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Finding Guide for the Shifra M. Goldman Papers
CEMA 119
CEMA 119
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Table of contents
Title: Shifra M. Goldman papers
Identifier/Call Number: CEMA 119
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
200.0 linear feet
(392 boxes, three folders in one flat drawer, approximately 32,000 slides in 72 slide boxes, 119 audio recordings, 90 video
recordings, and digital files.)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1965-2002
Date (inclusive): 1933-2011
Abstract: Shifra M. Goldman is a ground-breaking Latin American Art and Social historian. Her work and legacy is preserved in these
papers. The multitude of people, organizations and activities that she was involved with include Latin American artists, Chicano
artists, social rights activists, art scholars, art and social rights organizations, art museums, and publishers. Hundreds
of exhibit catalogs are part of her papers. Her scholarly writings, research and teaching materials form the major part of
her papers. They are contained in 392 boxes, one flat file drawer, approximately 35,000 slides in 72 slide boxes, 119 audio
recordings, 90 video recordings, and her digital files. The materials date from 1933 - 2011 (there are a few pre-Columbian
artifacts) with the bulk of the materials ranging from 1965 - 2002.
Language of Materials: The collection is in English and also includes Spanish, Portuguese and small amounts of other languages.
creator:
Goldman, Shifra M., 1926-2011
Conditions Governing Access note
Service copies of audiovisual items may need to be made before viewing or listening. Please consult Special Collections staff
for further information.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or
quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
These papers were donated by Eric Garcia, Shifra Goldman's son, in 2008.
[Identification of item], Shifra M. Goldman Papers, CEMA 119. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library,
University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Shifra M. Goldman papers are in 392 boxes (document boxes, flat-boxes and album boxes), three folders in one flat drawer,
approximately 35,000 slides in 72 slide boxes, 119 audio recordings, 90 video recordings, and digital files. The materials
date from 1933 - 2011 (there are a few pre-Columbian artifacts) with the bulk of the materials ranging from 1965 - 2002. These
papers are from Goldman's personal research library and files. There are 10 series: Personal Biographical, Professional Activities,
Correspondence, Writings, Research Documents and Projects, Teaching Files, Art Historians and Critics, Slides, Audio Recordings
and Videos Recordings. Each series includes it's own scope and content note at the beginning.
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.
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 was 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 and advocate 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 1940s 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 have a child with her
Mexican American husband.
Goldman was able to go back to UCLA while in her mid 30s to finish her undergraduate studies, receiving a B.A in art in 1963.
She then studied art history at Cal State Los Angeles were she received a Masters in Art History in 1966. She taught at numerous
colleges in the Los Angeles area.
In the 1970s 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 theses of 1977 titled “Nueva Presencia, the Human Image in Contemporary Mexican Art.” She
presented her thesis for her PhD in art history which she received from 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 there. 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 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, and dictionaries, as well as newspapers and magazines like
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.
Processed by Callie Bowdish assisted by CEMA staff including Chip Badley and Paola Nova on slides, audio and video files and
Lilian L. Gomez, and Dominique Fletes on other sections. The Chicano section document processing was assisted by Sara Doehring.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Art and society--America--History--20th century
Art, Latin American--20th century
Art--History
Chicano art
Exhibitions
Hispanic American art
Mexican American art
Mexican American artists
Mural painting and decoration--20th century