ThomasLewallen Gallery records
name: label: Creator
content: ThomasLewallen Gallery (Santa Monica, Calif.)
label: Creator
content: Morgan Thomas Gallery (Santa Monica, Calif.)
label: Names
content: Lewallen, Constance, 1939-2022
label: Names
content: Thomas, Morgan, 1944-2025
topic: label: Topic
content: Art, Modern -- California -- Santa Monica
label: Topic
content: Women art dealers
label: Topic
content: Conceptual art
label: Topic
content: Women arts administrators
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated 1981 and 1983 by Morgan Thomas and Constance Lewallen, owners of the gallery.
creator: label: Creator
content: ThomasLewallen Gallery (Santa Monica, Calif.)
label: Creator
content: Morgan Thomas Gallery (Santa Monica, Calif.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: ThomasLewallen Gallery records
abstract: label: Summary
content: The records of the ThomasLewallen Gallery measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1970 to 1980. The records catalog the history of the gallery through artist and exhibition files; correspondence, receipts, ledgers, and other business records; clippings, exhibition announcements, and other printed material; and photographs, slides, and negatives of exhibitions and artwork.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: ThomasLewallen Gallery was a contemporary art gallery located at 2919 Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. It was founded by Morgan Thomas in 1975 under the name Morgan Thomas Gallery. In 1977 Constance Lewallen became an equal partner in the gallery, which was subsequently renamed ThomasLewallen Gallery. Around the same time, Lewallen and Thomas teamed up with fellow gallery owner Claire Copley to start the Foundation for Art Resources (FAR), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting experimental art projects incongruous with the traditional gallery system. Lewallen and Copley shifted their focus from the financially unsuccessful ThomasLewallen Gallery to FAR, as the latter organization allowed them more flexibility when working with artists. In 1979, Lewallen moved from Southern California to the Bay Area and leadership of FAR was transferred to the artist Dorit Cypis. Thomas continued to collaborate with FAR until 1984. 

Morgan Thomas (1944-2025) worked for Southern California art dealer Jack Glenn before starting her own gallery. From the 1970s through the 2000s, Thomas worked on several documentary film projects and collaborated with artists to create multimedia exhibitions and performances. She later worked as an artist, curator, and digital media instructor in Napa, California. 

Constance Mae Lewallen (1939-2022) worked at galleries in New York City and Los Angeles before joining the ThomasLewallen Gallery. After moving to the Bay Area, she became a curator at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), where she would remain for around three decades. During her tenure as senior curator, Lewallen organized over one hundred exhibitions and pioneered support for conceptual art.
function: label: Function
content: Art galleries, Commercial -- California
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1970-1980
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.thomgall
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1: Artists and Exhibition Files, 1970-1979 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Business Records, 1971-1980 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Printed Materials, 1975-1978 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 4: Photographic Material, 1972-1978 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2021.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 3985-3986 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The records of the ThomasLewallen Gallery measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1970 to 1980. The records catalog the history of the gallery through artist and exhibition files; correspondence, receipts, ledgers, and other business records; clippings, exhibition announcements, and other printed material; and photographs, slides, and negatives of exhibitions and artwork.

Artist and exhibition files contain letters, printed material, and photographs on Richard Artschwager, Michael Asher, David Askevold, Alice Aycock, John Baldessari, Jon Borofsky, Daniel Buren, Byars-Open America, Vija Celmins, Foundation for Art Resources, Peter Frank, Jack Goldstein, Dan Graham, Raul Guerrero, Gary Hall, James Hayward, Douglas Huebler, Janis Kounellis, William Leavitt, Richard Nonas, Allen Ruppersberg, Ilene Segalove, Shelton Film Series, and Rick Stich.

Business records contain seven business letters regarding financial matters, notes and writings including a photocopy of "Dreams" by Jon Borofsky, partnership papers, ledgers, bank statements and deposit receipts, and tax returns.

Printed material includes clippings, press releases and exhibition announcements.  

Photographs include photographs of works of art and slides of the gallery staff and art works.