Elizabeth Catlett papers, 1957-1980

Collection Information

Size: 0.3 Linear feet

Summary: The papers of African American painter, printmaker, and sculptor Elizabeth Catlett measure 0.3 linear feet and date from 1957 to 1980. The collection consists of printed material, such as project-related press; exhibition announcements, catalogs, and posters; publications featuring articles about Catlett; clippings; and cards featuring reproductions of Catlett's work. Some of the exhibition materials and clippings, as well as the publication gente are in Spanish.

Biographical/Historical Note

Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012) was an African American painter, printmaker, and sculptor. She was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and attended Howard University after being denied admission to the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) due to her race. At Howard she studied under Loïs Mailou Jones and Alain Locke. She later studied with Grant Wood and Henry Stinson while pursuing her masters of fine arts at the University of Iowa. When she graduated in 1940, she was one of the first three students, and the only African American woman, to earn that degree from the university.

Provenance

The papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Elizabeth Catlett in 1980. They were microfilmed as part of the Archives of American Art's Texas project in 1981.

Related Materials

Elizabeth Catlett papers are also located at the Amistad Research Center, Tulane University.

Language Note

The collection is in English and Spanish.

Funding

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.