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Rayna Andrews
Scope and Contents
The papers of African American artist and writer Emilio Cruz measure 5 linear feet and date from 1961 to 2008. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, exhibition and project files, printed material, and photographic material.
Biographical material includes Cruz's career narratives, an interview with Ben Looker for a book about the Black Artists' Group, an address book, and a recording of Emilio Cruz's memorial service.
Correspondence includes drafts and final copies of correspondence sent and received by Cruz. Though primarily professional in nature, some letters include Cruz's theories regarding art and literature.
Writings includes two subseries: general writings as well as literary work and performance material. General writings consist of Emilio Cruz's writings about art, exhibition text, and other essays and writing. Literary work and performance material includes poems, short stories, novels, and plays, as well as materials related to the performance of these works. This subseries includes audiovisual material in a variety of formats related to Cruz's performances.
Personal business records include shipping invoices and a small number of gallery records.
Exhibition and project files include correspondence, planning documents, financial documents, printed material, and photographic material related to Emilio Cruz's exhibitions and projects.
Printed material includes publications in which Emilio Cruz's writing was published or in which he was written about; exhibition and performance catalogs, programs, and invitations; and clippings of reviews.
Photographic material includes photographs of Emilio Cruz and slides of his artwork.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Emilio Cruz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Patricia Cruz, Emilio Cruz's widow, in 2016.
Funding
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Rayna Andrews with funding from the Luce Foundation in 2018. Additional finding aid description of the film recording was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2024.