Olive Rush papers, 1879-1967

This series contains diaries, notes, transcripts of lectures/talks, and other writings by Olive Rush, mostly about art, aesthetics, and art techniques. Also found are personal writings, creative writing, and writings of others. Rush's early diaries concern her childhood, education, and early career, including her experiences at the Corcoran School in Washington, D.C. and her arrival in New York City, where she studied with Henry Siddons Mowbray and Augustus St. Gaudens. A 1932 diary contains a daily account of her experience creating murals with young Native American artists at the Santa Fe Indian School. Rush's talks and lectures address mostly art-related topics, including art appreciation, modern art, her own art, and Indian art. Essays include a couple of brief, handwritten essays about Indian art.

Notebooks include a book labeled "Analysis" which contains compositional analyses of modern paintings, detailed notes on other art subjects, and sketches. Two other notebooks contain records of her experiments and practices with art materials, particularly frescoes, for which she developed her own techniques suitable to the New Mexican climate. Detailed notes are found concerning Rush's mural project for the Biology Building at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, a Federal Public Works of Art Project, as well as loose notes on a range of art subjects. Miscellaneous Notes contain contact information and other personal notes.

Other writings are found in Series 1. More details on the Agricultural College mural are found in 1938 correspondence with R. Vernon Hunter, and many sketches for that project are found in Artwork (Series 4).