching files date from 1970-1994 and document the many courses Zimmerman taught at colleges in California and on the east coast. Items include syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, reading lists, articles, and a sound recording of Duchamp's "The Creative Act." As a recent graduate in the 1970s, Zimmerman taught a wide variety of art courses throughout California, including painting, drawing, and design. Later in her career in the 1990s, Zimmerman taught predominantly in architecture and landscape architecture.
Printed material dates from 1970-2018 and primarily includes items cataloging Zimmerman's career. The extensive exhibition announcements and catalogs provide robust documentation of Zimmerman's exhibitions over the last four decades. Press clippings and reviews document her projects and commissions, as well as exhibitions. A few memorials for artist friends are also found here, as well as a report from a roundtable discussion that Zimmerman participated in. Subject files were saved and collected by Zimmerman and are arranged at the end of the series.
Photographic material documents Zimmerman's early photography, sculptures, and installations of projects, commissioned works, and exhibitions between 1967 and 2018. Materials include color and black and white slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and digital photographs. Candid photographs of Zimmerman and project team members depict installation work and events related to the projects.