Don Seiler papers
name: label: Creator
content: Seiler, Don, 1928-2000
topic: label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- Florida
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- Florida
label: Topic
content: World War, 1939-1945
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated in 2021 by Maria Seiler, Don Seiler's daughter-in-law.
creator: label: Creator
content: Seiler, Don, 1928-2000
setName: label: See more items in
content: Don Seiler papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of Don Seiler measure 3.0 linear feet and date from  circa 1930 to 2020. The papers document Seiler's career as an artist through correspondence with family and friends; diaries containing recollections of his early life and time serving during World War II, and some recollections of Seiler by family and friends in the years following his death; and artwork consisting of sketches and sketchbooks.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Don Seiler (1928-2000) was a sculptor and painter in Miami and Ona, Florida. Seiler was born in Miami Beach, Florida in 1928. He began his studies at the Art Students League in 1945 before taking a hiatus to enlist in the Army's 11th Airborn Division that same year. Following World War II he completed his studies at the Art Students League, and he returned to Miami to open his studio. Seiler died in 2000.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1930-2020
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.seiledon
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
label: Type
content: Diaries
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into three series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1971-2001 (1.1 linear feet; Box 1, 4)

Series 2: Diaries, 1974-2020 (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 3: Artwork, circa 1930-1996 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 3-7, OV 8-9)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2022.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of Don Seiler measure 3.0 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 2020. The papers document Seiler's career as an artist through correspondence with family and friends; diaries containing recollections of his early life and time serving during World War II, and some recollections of Seiler by family and friends in the years following his death; and artwork consisting of sketches and sketchbooks.

Correspondence consists primarily of letters to family and friends, including Maria Seiler and Lance Seiler. Also included are letters to Ralph Knutsen and letters related to a book on OnaLand. Scattered among the correspondence are some photographs of sculptures and some sketches.

Diaries consist of some loose leaf diary entries and two diaries primarily written by Seiler but also includeing some recollections from friends and family. Some of the diaries contain entries in which Seiler reminisces on his time serving during World War II. Also included among the diaries is a biographical binder consisting of some correspondence, photographs of Seiler's artwork, documents related to Seiler's death, and some recollections on his life by friends.

Artwork consists of sketches and sketchbooks documenting Seiler's distinctive visual language for depicting human and animal figures. Included are preparatory sketches for significant public art projects including his statue of former NFL quarterback Y.A. Tittle sited at Atlantic High School in Port Orange, Florida and the statue of a swimmer commissioned by the International Swimming Hall of Fame to stand outside its Florida headquarters.