Oral history interview with Mary Merkel-Hess
odd: label: General
content: Originally recorded on 3 memory cards. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr.,11 min.
name: label: Interviewee
content: Merkel-Hess, Mary
label: Interviewer
content: Riedel, Mija, 1958-
label: Creator
content: Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America
label: Names
content: Browngrotta Arts (Gallery)
label: Names
content: Marquette University -- Faculty
label: Names
content: Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America
label: Names
content: SOFA West Santa Fe
label: Names
content: Santa Fe Armory Show (1977 : Santa Fe, N.M.)
label: Names
content: University of Wisconsin--Madison -- Students
label: Names
content: Barrett, Tim, (Papermaker)
label: Names
content: Choo, Chunghi
label: Names
content: Eikerman, Alma
label: Names
content: Grotta, Thomas
label: Names
content: Larsen, Jack Lenor
label: Names
content: Seppä, Heikki
place: label: Place
content: Europe -- description and travel
label: Place
content: Japan -- Description and Travel
topic: label: Occupation
content: Fiber artists -- Iowa City -- Iowa
label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- Iowa City -- Iowa
label: Topic
content: Basket making
label: Topic
content: Papermaking
label: Topic
content: Philosophy
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women sculptors
label: Topic
content: Women art historians
label: Topic
content: Women authors
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
creator: label: Interviewee
content: Merkel-Hess, Mary
label: Interviewer
content: Riedel, Mija, 1958-
label: Creator
content: Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Mary Merkel-Hess (1949-) is fiber artist in Iowa City, Iowa. Mija Riedel (1958-) is an independent scholar and writer in San Francisco, California.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 5 Items (Sound recording: 5 sound files (4 hr., 11 min.), digital, wav)
label: Extent
content: 86 Pages (Transcript)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 2010 August 24-25
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.merkel10
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Pages
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Transcript available online.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: An interview of Mary Merkel-Hess conducted 2010 August 24 and 25, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Merkel-Hess' home, in Iowa City, Iowa.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Mary Merkel-Hess speaks of growing up in the rural Midwest; deciding pursue an artistic career; studying philosophy at Marquette University and earning an MFA the University of Wisconsin-Madison; becoming part of the art community in Iowa City; beginning her artistic career in metalsmithing and later transitioning into fiber mediums; using basketry and papermaking methods along with a variety of materials to devise original techniques; the role of light, balance, juxtaposition in her fiber sculptures; working from both natural and human impacted landscapes; traveling extensively through Europe and Japan; attending the Armory Show and SOFA Santa Fe; interacting with galleries such as Browngrotta Art Gallery and Olson-Larsen Galleries; completing public and residential commissions; supporting herself through the sale of her work. Mary Merkel-Hess also recalls Chungi Choo, Heikki Seppä, Tim Barrett, Alma Eikerman, Shereen LaPlantz, Jack Lenor Larsen, Tom Grotta, Marlene Olson, Wendy Haas, Katie Gingrass and others.