Senga Nengudi papers
name: label: Creator
content: Nengudi, Senga, 1943-
label: Names
content: Banks, Cheryl
label: Names
content: Hammons, David, 1943-
label: Names
content: Hassinger, Maren
label: Names
content: McCullough, Barbara
topic: label: Occupation
content: Conceptual artists -- Colorado -- Colorado Springs
label: Occupation
content: Performance artists -- Colorado -- Colorado Springs
label: Topic
content: African American artists
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: African American art -- African influences
label: Topic
content: Women performance artists
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Senga Nengudi papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2018 and 2019 by Senga Nengudi.
creator: label: Creator
content: Nengudi, Senga, 1943-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Senga Nengudi papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of African American conceptual and performance artist Senga Nengudi measure 12.8 linear feet and 11.24 gigabytes and date from circa 1962 to 2017, with a folder of printed material dating from 1947. The collection contains biographical material including education and family records, the kimono Nengudi wore during her wedding to Ellioutt Fittz, certificates, interview transcripts, and address books; calendars and journals chronicling Nengudi's appointments, thoughts, and artistic practice; and correspondence with friends and other artists including Maren Hassinger, Cheryl Banks, and David Hammons. Also included is family correspondence, including letters between Senga Nengudi (then Sue Irons) and her mother when Nengudi was living in Japan. The collection also contains writings by Senga Nengudi and others; material related to professional activities including teaching files, gallery files, and files related to exhibitions, projects, and performances; printed material including exhibition and event announcements and catalogs, clippings, magazines, and other published material; a scrapbook primarily containing photographs and printed material; photographic material depicting Senga Nengudi, works of art, and other individuals; artwork by Nengudi and others, including Maren Hassinger; and audio and video recordings, including recordings of performances.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Senga Nengudi (1943- ) is an African American conceptual and performance artist in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Born Sue Irons in Chicago, Illinois, she earned a bachelor's degree in art with a minor in dance from California State University, Los Angeles. From 1966 to 1967 she studied Japanese culture at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. This study deeply influenced her artistic practice. Upon her return from Japan in 1967, she pursued her master's degree in sculpture at California State University, which she received in 1971. 

After receiving her master's degree, she moved to New York to continue her career as an artist, showing at Just Above Midtown Gallery and teaching at the Children's Art Carnival in Harlem. Throughout her career, Nengudi has collaborated and shown with Maren Hassinger, David Hammons, Barbara McCullough, Suzanne Jackson, John Outterbridge, and Bettye Saar. Nengudi is best known for "stationary performance objects," particularly her RSVP series, objects composed of nylon mesh and sand that refer to the flexibility of the female figure. The series debuted in the 1970s and Nengudi returned to it, adding on A.C.Q. to exhibit it at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. Also in 2017, Senga Nengudi: Improvisational Gestures opened at the DePaul Art Museum. This was the first solo museum survey for the artist and featured work from the 1970s to 2017.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 12.8 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 11.24 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1947
label: Date
content: circa 1962-2017
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.nengseng
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged as ten series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1962-2006, 2017 (Box 1, Box 14; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Calendars and Journals, 1967-2016 (Boxes 1-6; Box 15; 5.7 linear feet)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1966-2017 (Boxes 6-8; 1.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings, 1964-2010 (Box 8; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 5: Professional Activities, 1966-2017 (Boxes 8-10, Box 15; 1.9 linear feet, ER01-ER06; 11.10 GB)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1947, 1963-2017 (Boxes 10-12, Box 15; 1.4 linear feet, ER07; 0.143 GB)

Series 7: Scrapbook, 1974-1976 (Box 15; 1 folder)

Series 8: Photographic Material, circa 1962-2007 (Box 12, Box 15; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 9: Artwork, circa 1960s-2004, 2014, undated (Box 12, Box 15; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 10: Audio and Video Recordings, circa 1974-1998 (Boxes 12-13; 0.4 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was minimally processed and a finding aid prepared by Rayna Andrews in 2019 with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation. Born-digital materials were processed by Jess Purkis in 2019. Additional finding aid description of the sound and video recordings was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2024.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of African American conceptual and performance artist Senga Nengudi measure 12.8 linear feet and 11.24 gigabytes and date from circa 1962 to 2017, with a folder of printed material dating from 1947. The collection contains biographical material, including education and family records, the kimono Nengudi wore during her wedding to Ellioutt Fittz, certificates, interview transcripts, and address books; calendars and journals chronicling Nengudi's appointments, thoughts, and artistic practice; and correspondence with friends and other artists including Maren Hassinger, Cheryl Banks, and David Hammons. Also included is family correspondence, including letters between Senga Nengudi (then Sue Irons) and her mother when Nengudi was living in Japan. The collection also contains writings by Senga Nengudi and others; material related to professional activities including teaching files, gallery files, and files related to exhibitions, projects, and performances; printed material including exhibition and event announcements and catalogs, clippings, magazines, and other published material; a scrapbook primarily containing photographs and printed material; photographic material depicting Senga Nengudi, works of art, and other individuals; artwork by Nengudi and others, including Maren Hassinger and Barbara McCullough; and audio and video recordings, including recordings of performances.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: The Amistad Research Center also holds 4.5 linear feet of the Senga Nengudi papers, 1966-2017.