Don Reitz Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Reitz, Don, 1929-2014
label: Names
content: Autio, Rudy, 1926-2007
label: Names
content: Yamamoto, Yukio
topic: label: Occupation
content: Ceramicists -- Arizona
label: Topic
content: Ceramics
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated in 2017 by Brent Reitz, Don Reitz's son.
creator: label: Creator
content: Reitz, Don, 1929-2014
culture: label: Culture
content: Educators--Arizona
label: Culture
content: Sculptors--Arizona
setName: label: See more items in
content: Don Reitz Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of artist and educator Don Reitz measure 11.6 linear feet and date from circa 1935 to 2015. The collection documents Reitz's work as a professional artist and educator through biographical material, correspondence; writings, interviews and lectures; documentation on workshops and performances; studio records; gallery and exhibition files; printed material, photographic material, and artwork.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Don Reitz (1929-2014) was a ceramic artist in Clarkdale, Arizona. 

Reitz was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Belvidere New Jersey, before serving for four years in the U.S. Navy as a diver. After years working as a butcher and a house painter, Reitz attended Kutztown State Teachers College, where he studied Abstract Expressionism and discovered ceramics in his last year of study. Reitz quickly developed a passion for ceramics, built a kiln in his back yard, and enrolled in graduate school at Alfred University's New York State College of Ceramics. From 1962 to 1988 Reitz led the ceramics department at University of Wisconsin at Madison, while he raised his two children Brent and Donna on a nearby farm, where he also kept livestock and experimented in ceramic firing techniques. 

Don Reitz is known for bringing the salt-firing ceramics technique to the United States, in which colorful metallic surfaces are applied to ceramics by throwing salt in the kiln, as opposed to applying paint-like slips on the clay before firing. Reitz is also widely recognized for expanding the traditional medium of ceramics to incorporate abstract and nonfunctional forms like his contemporaries Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio, as well as incorporating elements of performance art into his demonstrations and workshops. In 1982 Reitz suffered injuries from a serious automobile accident and required years of rehabilitation. During this time Reitz's niece, Sara, was undergoing treatment for cancer. The two were instrumental in each other's recovery and elements of Sara's drawings for Don were incorporated into his work, imbuing a graphic sensibility and a bold use of color, while his ability to physically manipulate clay was impaired. 

In 1988 Reitz moved to a ranch in Clarksdale, Arizona, where he continued to work after his retirement from teaching, building kilns of various types including wood-fire and Anagama kilns, traveling to conduct workshops, and accepting commissions for large-scale commissions and public works. While in Arizona, Reitz developed a strong friendship with Japanese ceramicist Yukio Yamamoto, who had been teaching in Flagstaff, Arizona. Throughout his career Reitz received numerous accolades including being named Trustee Emeritus of the American Craft Council, and making the Ceramic Monthly Reader's Poll as One of Twelve Greatest Living Ceramic Artists Worldwide in 1988 and 2001. Reitz's works are featured in numerous private and museum collections including the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the High Museum of Art. Don Reitz passed in 2014 after suffering from a series of heart attacks and related surgeries.
label: Biographical / Historical
content: Don Reitz (1929-2014) was a ceramic artist in Clarkdale, Arizona. Reitz was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Belvidere New Jersey, before serving for four
years in the U.S. Navy as a diver. After years working as a butcher and a house painter, Reitz attended
Kutztown State Teachers College, where he studied Abstract Expressionism and discovered ceramics in his
last year of study. Reitz quickly developed a passion for ceramics, built a kiln in his back yard, and enrolled in
graduate school at Alfred University's New York State College of Ceramics. From 1962 to 1988 Reitz led the
ceramics department at University of Wisconsin at Madison, while he raised his two children Brent and Donna
on a nearby farm, where he also kept livestock and experimented in ceramic firing techniques.
Don Reitz is known for bringing the salt-firing ceramics technique to the United States, in which colorful
metallic surfaces are applied to ceramics by throwing salt in the kiln, as opposed to applying paint-like slips
on the clay before firing. Reitz is also widely recognized for expanding the traditional medium of ceramics to
incorporate abstract and nonfunctional forms like his contemporaries Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio, as well
as incorporating elements of performance art into his demonstrations and workshops. In 1982 Reitz suffered
injuries from a serious automobile accident and required years of rehabilitation. During this time Reitz's niece,
Sara, was undergoing treatment for cancer. The two were instrumental in each other's recovery and elements of
Sara's drawings for Don were incorporated into his work, imbuing a graphic sensibility and a bold use of color,
while his ability to physically manipulate clay was impaired.
In 1988 Reitz moved to a ranch in Clarksdale, Arizona, where he continued to work after his retirement
from teaching, building kilns of various types including wood-fire and Anagama kilns, traveling to conduct
workshops, and accepting commissions for large-scale commissions and public works. While in Arizona, Reitz
developed a strong friendship with Japanese ceramicist Yukio Yamamoto, who had been teaching in Flagstaff,
Arizona. Throughout his career Reitz received numerous accolades including being named Trustee Emeritus of
the American Craft Council, and making the Ceramic Monthly Reader's Poll as One of Twelve Greatest Living
Ceramic Artists Worldwide in 1988 and 2001. Reitz's works are featured in numerous private and museum
collections including the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the High Museum of
Art. Don Reitz passed in 2014 after suffering from a series of heart attacks and related surgeries.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 11.6 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 11.2 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1935-2015
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.reitdon
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Sketches
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Video recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 9 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1935-2014 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1951-2014 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Writings and Lectures, circa 1970-2012 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 3-5, 2.85 gigabytes; ER01-ER03)

Series 4: Workshops and Performances, circa 1972-2008 (0.7 linear feet; Box 5-6, 8.21 gigabytes; ER04-ER05)

Series 5: Studio Records, circa 1965-2010 (0.3 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 6: Galleries and Exhibitions, circa 1966-2014 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 6-7, 0.065 gigabytes; ER06)

Series 7: Printed Material, circa 1950-2014 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 8-9, 12)

Series 8: Photographic Material, circa 1940-2015 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 9-13, 0.065 gigabytes; ER07)

Series 9: Artwork, circa 1980-2012 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 11, 12)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Ryan Evans in 2018.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketches
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of artist and educator Don Reitz measure 11.6 linear feet and date from circa 1935 to 2015. The collection documents Reitz's work as a professional artist and educator through biographical material, correspondence; writings, interviews and lectures; documentation on workshops and performances; studio records; gallery and exhibition files; printed material, photographic material, and artwork.

Correspondence reflects relationships with professional organizations, museums and galleries, friends and family, as well as letters of recommendation from his years as an instructor. Notable correspondence is with fellow artists Rudy Autio and Yukio Yamamoto. Writings include essays and artist statements written by Reitz, as well as articles and essays written about Reitz by others. Lectures and interviews are featured in written form, as well as audio and video, including some digital video recordings. Reitz's notes include sound recordings captured in his car. 

Workshop and performance files contain recordings, planning materials, contracts, and other documentation on instructional events led by Reitz. Studio records include technical files on kiln operation, supplies, project plans, and equipment.

Also found are detailed records of gallery and museum exhibitions, as well as commissions including public works and murals, in addition to various studio artwork inventories. Photographic material documents Reitz's participation in workshops and other presentations, and includes photographs of artwork, the Reitz Farm in Wisconsin, the Reitz Ranch in Arizona, as well as his early family life and military career. Photograph formats include snapshots, slides and digital images. Also included are various sketches by the artist as well as some by his niece Sara.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Also found at the Archives of American art is an oral history interview with Don Reitz, 2006 June 6-7, conducted by Mija Riedel.