Shifra M. Goldman papers, 1933-2011, bulk 1965-2002

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Summary

Creators:
Goldman, Shifra M., 1926-2011
Abstract:
Papers of Shifra M. Goldman, a former professor of Art History at Santa Ana College and Latin American Art and Social historian.
Extent:
250 Linear Feet (2 cartons, 383 document boxes, 4 half document boxes, 4 artifact boxes, 3 flat folders, approximately 32,000 slides in 72 slide boxes, 119 audio recordings, 90 video recordings, and digital files)
Language:
English , Spanish; Castilian , Portuguese .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Shifra M. Goldman Papers, CEMA 119. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection represents Shifra Goldman's work with the multitude of people, organizations and activities that she was involved with - including Latin American artists, Chicano artists, social rights activists, art scholars, art and social rights organizations, art museums, and publishers. The materials are from Goldman's personal research library and files are mostly compromised of her scholarly writings, research and teaching materials, and hundreds of exhibit catalogs.

Materials may include notes and drafts, correspondence and artists files, art organization and program materials, conference and event materials, photographs and slides, audiovisual materials, gallery and art publications, newspapers and journals, and other reference materials.

Biographical / historical:

Shifra Goldman (1926-2011) was an Art Historian and pioneer in the study of Latin American and Latino art. As an activist for Latino art, part of her life's work in her own words were to "deflect and correct the stereotypes, distortions, and Eurocentric misunderstandings that have plagued all serious approaches to Latino Art History since the '50s" (Dimensions of the Americas, Goldman 1996, pgs. 36, 37). She taught college level Art History in the Los Angeles area for over 20 years. Goldman is known as a prolific writer, advocate, and critic who had a hemispheric scope informed from her studies, travels and relationships with many artists.

Goldman was born in 1926 in New York and was raised by her Russian Jewish parents. She graduated from the High School of Music and Art after which her family moved to Los Angeles. In the late 1940's she attended school at UCLA and was involved in the civil rights movement. She was a member of the Civil Rights Congress of Los Angeles until she left to raise her child with her Mexican American husband.

Goldman was able to go back to UCLA while in her mid-30's to finish her undergraduate studies, receiving a B.A in Art in 1963. She then studied Art History at California State Los Angeles, where she received a Masters in Art History in 1966. She taught at numerous colleges in the Los Angeles area.

In the 1970's she had the challenge of breaking new ground in her doctoral study of Latin American Art at UCLA. Contemporary Mexican Painting in a Time of Change, her first book, is based on her thesis of 1977 titled "Nueva Presencia, the Human Image in Contemporary Mexican Art." She presented her thesis for her PhD in Art History at UCLA, with a specialization in modern Latin America. In 1994, she became a Research Associate with the Latin American Center at UCLA and taught Art History courses there as well. Goldman is also Professor Emeritus from Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA.

In 1968, she began the campaign to preserve the 1932 Siqueiros mural in Olvera Street, Los Angeles, and in 1971 approached Siqueiros for a new mural derived from the original. He agreed, but unfortunately the plan was thwarted by the artist's death in 1974.

Goldman has major essays in a number of anthologies, and has published in Europe, Latin America and the United States. Her work can be found in catalogues, encyclopedias, dictionaries, as well as newspapers and magazines such as La Opinion, Artweek, Aztlan (California), Arte en Colombia/Art Nexus (Bogotá), Art in America, Art Journal (New York), New Art Examiner (Chicago), Art History (London), Casa de las Américas (Cuba), Plástica (Puerto Rico), Plural (Mexico), Studies in Popular Latin American Culture (New Mexico), Tendenzen (Munich),Third Text (London), and many more.

Goldman has lectured widely on many aspects of Latin American and Modern Art. In 1996, her book Dimensions of the Americas, was granted the Hubert Herring Award for high achievement by the Pacific Coast Council on Latin American Studies.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Shifra Goldman, 2004. Additional gifts of Eric Garcia, Shifra Goldman's son, 2008-2010.
Custodial history:

These papers were donated by Eric Garcia, Shifra Goldman's son, in 2008. In 2010, Shifra Goldman's son donated in a separate agreement, Shifra Goldman's personal library of over 7,000 books. Many of these books were added to the library's permanent collection as appropriate. Some of the notes and papers inside the books have been added to Goldman's papers.

Processing information:

Processed by Callie Bowdish, assisted by CEMA staff including Dominique Fletes, Lilian L. Gomez, Mari Khasmanyan, Daisy Martinez, Adam Schnee, and Husna Sayedi.

Chip Badley and Paola Nova aided with the slide series. The Chicano section document processing was assisted by Sara Doehring.

Additions processed by Rebecca Vasquez in April 2024 and June 2025.

Arrangement:

The collection is arrange by topic and medium into 11 series:

  • Series 1: Personal biographical
  • Series 2: Professional activities
  • Series 3: Correspondence
  • Series 4: Writings
  • Series 5: Research documents and projects
  • Series 6: Teaching files
  • Series 7: Art historians and critics
  • Series 8: Slides
  • Series 9:Posters
  • Series 10: Audio recordings
  • Series 11: Video recordings

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Audiovisual materials must be reformatted for access. Please contact the Department of Special Research Collections in advance to request access.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the collection and physical objects belong to the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at the UCSB Library. All applicable literary rights, including copyright to the collection and physical objects, are protected under Chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code and may be retained by the creator and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.

All requests to reproduce, quote from, or otherwise reuse collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB at special@library.ucsb.edu. Consent is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or their assignees for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Shifra M. Goldman Papers, CEMA 119. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
UC Santa Barbara Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
Contact:
(805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
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