Esther G. Rolick papers
name: label: Creator
content: Rolick, Esther G., 1922-
label: Names
content: Cinque Gallery
label: Names
content: Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977
label: Names
content: Bearden, Romare (1911-1988)
label: Names
content: Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000
label: Names
content: Woodruff, Hale, 1900-1980
topic: label: Occupation
content: Educators -- New York (State)
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State)
label: Topic
content: African American artists
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
label: Topic
content: Women art teachers
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Esther G. Rolick papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Esther Rolick in a series of installments between 1970 and 1985.
creator: label: Creator
content: Rolick, Esther G., 1922-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Esther G. Rolick papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of painter and educator Esther Rolick measure 3.7 linear feet and date from 1940 to 1985. The papers document Rolick's career through correspondence with friends and colleagues; writings, including unpublished illustrated books for children; business records; printed material and scrapbooks of clippings and exhibition catalogs; artwork including a sketchbook; photographs of artwork, travels around the world, and personal photographs; and sound recordings of interviews with prominent African American artists.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: New York realist painter and educator Esther G. Rolick (1922-2008) taught art for two decades at Mercy College, where she helped to develop programs including a class, "Black Music and Art," for which she interviewed prominent Harlem artists and musicians.

Rolick studied at the Art Students League and had her first solo exhibition of drawings at Jacques Seligmann & Co. in 1947. She subsequently participated in exhibitions around the country and internationally in Haiti. In the 1960s she began teaching at Mercy College and helped to develop several innovative programs there. Rolick also traveled extensively and painted in places such as Bogota, Colombia and Palermo, Italy.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.7 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1940-1985
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.roliesth
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged chronologically into eight series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1946-1985 (1.3 linear feet; Box 1-2)

Series 2: Writings, 1947-1971 (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 3: Personal Business Records and Professional Activity, 1968-1974 (0.2 linear feet: Box 2)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1944-1980 (0.3 linear feet: Box 2)

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1940-1985 (0.6 linear feet: Box 2-3, 5)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, circa 1944-1972 (0.7 linear feet; Box 3, 5)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1944-1985 (0.1 linear feet; Box 3, 5, OV)

Series 8: Interviews 1970-1971 (0.4 linear feet; Box 3-4)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection received some level of processing and was microfilmed on reels 827-828 and 950 after receipt.

The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2019.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 827-828, and 950 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.

Some of the sound recordings in this collection were digitized for research access and are available at the Archives of American Art offices.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of painter and educator Esther Rolick measure 3.7 linear feet and date from 1940 to 1985. The papers document Rolick's career through correspondence with friends and colleagues; writings, including unpublished illustrated books for children; business records; printed material and scrapbooks of clippings and exhibition catalogs; artwork including a sketchbook; photographs of artwork, travels around the world, and personal photographs; and sound recordings of interviews with prominent African American artists.

Correspondence includes personal letters from friends and letters related to Rolick's exhibitions. Some of the letters are in Spanish. Writings include poems by Rolick and two unpublished books for children, primarily of illustrations.

Personal business records and professional activity files include financial materials related to Rolick's travels around the world, statements, promissory notes, certificates, and exhibition guestbooks.

Printed material consists mainly of exhibition announcements and catalogs, with some newspaper clippings. Additional printed material can be found in Series 6: Scrapbooks. 

Photographs consist primarily of personal photographs, photographs of travels to Bogota, Colombia and Palermo, Italy, and photographs of artwork. Artwork includes oversized sketches by classmates and one small sketchbook of drawings.

Of note are untranscribed interviews conducted by Rolick for her class "Black Music and Art," at Mercy College, circa 1970-1971. Interviewees include Charles Alston, Romare Bearden, Jean Hutson, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff, and artists affiliated with the Cinque Gallery, Weusi Gallery, and SPIRAL artist's group.