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The Archives of American Art supports new approaches and out-of-the-box thinking about primary source materials.
Find out how to submit your article for publication consideration today.
Donating Papers
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff of the Archives of American Art is teleworking. We are available to answer questions about donating papers. The best way to reach us is by email (see addresses below). How to donate your papers and other primary records to the Archives of American Art.
The Archives of American Art collects primary sources —original letters, diaries, journals and other unpublished writings, preliminary sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records and the like—that have significant research value for the study of art in America.
We seek the personal papers of individuals and the records of organizations that include letters from, or references to, prominent figures in American cultural history; a significant body of unpublished manuscript material; and documentation on major American artists or major events in the American art world.
Washington, D.C. Headquarters Contacts
- Liza Kirwin, interim director, at KirwinL@si.edu
- Josh Franco, national collector, at FrancoJ@si.edu
New York Research Center Contacts
- Jacob Proctor, Gilbert and Ann Kinney New York Collector, at ProctorJ@si.edu.
California Collecting Project Contact
- Matthew Simms, Gerald and Bente Buck West Coast Collector, at SimmsM@si.edu
Please Note: The Archives of American Art does not accept unsolicited donations either by mail or delivered in person. Unsolicited donations may be disposed of, returned, or retained at the sole discretion of the Archives of American Art.
Get Involved
Internship, fellowship, and volunteer opportunities provide students and lifelong learners with the ability to contribute to the study and preservation of visual arts records in America.
Visit a Research Center
Original material can be consulted by appointment in our Washington, D.C. Headquarters.
Select holdings are available on microfilm at the Archives' offices in Washington, D.C. and at our New York Office.
Copies of unrestricted microfilm materials can be obtained through one of our affiliated research centers.