Marvin Harden papers
name: label: Creator
content: Harden, Marvin, 1935-
label: Names
content: California State University, Northridge -- Faculty
label: Names
content: Dobrick Gallery
label: Names
content: Eugenia Butler Gallery
label: Names
content: Gloria Cortella, Inc.
label: Names
content: Hank Baum Gallery
label: Names
content: Jan Turner Gallery
label: Names
content: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
label: Names
content: Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art
label: Names
content: Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)
label: Names
content: Anderson, Eugene Newton
label: Names
content: Ballatore-Nelson, Sandy
label: Names
content: Brice, William, 1921-2008
label: Names
content: Chicago, Judy, 1939-
label: Names
content: Conwill, Houston, 1947-2016
label: Names
content: Everts, Connor
label: Names
content: Fine, Jud
label: Names
content: Lerner Levine, Marion
label: Names
content: Miller, Lura Harden
label: Names
content: Plagens, Peter
label: Names
content: Riegelman, Nancy
label: Names
content: Stussy, Jan, 1921-1990
label: Names
content: Toon, Caroll
label: Names
content: Wilson, Willam, 1934-2013
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- California
label: Topic
content: Printmakers -- California
label: Topic
content: African American artists
label: Topic
content: Art -- Study and teaching
label: Topic
content: Art -- Study and teaching -- Philosophy
label: Topic
content: Educators -- California
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Marvin Harden papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Marvin Harden in 2005.
creator: label: Creator
content: Harden, Marvin, 1935-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Marvin Harden papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of African American painter, printmaker, and educator Marvin Harden measure 2.2 linear feet and date from circa 1936 to 2005.  Found within the papers are biographical materials, correspondence, teaching files, exhibition files, printed material, artwork, and photographs.  Correspondents include Joyce Tremain, Judy Chicago, Marion Lerner Levine, Jud Fine, Houston Conwill, Sandy Ballatore-Nelson, Nancy Lee Riegelmen, Eugene Anderson, Connor Everts, Pleter Plagens, Jan Stussy, Caroll Toon, William Wilson, and others.  Artwork includes a book of etchings Natural Selections (1991).
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Marvin Harden (1935- ) is an African American painter, printmaker, and educator living and working in California. 
Harden received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1963. While there, Harden studied under John Paul Jones, Jan Stussy, and William Brice. He also became friends with UCLA classmate and feminist artist, Judy Chicago.

Harden's first solo exhibition was in 1964 at Ceeje Galleries in Los Angeles, California. His drawings, paintings, and prints have been exhibited widely in museums, galleries, and universities in southern California, and also in New Mexico, New York, and Texas, among other locations. Harden has also been the recipient of artists' fellowships awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art.

Harden became a Professor of Art at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 1968, and in 1984 he received a Distinguished Teaching Award and Exceptional Merit Service Award. During his career at CSUN, Harden established the art department's graduate teaching assistant program.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.2 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1936-2005
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.hardmarv
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Etchings
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Sketches
label: Type
content: Visitors' books
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 7 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1950-1991 (Box 1; 5 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1964-2005 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Teaching Files, circa 1964-2003 (Box 1; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1966-2004 (Boxes 1-2; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1964-2003 (Box 2; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 6: Artwork, 1989-2000 (Box 2; 2 folders)

Series 7: Photographs, circa 1936-2001 (Box 2; 7 folders)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Elissa L. Jerome in 2016.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Etchings
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketches
label: Genre/Form
content: Visitors' books
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of African American painter, printmaker, and educator Marvin Harden measure 2.2 linear feet and date from circa 1936 to 2005.  Found within the papers are biographical materials, correspondence, teaching files, exhibition files, printed material, artwork, and photographs.  Artwork includes a book of etchings Natural Selections (1991). 

Biographical material includes papers pertaining to Harden's education and family history, including an essay written by his sister Lura Harden Miller. 

Correspondence is with artists, colleagues, and organizations, including Eugene Anderson,  Sandy Ballatore-Nelson, William Brice, Judy Chicago, Houston Conwill, Connor Everts, Jud Fine, Marion Lerner Levine, Pleter Plagens, Nancy Lee Riegelmen, Jan Stussy, Caroll Toon, William Wilson, Dobrick Gallery, Eugenia Butler Gallery, Gloria Cortella, Inc., Hank Baum Gallery, Jan Turner Gallery, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others. 

Teaching files primarily document Harden's career as an art educator at California State University, Northridge. Materials include teaching awards, assignments, course outlines, notes, and miscellaneous writings by Harden about his teaching philosophy. The files also contain correspondence and photographs with students, a student exhibition guest register, committee notes, memorandums, and evidence pertaining to an employment-related grievance with the university. 

Exhibition files include announcements, correspondence, exhibition catalogs, floor plans, insurance documents, loan agreements, photographs, press releases, and price lists.

Printed material consists of announcements and invitations, exhibition catalogs, and a loose clippings scrapbook with articles and reviews about Harden's artwork and exhibitions. Also found is a copy of the first volume of the Journal published by the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, which includes a photograph of Harden and references to his involvement in developing the organization. 

Artwork includes two sketches and an artists' book entitled natural selections which contains 12 aquatint etchings by Marvin Harden. 

Among the black and white and color photographs are portraits and snapshots of Marvin Harden, family members, and colleagues, as well as Harden's home, studio, and land at Inwardness Ranch located near Cambria, California.