Emanuel Martinez papers, 1951-2019

Scope and Contents

The papers of painter, muralist, and educator Emanuel Martinez measure 5.7 linear feet and date from 1951 to 2019. The collection documents Martinez's career as a muralist through school records, incarceration records, and other biographical material; correspondence with family members and various organizations in regards to art projects; donations, consignments, invoices, and other personal business records; correspondence, proposals, sketches, contracts, and other material related to commissions Martinez completed for various individuals and organizations; loan forms, correspondence, and announcments related to exhibitions Martinez participated in; artist statements, awards, writings, commencement speeches, and other professional activity material; clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, posters, and other printed material; and photographs and slides of of artwork and some personal photographs.

Biographical material consists of encounters with the law from his youth, such as citations for minor crimes, school records, Colorado Governor executive orders recognizing Martinez, and other awards and recognitions received by Martinez.

Correspondence is comprised of letters with Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzalez of the activist group Crusade for Justice, letters from family members such as his mother, Jennie Martinez, and nephew, Edward Martinez, and letters from a group of school children who visited his studio. Also included are letters with the City of Denver, Hispanic Culture Foundation, National Council of La Raza, Museo de las Americas, and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Also included are letters of recommendation written on behalf of Martinez by friends and colleagues.

Writings and lectures consist of writing by Martinez and others, lectures and presentations given by Martinez, and high school graduation commencement speeches by Martinez. Some of the material includes journal entries by Martinez, a collection of poems, lectures for the First National Chicano Youth Conference and "Pioneering of Community Murals" lecture. Also included are "America, America" by Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales and "Emanuel Martinez: A Biographical Report" by Linda Sanchez.

Personal business records consist of donations made by Martinez in the 90s and 00s, consignments, invoices, and receipts. Among the materials are consignments for the Museo de las Americas; invoices for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wiconsin, Madd Castings Inc., and the Helen Jordan Bust. Also included are more general files of correspondence, receipts, invoices for organizations and companies such as Beyond Bronze Inc., La Napoule Art Foundation, and Salazar Capitol Management Inc.

Commission files consist of files of correspondence, proposals, agreements, and some receipts for works Martinez did for various individuals and organizations around the country. Also included in some of the files are sketches and blueprints of the proposed works and photographs of the completed works. There are also files of rejected proposals. Some of the commissions include: the Denver Housing Authority, "La Alma" Mural, Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center, Peoria Pioneer Memorial, Colorado Fallen Firefighter Memorial, West High School Center for International Studies Awards, and "Raza on the Rocks" poster design. A few files also contain CDs.

Exhibitions files consist of correspondence, loan agreements, and printed material such as announcements and clippings in relation to exhibitions that Martinez participated in. Some of the exhibitions include: "Chicano Art:Resistance & Affirmation," "Emanuel Martinez: A Retrospective," "Arte Latino: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum," and "Sangre Nueva-New Blood." Also included are files of 1-day exhibitions aranged by year.

Professional activity consists of material such as artist statements, residencies and fellowships, and work with various committess and organizations. There are also files related to teaching at summer camps and workshops hosted by Martinez. Some of the material includes: the Denver Opportunity Arts & Crafts Training Program, Denver Public Schools School of Arts Art Advisory Committee, Art Students League of Denver, Latino Research and Policy Center, Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Curriculum Project, Foster Elementary School Summer Arts Camp. Also included are some Anti-Violence sketches and designs for Poder logo.

Printed Material consists of clippings, exhibition announcements, exhibitions catalogs, and auction catalogs. Among the materials are catalogs for the Colorado Business Alliance for Youth, catalogs for the Artists for Colorado's Youth Art Auction, a calendar featuring Martinez's artwork, "The Mestizo Head: Alchemical Images of the Chicano Coniunctio" by Marcos Sanchez-Traquilino, and "Selected Reading Material on the Mexican and Spanish American."

Photographic material cosists of primarily of photographs and slides of paintings and sculptures. Also included is a file on Martinez with photographs of him as a child, at work in his studio, posed with sculptures, and at receptions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers were donated by Emanuel Martinez in 2017 and 2021.

Sponsor

Processing Information

The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2018 with Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. The 2021 addition was processed by Ricky Gomez and prepared for digitization in 2022 and was digitized in 2023 with funding provide by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation and The Walton Family Foundation.