Papers of Martha Longenecker, ceramic artist, professor of art, and founding president of Mingei International Inc., a non-profit foundation dedicated to furthering understanding of arts of the people. The collection contains Longenecker's notebooks documenting her glazing techniques, some files on Mingei International Inc. and the Mingei International Museum, and a small amount of biographical materials, correspondence, and subject files on ceramics and Native American art.

Martha Williams Longenecker was born on May 18, 1920 in Oklahoma City. She earned her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and her M.F.A. from Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California, where she studied painting with the artist Millard Sheets. In 1952, while attending a week-long graduate seminar, Martha met and was profoundly influenced by Dr. Yanagi Soetsu, founder of the mingei ("art of the people") folk arts movement in Japan. She decided to devote her life to art which had a practical use. Longenecker went on to do post-graduate study of ceramics in Japan under Shoji Hamada and Tatsuzo Shimaoka and became an accomplished ceramics artist.

1.2 Linear feet (3 archives boxes)

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.