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Spark (Clare) interviews with artists, curators, and intellectuals
2010.M.91
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Title: Clare Spark interviews with artists, curators, and intellectuals,
Date (inclusive): 1968-1981
Number: 2010.M.91
Creator/Collector:
Spark, Clare
Physical Description:
8.8 Linear Feet
(11 boxes)
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
reference@getty.edu
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10020/askref
(310) 440-7390
Abstract: A collection of audio tapes from radio programs produced and hosted by Clare Spark. Spark's radio programs engaged with leading
figures in the art world, covering broad issues as well as events of particular concern to the Southern California arts community.
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Language: Collection material is in English
Biographical / Historical Note
Clare Spark was born in 1937 in New York City. She received a bachelors degree from Cornell University in 1958 and went on
to receive graduate degrees from Harvard and UCLA in education and history respectively. From 1969 through 1998 she produced
hundreds of radio programs on the politics of the art world for Los Angeles Pacifica station KPFK. One program,
The Sour Apple Tree, aired weekly during the 1970s, addressing issues on the politics of culture. In 1980 she produced and hosted
The Afternoon Air on KPFK, a daily (weekday) three-hour montage of news, public affairs features, documentaries, music, and interviews. Spark
was Program Director for the radio station between 1981 and 1982.
Audio tapes are unavailable until reformatted. Contact the repository for information regarding access.
Contact
Library Reproductions and Permissions .
Clare Spark interviews with artists, curators, and intellectuals, 1968-1981, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession
no. 2010.M.91.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2010m91
Gift of Clare Spark. Acquired in 2010.
The original inventory was made by Annette Doss in 2012. Laura Schroffel encoded the finding aid, completed processing, and
enhanced the description of the collection in 2014.
Selected recordings have been digitized:
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2010m91
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection is comprised of audiocassette tapes and 1/4 inch audiotape on 7- and 10- inch reels. The tapes in the collection
are surviving copies of the finished radio broadcasts as well as unedited interviews conducted by Clare Spark. Between 1969
and 1981 Clare Spark produced radio shows (many under the title of
The Sour Apple Tree) for KPFK-FM. Her programming interests included topics in the arts as well as history, politics, and music. Spark's engaged
with intellectuals and leading figures in the art world on her radio programs, including Irving Blum, Hans Haacke, Roy Lichtenstein,
Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Donald Barthelme, Allan Kaprow, Judy Chicago, François Truffaut, John Lennon, Robert Rauschenberg,
Henry Geldzahler among others. Programs often focused on individual figures and on subjects including the Art Workers Coalition,
the founding of the Woman's Building, the closing of Ferus Gallery, the activities of museum boards, the rise of Feminism
and media studies as disciplines, and the public reception of major exhibitions.
Materials are arranged chronologically. Undated materials are arranged alphabetically by show title or provided description.
Dates given are mostly the broadcast dates. Specific broadcast dates and recording dates are included in the notes when available.
Titles were transcribed from labels or derived from handwritten notes.
Rauschenberg, Robert
Merleau-Ponty, Maurice
Truffaut, François
Spark, Clare
Kaprow, Allan
Haacke, Hans
Lichtenstein, Roy
Lennon, John
Barthelme, Donald
Blum, Irving
Chicago, Judy
Geldzahler, Henry
Radio talk shows
Radio programs
Interviews -- United States -- 20th century
Audiotapes -- 20th century
Sound recordings -- United States -- 20th century
Audiocasettes -- United States -- 20th century
Radio interviews
Truffaut, François
Lennon, John
KPFK (Radio station : Los Angeles, Calif.)
Barthelme, Donald
Chicago, Judy
Geldzahler, Henry
Blum, Irving
Spark, Clare
Rauschenberg, Robert
Kaprow, Allan
Haacke, Hans
Merleau-Ponty, Maurice
Lichtenstein, Roy