William Hemmerdinger papers, 1871, 1941-2007

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Summary

Creators:
Hemmerdinger, William
Abstract:
The William Hemmerdinger papers document his multifaceted career as a teacher, artist, writer, gallerist and curator. The collection is particularly rich in research files about artists and in ephemera from Southern California galleries. Also included are original artworks by artists such as Claire Falkenstein, Karl Benjamin, Connor Everts and Matsumi Kanemitsu.
Extent:
29.0 linear feet (41 boxes, 3 flatfile folders)
Language:
Collection material is in English.

Background

Scope and content:

The William Hemmerdinger papers document his multifaceted career as a teacher, artist, writer, gallerist and curator. The collection is particularly rich in research files about artists and in ephemera from Southern California arts institutions.

Series I focuses on the William and Catherine Hemmerdinger Gallery records, including exhibition records, press releases and assorted documents that trace the gallery's operations from the 1980s to the early 1990s.

Series II contains research files primarily on artists, but also on other notable individuals and institutions. Files typically contain clippings, gallery ephemera, exhibition announcements, photographs and/or correspondence. Also included are original artworks by artists such as Claire Falkenstein, Karl Benjamin, Connor Everts and Matsumi Kanemitsu.

Series III contains research files assembled by Hemmerdinger on various subjects including art genres and styles. Although the subject files cover a wide range of topics, the most developed are Native American arts, Asian arts, Southwestern and California desert arts. Files also contain clippings and some ephemera.

Series IV contains ephemera spanning the second half of the twentieth century and the early 2000s. The bulk of the ephemera is gallery and museum exhibition announcements. The series also includes brochures and publicity materials from other cultural institutions. Most of the materials in this series are from Southern California; however, other regions of California, as well as national institutions are represented.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in four series: Series I. Hemmerdinger Gallery records, 1983-1994;Series II. Artists and institutions, 1941-2007;Series III. Subjects, 1871-2006;Series IV. Ephemera, 1962-2007.

Biographical / historical:

Artist, writer, educator and gallery owner William Hemmerdinger was born in 1951. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Riverside in 1973, and his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975 from Claremont Graduate School, where he also completed his doctorate in the field of philosophy with an emphasis on aesthetics. Hemmerdinger completed a fellowship at the National Palace Museum in China and a residency at the Myoshinji Monastery in Japan. His artwork has been exhibited at institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, Cirrus Editions and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

As a writer, Hemmerdinger has contributed to Arts Magazine, Artweek and Art Scene, and has written essays for several exhibition catalogs. Hemmerdinger began his curatorial work as a curatorial assistant at the Museum of Photography at University of California, Riverside. Later he was co-owner of the William and Catherine Hemmerdinger Gallery in Palm Desert, California, which operated from the 1980s to the 1990s. The gallery specialized in European and American painting, sculpture, prints and photographs, as well as Native American art and non-western art. Hemmerdinger began teaching in 1972 and has taught at Claremont Graduate School, Boston Architectural College, Pomona College, California Institute of the Arts, Otis Art Institute and several other institutions.

Acquisition information:
Gift of William Hemmerdinger in 2007.
Physical location:
Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
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