Bruria Finkel papers
name: label: Creator
content: Finkel, Bruria, 1932-
topic: label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- California
label: Occupation
content: Curators -- California
label: Occupation
content: Photographers -- California
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- California
label: Occupation
content: Educators -- California
label: Topic
content: Art -- Study and teaching
label: Topic
content: Political activists
label: Topic
content: Feminism and art
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
label: Topic
content: Women sculptors
label: Topic
content: Women photographers
label: Topic
content: Women educators
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Bruria Finkel papers were donated in 2015 and 2020-2022 by Bruria Finkel.
creator: label: Creator
content: Finkel, Bruria, 1932-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Bruria Finkel papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of California artist, curator, and educator Bruria Finkel measure 14.7 linear feet and 83.815 GB, and date from 1953 to 2021.  This collection includes biographical materials, correspondence, writings, project files, professional records, exhibition files, artists' files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, photographic materials, and unidentified audiovisual material.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Bruria Finkel (1932-) is an artist, curator and teacher based in Santa Monica, California.

Bruria Finkel was born in Jerusalem in 1932.  She studied animal husbandry at Ayanot Agriculture School and received a teaching degree from Seminar Hakibutzim in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 1953, she married a musician and immigrated to the U.S.  Their two daughters were born in New York City.  In 1959, she divorced and moved to Santa Monica, California with her children.  She later married David Finkel, a civil rights lawyer who went on to become a Superior Court judge, with whom she had a son and daughter.

Finkel works with a variety of mediums including pottery, paper, painting, porcelain, and sculpture.  She has exhibited widely and her work has been featured in galleries and museums in California, across the country, and abroad.  Major exhibitions include Across Time, Space and The Ages (1992-1993) at the Dusseldorf Stadtmuseum in Germany, On Xenophobia and Walls (1997) at the Mill Gallery in England, and The Complete Aleph Series (2009) at Track 16 Gallery in California.

In addition to being a prolific artist, Finkel also has a successful career as a curator.  She has curated major exhibitions featuring artists such as Lita Albuquerque, John Baldessari, and Frank Gehry.  Santa Monica Originals (2004-2005), Women Artists of Southern California Then and Now (2007), and Breaking in Two: Provocative Images of Motherhood (2012) are a few of the exhibitions she has curated.

Finkel has a long history of political activism and advocating for women.  She helped establish the Santa Monica Arts Commission which is dedicated to creating city art programs.  She is also a founding member of the Los Angeles County of Women Artists and Womenspace Gallery in Los Angeles.  She continues to be actively involved in the Santa Monica community and art scene.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 15.3 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 83.815 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1953-2021
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.finkbrur
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 11 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1977-2021 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1, 15.89 GB; ER01-ER13

Series 2: Correspondence, 1953-2020 (2.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Writings, 1978-2021 (0.2 linear feet; Box 4)

Series 4: Project Files, 1979-2020 (2.1 linear feet; Boxes 4-6, OV 14, 2.01 GB; ER14-ER20)

Series 5: Professional Records, 1971-2019 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 6-7, OV 14, 0.941 GB; ER21-ER22)

Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1972-2018 (3.2 linear feet; Boxes 7-10, OV 15, 54.34 GB; ER23-ER49)

Series 7: Artists' Files, 1979-2015 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 10-11, 4.47 GB; ER50-ER55)

Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1977-2007 (0.2 linear feet; Box 11)

Series 9: Printed Materials, 1970-2018 (1 linear feet; Boxes 11-12, OV 15-16, 1.01 GB; ER56-ER58)

Series 10: Photographic Materials, circa 1963-2017 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 12-13, 5.18 GB; ER59-ER66)

Series 11: Unidentified Audiovisual Materials, 1980s-1990s (1 folder; Box 19)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed by Rihoko Ueno in September 2016. Born-digital materials, were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2021 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund. An addition was processed and the finding aid updated by Sarah Mundy in 2023.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of California artist, curator, and educator Bruria Finkel measure 14.7 linear feet and 83.815 GB, and date from 1953 to 2021.  This collection includes biographical materials, correspondence, writings, project files, professional records, exhibition files, artists' files, personal business records, printed and digital materials, photographic materials, and unidentified audiovisual materials.

Biographical materials include curriculum vitae, art portfolios, documents about studios, honors and awards, website designs and contents, travel documents, family-related video recordings, interviews, and miscellaneous items. 

The bulk of the correspondence consists of professional correspondence with artists, curators, museums, and galleries about exhibitions. There is some personal correspondence with friends and family.

Writings include an annotated appointment calendar, book proposals, notes, and typescript drafts of statements and articles by Bruria Finkel, along with some writing by others.  

Project files include correspondence, proposals, designs, sketches, photographic material, notes, budgets, reports, invoices, and printed and digital materials. Notable projects include the Natural Elements Sculpture Park, Tibet Project, and Verona Hotel Wall.

Professional records document Finkel's feminist and political activities.  There are membership records of  organizations, councils, and committees in addition to files on symposiums, conferences, workshops, and artist residencies.  This series includes reports, correspondence, grant applications, mailing lists, presentations, video cassettes and digital video recordings, and other material.

Exhibition files contain material related to exhibitions that featured Bruria Finkel's work as well as exhibitions she curated.  There are press releases, reviews, catalogs, correspondence, photographs, digital photographs, slides, price lists, resumes, videocassettes, and digital video recordings.  Major exhibitions include Across Time, Space and The Ages (1992-1993), On Xenophobia and Walls (1997), and Women Artists of Southern California Then and Now (2007).

Artists' files consist of limited correspondence, resumes, photographs, video and sound recordings of interviews, and printed and digital materials.

Personal business records include assorted financial and legal documents such as price lists, sales invoices, contracts, and a financial ledger.

Printed material consists of exhibition catalogs, announcements, clippings, newspapers, magazines,  documentaries, and news programs. Some of the materials are in digital format. Most of the material is related to Bruria Finkel, but there is some material on other artists and subjects.

Photographic materials include photographs, digital photographs, and slides.  Photographs are of Bruria Finkel, her artwork, projects, and exhibitions. There are some photographs of family, friends, and travel.

Unidentified audiovisual materials contain 4 sound recordings and 4 video recordings that are either unlabeled or include limited written information.