Elaine Galen papers
name: label: Creator
content: Galen, Elaine
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State)
label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- New York (State)
label: Occupation
content: Educators -- New York (State)
label: Topic
content: Multimedia (Art)
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
label: Topic
content: Women sculptors
label: Topic
content: Women educators
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated by Elaine Galen in several accessions, in 2007, 2013, 2020 and 2021.
creator: label: Creator
content: Galen, Elaine
setName: label: See more items in
content: Elaine Galen papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of abstract expressionist painter, sculptor and poet Elaine Galen date from circa 1950-2022. The collection measures 2.0 linear feet and 8.02 gigabytes. The collection documents Galen's work as a teacher and published writer, as well as her relationships with national museums, through biographical material, correspondence, writings and poetry, personal business records, exhibition files, photographic material, and artwork. A portion of this material is in electronic format.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Abstract expressionist painter and sculptor Elaine Galen (1928- ) is known for her mystical interpretation of the natural landscape, the human form, and the moments when the two intersect. After attending the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate, Galen earned an M.A. from New York University and studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in 1962. She began to exhibit her artwork across the state of New York in the 1960s, during which time she became a Fulbright Finalist and received the Emily and Joe Lowe Award for Painting. She served as an Associate Professor of design and studio courses at the State University of New York (SUNY) from 1981-1997. In the early 2000s, Galen published a limited edition book series telling the stories surrounding biblical women, for which she paired her artwork with her poetry and short prose. Galen's artwork can now be found in the Whitney Museum of American art, the Israel Museum in Jersualem, and in the special collections of Ivy League universities.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 8.02 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1950-2022
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.galeelai
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
label: Type
content: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1962-2020 (0.1 linear feet: Box 1; 1.914 gigabytes: ER001-ER003)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1961-2016 (0.1 linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1961-2020 (0.3 linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Exhibition and Gallery Files, circa 1973-2018 (0.1 linear feet: Box 1; 6.09 gigabytes: ER004-ER005)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, circa 1963-2022 (0.3 linear feet: Box 1)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1958-2019 (0.4 linear feet: Boxes 1-2)

Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1950-2016 (0.3 linear feet: Box 2; 0.02 gigabytes: ER006)

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1962-2015 (0.4 linear feet: Box 2)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Emma Eubank in 2023. Born-digital components for the collection were processed by Ryan Evans and Emma Eubank in 2023.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of abstract expressionist painter, sculptor and poet Elaine Galen date from circa 1950-2022. The collection measures 2.0 linear feet and 8.02 gigabytes. The collection documents Galen's work as a teacher and published writer, as well as her relationships with national museums, through biographical material, correspondence, writings and poetry, personal business records, exhibition files, photographic material, and artwork. A portion of this material is in electronic format.

The biographical material series includes a short biography, several CVs, honors and awards, and a couple of interviews, one captured in a digital video recording. The correspondence series includes recommendation letters from colleagues and residency offers. The writings series includes several artist statements, unpublished poetry, lecture notes, letters to editors, and scholarly reviews of Galen's artwork. The exhibition and gallery files series includes Galen's participation in the U.S. Department of State's Art in Embassies program as well as several other notable exhibitions, and her work with various museums. The personal business records series includes materials related to Galen's artwork donations, loans, sales and copyright. The printed material series includes clippings, exhibition advertising and organizational outreach. The photographic material series includes photographs (some in digital format), including snapshots of Galen at work in her studio, as well as images of her and students and artwork. The artwork series includes a limited edition book series, loose sketches and a sketchbook.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Also found in the Archives of American Art are the papers of artist Ed Colker, husband of Elaine Galen.