Emilio Cruz papers
name: label: Creator
content: Cruz, Emilio, 1938-
label: Names
content: Black Artists' Group
label: Names
content: Looker, Ben
topic: label: Occupation
content: Dramatists -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Authors -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Abstract expressionism
label: Topic
content: Art -- Philosophy
label: Topic
content: Cuban American artists
label: Topic
content: African American artists
label: Topic
content: Latino and Latin American artists
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Emilio Cruz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Patricia Cruz, Emilio Cruz's widow, in 2016.
creator: label: Creator
content: Cruz, Emilio, 1938-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Emilio Cruz papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of African American artist and writer Emilio Cruz measure 5 linear feet and date from 1961 to 2008. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, exhibition and project files, printed material, and photographic material.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Emilio Cruz (1938-2004) was an African American artist, playwright, and novelist of Cuban descent. He was born in the Bronx and spent much of his life in New York. He taught at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1970s and was active in the Chicago art scene. In the 1980s he returned to New York where he continued to exhibit. He later taught at Pratt Institute and New York University. His two plays Homeostasis: Once More the Scorpion and The Absence Held Fast to Its Presence were first performed in New York in 1981, and later in Europe as part of the World Theater Festival. 

Throughout his career, Cruz received a number of honors and awards, including a John Hay Whitney Fellowship and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Emilio Cruz died in 2004.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 5 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1961-2008
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.cruzemil
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Video recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged in seven series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1988, 2001-2005, undated (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1965-2008 (Box 1, 0.9 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1969-2004 (Boxes 1-3, FC 5-6, Box 7-9; 2.5 linear feet)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1989-2000 (Box 3; 5 folders)

Series 5: Exhibition and Project Files: 1963-2004 (Boxes 3-4; 1.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1964-2003 (Box 4; 0.6 feet)

Series 7: Photographic Material, 1961-2003 (Box 10, OV 11; 0.3 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Rayna Andrews with funding from the Luce Foundation in 2018. Additional finding aid description of the film recording was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2024.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of African American artist and writer Emilio Cruz measure 5 linear feet and date from 1961 to 2008. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, exhibition and project files, printed material, and photographic material. 

Biographical material includes Cruz's career narratives, an interview with Ben Looker for a book about the Black Artists' Group, an address book, and a recording of Emilio Cruz's memorial service. 

Correspondence includes drafts and final copies of correspondence sent and received by Cruz. Though primarily professional in nature, some letters include Cruz's theories regarding art and literature. 

Writings includes two subseries: general writings as well as literary work and performance material. General writings consist of Emilio Cruz's writings about art, exhibition text, and other essays and writing. Literary work and performance material includes poems, short stories, novels, and plays, as well as materials related to the performance of these works. This subseries includes audiovisual material in a variety of formats related to Cruz's performances.

Personal business records include shipping invoices and a small number of gallery records. 

Exhibition and project files include correspondence, planning documents, financial documents, printed material, and photographic material related to Emilio Cruz's exhibitions and projects. 

Printed material includes publications in which Emilio Cruz's writing was published or in which he was written about; exhibition and performance catalogs, programs, and invitations; and clippings of reviews. 

Photographic material includes photographs of Emilio Cruz and slides of his artwork.