Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family papers
name: label: Creator
content: Di Suvero, Mark, 1933-
label: Names
content: Socrates Sculpture Park
label: Names
content: Lessick, Helen
topic: label: Topic
content: Works of art
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family papers were donated in 2004 and 2005 by Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero, the artist's sister. One transcript of a play by Henry di Suvero was donated in 2022 by Henry (Hank) di Suvero's estate, via Scott Krauss, co-executor.
creator: label: Creator
content: Di Suvero, Mark, 1933-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection measures 6.8 linear feet and 0.263 GB, dates from 1934 to 2005, and documents the career of sculptor Mark di Suvero and family relationships. Found within the papers are biographical material; letters to and from di Suvero family members; scattered writings by di Suvero and Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero, the artist's sister, about Mark di Suvero; drawings; a file on the Socrates Sculpture Park; a file on artist Helen Lessick, an acquaintance of Mark di Suvero; exhibition files; printed material; photographs of the artist, artwork, and members of the di Suvero family; audio and video recordings of interviews with di Suvero; and promotional Tee Shirts.

There is an unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2022 that includes a WordPerfect transcript in electronic format of an unpublished play Crescent Moon, Yellow Star, but Henry (Hank) di Suvero, 2004.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Mark di Suvero was born September 18, 1933, in Shanghai, China, the son of Matilde Millo di Suvero and Victor E. di Suvero, an Italian diplomat. He was one of four children: Victor M., the eldest, Marie Louise, Mark, and the youngest son Henry. With the outbreak of World War II, the family immigrated to San Francisco, California, in 1941.

Mark di Suvero studied fine arts and philosophy at the San Francisco City College from 1953 to 1954, and attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, from 1954-1955, where he began creating sculpture. In 1956, he received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. The following year, di Suvero moved to New York City to establish a career as a sculptor.

Shortly before his first solo exhibition at the Green Gallery in 1960, di Suvero suffered severe spinal injuries when he was pinned against an elevator shaft in a construction accident. Initially confined to a wheelchair for two years, di Suvero persevered in overcoming his injuries and continuing his work.

In protest of the Vietnam War, di Suvero left the United States in 1971, and exhibited his sculpture in Holland and Germany. A year later, he established a painting and drawing studio in Venice, where he also taught at the Università Internazionale dell'Arte, and, in 1973, he moved to France. Also during this time, di Suvero married Maria Teresa Capparotta, an architect, whom he later divorced.

The Whitney Museum of American Art honored Mark di Suvero in 1975 with the first retrospective and first American city-wide exhibition of his work, in New York City. At this time, di Suvero began working with a team in assembling his sculpture, first with Lowell McKegney, and later joined by his nephews Enrico and Matteo Martignoni.

In 1977, di Suvero founded the Athena Foundation to award grants to artists. In 1986, in conjunction with the Athena Foundation and with Enrico Martignoni, he created the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, New York, an outdoor space where sculptors are invited to create and exhibit their work. With Marcel Evrard in 1988, di Suvero created a foundation entitled La Vie des Formes (The Life of Forms) in the shipyards at Chalon-sur-Saône, France. Based upon the model of Socrates Sculpture Park, this organization hosted artists in studio and exhibition spaces at the shipyard and on di Suvero's converted canal barge Rêve des Signes, that was moored alongside. 

Included in most major international gallery collections, Mark di Suvero's art work has also been the focus of major solo exhibitions including two at Storm King, and international city-wide exhibitions in Duisberg and Stuttgart in Germany, Chalon-sur-Saône, Paris, Valence, and Nice in France, and Valencia in Spain. During the summer of 1995, di Suvero was honored with a major installation of seven pieces along the Grand Canal to coincide with the Venice Biennale's 100th anniversary.

In 1993, Mark di Suvero married Kate Levin, Ph.D., a professor at the City University of New York and Commissioner of the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. Di Suvero and Levin have a daughter named Veri. At present, di Suvero maintains studios in Petaluma, California, Long Island City, New York, and Chalon-sur-Saône, France.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 6.8 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 0.263 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1934-2005
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.disumark
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection has been arranged into 12 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1941-2004 (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Letters, 1956-2005, undated (Boxes 1, 6-8, 11-12, OV 10; 1.7 linear feet)

Series 3: Notes and Writings, 1961-2005, undated (Boxes 1, 6; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 4: Drawings, 1983, undated (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 5: Socrates Sculpture Park File, 1985-2004, undated (Boxes 1-2, 7; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 6: Helen Lessick File, 1986-2004 (Box 2, 7; 6 folders)

Series 7: Exhibition Files, 1975-2003 (Boxes 2-3, 7; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1958-2004, undated (Box 3-4, 7, OV 9; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 9: Photographs, 1934-2004, undated (Box 4-6, 0.263 GB; ER01; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 10: Audio and Video Recordings, 1982-1994, undated (Box 5; 7 folders)

Series 11: Promotional Tee Shirts, 1978-2001 (Box 7; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 12: Unprocessed 2022 Addition, 2004

All series have been arranged chronologically.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The papers were processed by Jean Fitzgerald in October 2005. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2019 with funding from Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs)
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The collection measures 6.8 linear feet and 0.263 GB, dates from 1934 to 2005, and documents the career of sculptor Mark di Suvero and the importance of his family relationships. Found within the papers are biographical material; letters to and from di Suvero family members; scattered writings by di Suvero and Marie Louise Martignoni di Suvero, the artist's sister, about Mark di Suvero; drawings; a file on the Socrates Sculpture Park; a file on artist Helen Lessick, a friend of Mark di Suvero; exhibition files; printed material; photographs of the artist, artwork, and members of the di Suvero family; audio and video recordings of interviews with di Suvero; and promotional Tee Shirts. 

There is an unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2022 that includes a WordPerfect transcript in electronic format of an unpublished play Crescent Moon, Yellow Star, but Henry (Hank) di Suvero, 2004.