David S. Rubin papers
name: label: Creator
content: Rubin, David S., 1949-
label: Names
content: Alf, Martha, 1930-
label: Names
content: Baziotes, William, 1912-1963
label: Names
content: Lloyd, Gary, 1943-
label: Names
content: Mesches, Arnold, 1923-
label: Names
content: Thiebaud, Wayne
topic: label: Occupation
content: Art museum curators -- California
label: Occupation
content: Art critics -- California
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The papers were donated by David S. Rubin in 2016 and 2017.
creator: label: Creator
content: Rubin, David S., 1949-
setName: label: See more items in
content: David S. Rubin papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of curator and art critic David S. Rubin measure 23 linear feet and 57.68 gigabytes and date from 1960 to 2017. The papers are comprised of biographical materials, interviews, correspondence, writing projects and notes, artists' files, exhibition files, professional files, subject and research files, printed materials, and photographic materials documenting Rubin's work in California, Arizona, and other locations throughout the United States.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: David S. Rubin (1949- ) is a curator and art critic in Los Angeles, California. Rubin has curated exhibitions throughout the United States, primarily in Southern California, New Orleans, Louisiana, Cleveland, Ohio, and San Antonio, Texas. 

Rubin received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1972 from the University of California in Los Angeles. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in art history from Harvard University. He began researching automatism in New York for a doctorate degree at Harvard but did not complete his dissertation. Rubin also attended the Museum Management Institute in 1989. He has been a curator at the San Francisco Art Institute, Albright College's Freedman Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, Phoenix Art Museum, Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, and the San Antonio Museum of Art. He has curated exhibitions, including It's Only Rock and Roll: Rock and Roll Currents in Contemporary Art (1995) and the controversial Old Glory: The American Flag in Contemporary Art (1994), throughout the United States, primarily in California. Rubin is also a prolific essayist on contemporary art.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 23 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 57.68 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1960-2017
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.rubidavi
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Video recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 10 series.

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1969-2011 (Box 1; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 2: Interviews, 1982-circa 2001 (Boxes 1-2; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1971-2017 (Boxes 2-5, OV 28; 3.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Writing Projects and Notes, 1970-2010 (Boxes 5-6, 27; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 5: Artist Files, 1960-2015 (Boxes 6-20, 27, OV 28; 15.0 linear feet)

Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1980-2008 (Boxes 21-23, 27; 2.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Professional Files, 1976-2009 (Boxes 23-24; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 8: Subject and Research Files, 1980-2002 (Boxes 24-25; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 9: Printed Materials, circa 1975-circa 2008 (Boxes 25, 27; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographic Materials, 1979-2010 (Boxes 25-26; 1.0 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2019. Born-digital materials were processed by Jess Purkis and Antonia Charlemagne-Marshall in 2019.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of curator and art critic David S. Rubin measure 23 linear feet and 57.68 gigabytes and date from 1960 to 2017. The papers are comprised of biographical materials, interviews, correspondence, writing projects and notes, artists' files, exhibition files, professional files, subject and research files, printed materials, and photographic materials documenting Rubin's work in California, Arizona, and other locations throughout the United States. 

Biographical materials include 16 appointment books, 2 guest books, identification cards, curriculum vitae, and student records from UCLA. Interviews are with Rubin regarding William Baziotes, Rubin with Gary Lloyd and Wayne Thiebaud, and an interview about the exhibition Chelsea Rising. Mixed personal and professional correspondence is with curators, colleagues, and friends regarding exhibitions, symposiums and panels, and Rubin's job searches.

Writing projects and notes consist of student work including Rubin's unfinished Ph.D. dissertation, class notes, and student papers; articles and essays; a book project; lists; and lectures. Artist files contain printed materials relating to the artists' careers, and notes regarding exhibitions and artist biographical information. Files for exhibitions contain records for It's Only Rock and Roll: Rock and Roll Currents in Contemporary Art (1995) and other major exhibitions curated by Rubin. Professional files consist of records for employment, committees, consulting, and other professional activities. Subject and research files contain research material and notes on topics of interest and exhibition themes.

Printed materials include clippings, flyers, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and other material relating to Rubin and exhibitions. Photographic materials consist of photographs and slides of Rubin by Martha Alf, Arnold Mesches, and Bruce Houston; photographs by Rubin of Alf and other artists; events; friends; and works of art.