Elyn Zimmerman papers
name: label: Creator
content: Zimmerman, Elyn, 1945-
label: Names
content: Dicker, Ruth
label: Names
content: Diebenkorn, Richard, 1922-1993
label: Names
content: Gund, Agnes, 1938-2025
label: Names
content: Teraoka, Masami, 1936-
label: Names
content: Varnedoe, Kirk
topic: label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles
label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Installation artists -- California -- Los Angeles
label: Occupation
content: Installation artists -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Women sculptors
label: Topic
content: Installations (Art)
label: Topic
content: Women artists
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated in 2015-2024 by Elyn Zimmerman.
creator: label: Creator
content: Zimmerman, Elyn, 1945-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Elyn Zimmerman papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of sculptor and site-specific installation artist Elyn Zimmerman measure 41.4 linear feet and 1710.223 gigabytes, and date from 1967-2023. The collection documents the artist's life and work through correspondence, interviews, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, teaching files, printed material, photographic material, and biographical material. Project and commission files comprise the majority of the collection and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally, including the original 1995 World Trade Center Memorial. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. Photographic material documents Zimmerman's work and personal life through color and black and white slides, transparencies, contact sheets, negatives, and prints. The papers include extensive born digital records, including interviews, digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Elyn Zimmerman (1945-) is a New York City and Los Angeles based sculptor best known for her large scale site-specific outdoor installations incorporating granite, water features, and landscape architecture. 

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Zimmerman moved to California for college, earning both her BFA and MFA from University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, she studied with Richard Diebenkorn and Robert Irwin, and worked in photography, drawing, and site-specific installation. In 1978 she created Monarch's Trough for Artpark in Lewiston, New York, her first site-specific work using granite. For the next several decades Zimmerman would complete dozens of site-specific installations in public and private spaces across the United States, and submit proposals for dozens more. Working frequently with stone and granite, she developed a decades long relationship with a granite quarry in Cold Spring, Minnesota, which fabricated many of her designs. Zimmerman's clients have included the National Geographic Society, the Birmingham Art Museum, and the New York City Parks Department.

In addition to her site-specific work, Zimmerman has had an extensive exhibition history, and has shown for many years with Gagosian Gallery. In 2016, Zimmerman was the recipient of the Isamu Noguchi Award. She has taught at Mills College, California Institute of the Arts, Harvard University, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Zimmerman was married to the late curator Kirk Varnedoe from 1978-2002.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 41.4 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 1,710.223 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1967-2023
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.zimmelyn
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: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 9 series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1978-2011 (3.7 linear feet; Box 1-4)

Series 2: Interviews, 1986-2005 (0.2 linear feet; Box 100, 139)

Series 3: Writings, Agendas, and Address Books, 1970-2003 (1.1 linear feet; Box 4-5, 128, 131, 139)

Series 4: Project and Commission Files, 1970-2023 (22.8 linear feet, Box 5-15, 21-22, 100, 123-125, 128, 131, 139; OV 23-85, 109-116, 120-122, 126-127, 134, 136, 138, 141, 143, 144; RD 97-98; 0.223 gigabytes, ER01-04)

Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1969-2018 (4.9 linear feet; Box 15-16, 20-21, 100, 103, 123, 128, 139; OV 86-96,105-108, 120, 137, 144;RD 99)

Series 6: Teaching Files, 1970-1994 (0.4 linear feet; Box 16)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1970-2018 (2.1 linear feet; Box 16-19, 100, 123, 139; OV 142)

Series 8: Photographic Material, 1967-2018 (5.7 linear feet; Box 100-102, 123-125, 128-130, 139; OV 117-119)

Series 9: Biographical Material, 1975-2020 (0.2 linear feet; Box 140; OV 142, 144)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2018. The 2021 addition was processed by Jennifer E. Neal and Lewis Tio, and merged into the collection in 2022. Additions received in 2022 and 2023 were processed and merged into the collection by Sarah Mundy in 2023. The 2024 addition was processed and merged into the collection by Anna Rimel in 2025.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of sculptor and site-specific installation artist Elyn Zimmerman measure 41.4 linear feet and 1710.223 gigabytes, and date from 1967-2023. The collection documents the artist's life and work through correspondence, interviews, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, teaching files, printed material, photographic material, and biographical material. Project and commission files comprise the majority of the collection and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally, including the original 1995 World Trade Center Memorial. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. Photographic material documents Zimmerman's work and personal life through color and black and white slides, transparencies, contact sheets, negatives, and prints. The papers include extensive born digital records, including interviews, digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations.

Correspondence is comprised predominately of received letters and fewer drafts and copies of outgoing letters. Notable correspondents include Zimmerman's late husband, curator Kirk Varnedoe, arts advocate Agnes Gund, and artists Ruth Dicker, Richard Diebenkorn, Kady Hoffman, and Masami Teraoka. Interviews include digital video recordings of Elyn Zimmerman discussing various public projects between 1986 and 2005. Writings include drafts of journal articles, a book mock-up, project notes, statements, and journals . Agendas and address books are filed with writings. Project and commission files comprise the bulk of the collection and comprehensively document dozens of Zimmerman's site-specific sculptural projects and proposals for public and private sites across the United States and internationally. Items include correspondence, contracts, photographs, models, blueprints, and original sketches and drawings. The files include a small number of born digital records, including digital images of projects, construction sites, and floorplans, as well as PowerPoint presentations. Exhibition files document Zimmerman's site-specific installations and exhibitions in a gallery and museum context. Files include correspondence, photographs, slides, statements, press releases, shipping information, and price lists. Teaching files document the many courses Zimmerman taught in painting, drawing, design, architecture, and landscape architecture. Items include syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, reading lists, and articles. Printed material primarily consists of items cataloging Zimmerman's career including exhibition announcements, catalogs, posters, and press clippings. Subject files were saved and collected by Zimmerman and are arranged at the end of the series. Photographic material document Zimmerman's installations of commissioned works, exhibitions, and other installations through color and black and white slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and digital photographs. Biographical material is primarily made of up of awards and certificates, scattered biographical information, and memorial material for late husband Kirk Varnedoe.