Will Barnet papers, 1897

The addition of biographical material consists of addresses and mailing lists; mementos relating to Barnet's birthdays including signed books and a digital video recording of a dance performance; material relating to two of Barnet's children, over twenty interview transcripts; records and mementos relating to Barnet's memorial; and several resumes, chronologies, and biographical summaries. The folder for Peter Barnet contains exhibition announcements and computer printouts of his artworks.

Correspondence in the addition is similar in scope to that received in the original donation (series 2) and is primarily with Barnet's family, friends, fellow artists, and business associates. Additional correspondence with galleries and museums can be found in subseries 8.5: Gallery and Exhibition Files. Correspondents of note include Cameron Booth, Worden Day, Nancy Grossman, Wolf Kahn, William King, Thomas Messer, Gregory Masurovsky, Henry Pearson, Angelo Savelli, Harry Sternberg, May Stevens, John Updike, and June Wayne. There is also correspondence from mentored artists Christina Bothwell, George Lloyd, and Ik-Song Jin, and contemporary artist and friend Arnold Singer. The folder for friend and collector Frank Ribelin contains a digital video recording commemorating the marriage of Ribelin and his wife Kathleen. Birthday, congratulation, and sympathy cards are filed at the end of the series.

Additional writings include dozens of artist and biographical statements, essays, lectures, memorials, condolences, notes, speeches, talks, statements, tributes, and writings about other artists. The bulk of writings by others are essays, dissertations, and reviews about Barnet. Some of the writings here are duplicates or alternate drafts of writings from the original donation, found in series 3.

Forty-four diaries and daybooks capture Barnet's daily agenda, activities, and reflections. Some entries provide a succinct agenda with bulleted activities, engagements, and do-to lists, while other entries are more expansive in describing and detailing the day's activities including meetings, dinner parties, travel, and personal encounters.

Gallery and exhibition files contain a wide variety of material that relates to Barnet's exhibition activities both in galleries and museums. Material includes correspondence, checklists, price lists, loan and consignment agreements, shipping receipts, announcements, press releases, wall text, and other writings. Also found here are cards and letters congratulating Barnet on certain exhibitions. Items of correspondence and records also document additional interactions between Barnet and the institution, particularly concerning gifts and donations of works of art. Digital video and audio recordings, included in a scrapbook for Barnet from Gail Stavitsky, curator at the Montclair Art Museum, document student performances of musical compositions inspired by Barnet's artwork. One sound cassette contains a radio broadcast featuring Barnet, who speaks about his exhibition at the Montclair Art Museum.

Project and professional files include documentation of a wide variety of printing and publishing projects, professional activities, as well as a few administrative and business activities. Material relating to book projects and printmaking activities include correspondence, agreements, inventories, writings, and mock-ups. Several files relate to the establishment and administration of the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Barnet's professional activities in numerous organizations and institutions including the Academy of Arts and Letters, Art Students League, Century Association, College Art Association, Lotos Club, National Academy, and National Arts Club are documented through correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, and other administrative records. Correspondence pertaining to Barnet's participation in panels, lectures, and appearances are also among the professional files. The administrative and business activities documented include copyright, reproduction requests, recommendations, and donations. Information regarding various teaching positions can be found in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Vermont College, and Teaching Files folders. Born digital material includes a book for new members of the Century Association, as well as documents and photographs pertaining to the National Academy Gala. One item, a book about the history of Barnet's birth place, Beverly, Massachusetts, dates from 1897.

Additional printed material includes announcements and exhibition catalogs, Art Students League publications, clippings, newsletters, periodicals, press releases, programs, publications related to Barnet's teaching activities, published illustrations, and assorted other printed matter. The Art Students League publications include course catalogs, calendars, newsletters, and their magazine, The League.

Additional photographic material is primarily color photographic prints, along with a few negatives and transparencies. One folder includes photographs of Will Barnet with family, friends, and colleagues. Here, Barnet is captured in portraits, in his studio, teaching, and in group photographs. Several dozen packets of photographs from the 1990s-2000s were taken as source photographs that Barnet used to create his paintings. In these photographs, family members and friends serve as models, and preliminary stages of drawings and paintings are captured in process. Other photographs document Barnet's artwork in the later part of his career.