Marcia Marcus papers
name: label: Creator
content: Marcus, Marcia, 1928-
label: Names
content: Avery, Sally
label: Names
content: Barnes, Dorothy Gill, 1927-
label: Names
content: Benson, Elaine
label: Names
content: De Kooning, Elaine
label: Names
content: Hartigan, Grace
label: Names
content: Müller, Dody
label: Names
content: Richenburg, Robert
label: Names
content: Stout, Myron, 1908-1987
topic: label: Occupation
content: Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women educators
label: Topic
content: Women painters
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Marcia Marcus donated her papers in multiple increments between 1974-1984. Her daughter Kate Prendergast donated additional papers in 2016.
creator: label: Creator
content: Marcus, Marcia, 1928-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Marcia Marcus papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of New York painter and educator Marcia Marcus measure 8.42 linear feet and .389 gigabytes (1 computer file), and date from 1928-2016, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1950-2000. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, interviews, writings (including two diaries), project files, personal business records, printed material, photographic material, eight sketchbooks, and artwork. Extensive personal and professional correspondence is with her husband and close friends, galleries, museums, and other arts organizations. Notable correspondents include Sally Avery, Dody Müller, and Robert (Bob) Richenburg, and, to a lesser extent, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Elaine Benson, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, and Myron Stout. Photographic material includes photographs of Marcus at all stages of her life and photographs and slides documenting her paintings.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Marcia Marcus (1928-2025) was a figurative painter working in New York, New York. 

Born in New York City, Marcus earned her bachelor's degree in fine arts from New York University in 1949, studied at the Cooper Union from 1950-1952, and studied at the Art Students League with Edwin Dickinson in 1954. In 1951, Marcus exhibited her first painting in a group exhibition at Roko Gallery in New York City. Since then, she has been the subject of over a dozen solo shows and participated in many group exhibitions. 

Marcus had an exhibition of self-portraits (1960) at the Delancey Street Museum, where the artist Red Grooms, one of her many friends in the art world, was one of the founders. She also directed and performed a "Happening" there. In 1961, Marcus studied Byzantine and fresco painting in Florence, Italy. She then traveled to France from 1962-1963 on a Fulbright fellowship, and was the recipient of many other grants throughout her career including a Esther and Adolph Gottlieb grant and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Marcus has taught as a visiting artist at a number of colleges and universities, including Vassar College, New York University, and Purdue University.

Marcus married Terrence (Terry) Barrell in 1959 and they have two children, Kate and Jane.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.389 Gigabytes
label: Extent
content: 8.42 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1928-2016
label: Date
content: bulk 1950-2000
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.marcmarc
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as ten series

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1928-2000s (0.7 linear feet; Box 1, OV 9)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1948-2016 (4.0 linear feet; Box 1-5)

Series 3: Interviews, 1970s-1980 (3 folders; Box 5)

Series 4: Writings, 1970s-2014 (0.3 linear feet; Box 5)

Series 5: Project Files, 1962-circa 2000 (0.2 linear feet; Box 5-6)

Series 6: Personal Business Records, 1960s-2000s (0.3 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1950s-1990s (0.8 linear feet; Box 6-7, OV 10-11)

Series 8: Photographic Material, 1950s-1990s (1.3 linear feet; Box 7-8)

Series 9: Sketchbooks, circa 1954-2000 (0.3 linear feet; Box 8)

Series 10: Artwork, 1950s-1990s (0.4 linear feet; Box 8, OV 12)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2017.  The collection was fully processed, prepared for digitization, and described in the finding aid by Rihoko Ueno in 2018 with funding provided by the family of Marcia Marcus, and the Lily and Earle M. Pilgrim Art Foundation.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2018 and is available on the Archives of American Art website. Materials which have not been digitized include blank pages, blank versos of photographs, and duplicates. In some cases, exhibition catalogs and other publications have had their covers, title pages, and relevant pages digitized.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of New York painter and educator Marcia Marcus measure 8.42 linear feet and .389 gigabytes (1 computer file), and date from 1928-2016, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1950-2000. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, interviews, writings (including two diaries), project files, personal business records, printed material, photographic material, eight sketchbooks, and artwork. 

Biographical material includes address books, diplomas, certificates, identification documents, resumes, and other material.

Extensive personal and professional correspondence is with Marcia Marcus's husband and close friends, galleries, museums, and other arts organizations. Notable correspondents include Sally Avery, Dody Müller, and Robert (Bob) Richenburg, and, to a lesser extent, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Elaine Benson, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, and Myron Stout. 

Interviews include 2 sound cassettes and a few transcripts. Writings by Marcia Marcus consist of diaries, artist statements, notebooks, notes, lists and poems. There are also a few writings by others about Marcus. Project files mostly consist of grant applications, a mail art project, information on exhibitions curated by Marcus, and other material.

Personal business records include receipts, ledgers, prices lists, leases, and other documentation. Photographic material includes photographs of Marcus at all stages of her life and photographs and slides documenting her paintings. There are eight sketchbooks and artwork, mostly in the form of small sketches and watercolors.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Marcia Marcus conducted by Paul Cummings in 1975.