Ita H. Aber papers
name: label: Creator
content: Aber, Ita H.
label: Names
content: New York Feminist Art Institute/Women's Center for Learning
label: Names
content: Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework
topic: label: Occupation
content: Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Curators -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Fiber artists -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Multimedia artists -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Jewish artists
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women textile artists
label: Topic
content: Women educators
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Ita H. Aber papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Ita Aber in numerous installments between 1994 and 2007.
creator: label: Creator
content: Aber, Ita H.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ita H. Aber papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of multimedia and textile artist Ita Aber, measure 21.7 linear feet and 2.55 GB and date from 1932 to 2007. The collection documents many aspects of Aber's career through biographical material, correspondence, diaries and other writings, records of Aber's commissions for various organizations, gallery files documenting her exhibitions, teaching files documenting classes and workshops taught by Aber, personal business records including price lists for Aber's work, printed and digital material, artwork including sketches, paintings and embroidery, and photographs of family, friends, artwork, and exhibitions. The collection also includes sound and video recordings, some in digital format.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Ita Aber (1932-) is a Jewish multimedia and textile artist, curator, and art teacher who works primarily in New York. Aber was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1932 and immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. She completed her studies at Empire State College and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York earning a masters degree equivalent in Jewish art. In addition to her textile work, Aber worked as a curator at the Hudson River Museum. 

Aber was a founding member of the New York Feminist Art Institute and the founder of the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework. Starting in 1972, she taught needlework at the Jewish Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and other venues throughout the eastern United States.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 21.7 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 2.55 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1932-2007
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.aberita
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Video recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into eleven series.

Biographical Material, 1947-2006 (0.8 linear feet; Box 1, 22, 0.001 GB; ER01)

Correspondence, 1953-2007 (4.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-6)

Diaries, 1952-2006 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 6-9)

Writings, 1962-2002 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 9-10)

Professional Activity Files, 1965-2006 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 10-13, 0.145 GB; ER02)

Gallery Files, 1972-2005 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 13-14, 2.40 GB; ER03-ER04)

Teaching Files, 1967-1995 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 14-15)

Personal Business Records, 1963-2005 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 15-16)

Printed Material, 1963-2007 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 16-18, 22)

Artwork, circa 1983-2000 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 18, 22-23, OV 24)

Photographs, 1932-2006 (3.1 linear feet; Boxes 18-21, 0.001 GB; ER05)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2019. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2021 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of multimedia and textile artist Ita Aber, measure 21.7 linear feet and 2.55 GB and date from 1932 to 2007. The collection documents many aspects of Aber's career through biographical material, correspondence, diaries and other writings, records of Aber's commissions for various organizations, gallery files documenting her exhibitions, teaching files documenting classes and workshops taught by Aber, personal business records including price lists for Aber's work, printed and digital material, artwork including sketches, paintings and embroidery, and photographs of family, friends, artwork, and exhibitions. The collection also includes sound and video recordings, some in digital format.

Biographical materials consist of membership and identification cards, passports and travel documents, and educational material related to various schools Aber attended. Correspondence is mainly with friends, colleagues, and organizations. There are also letters to and from local and national political figures concerning various topics. Diaries are primarily a number of calendar books containing appointments and various notes. Writings include draft manuscripts for articles and books that Aber wrote, transcripts for lectures she presented, notes on various subjects in embroidery and Jewish art, and articles on Aber and Jewish artwork written by other scholars. Professional activity consists of documents related to commission work Aber did for various organizations and synagogues. Gallery materials include documentation related to Aber taking part in museum exhibitions. Teaching materials are of various classes and workshops Aber presented at museums on different aspects of needlework and embroidery. Personal business records consist of inventories, price lists, appraisals, and invoices. Printed materials include exhibition announcements and catalogs, newsletters, and newspaper and magazine clippings. Artwork is design and sketches for textiles used for various commissions. Also included are a number of small paintings. Photographs consist of personal photographs of family and friends, artwork, and exhibitions that Aber took part in. Also included are numerous photographs and slides of artwork.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Yeshiva University is the primary repository for the Aber family papers.