Descriptive Summary
Biographical/Historical Note
Administrative Information
Separated Materials
Scope and Content of Collection
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: William Hemmerdinger papers
Date (inclusive): 1871, 1941-2007
Number: 2010.M.74
Creator/Collector:
Hemmerdinger, William
Physical Description:
29.0 linear feet
(41 boxes, 3 flatfile folders)
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, California, 90049-1688
(310) 440-7390
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
.
Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
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access policy .
Language: Collection material is in
English.
Biographical/Historical Note
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.
Administrative Information
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
William Hemmerdinger papers, 1871, 1941-2007, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, 2010.M.74.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2010m74
Acquisition Information
Gift of William Hemmerdinger in 2007.
Processing History
Vladimira Stefura registered the collection. Linde Brady made a preliminary inventory before processing began. Yvonne Boyer
and Laura Schroffel rehoused the collection. Laura Schroffel completed the processing and wrote the finding aid under the
supervision of Andra Darlington from September 2010 to January 2011.
Separated Materials
Most published materials were transferred to the library's general collection and may be found by searching the
library catalog for William Hemmerdinger.
Scope and Content of Collection
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.
Indexing Terms
Subjects - Names
Benjamin, Karl
Everts, Connor
Falkenstein, Claire, 1908-1997
Kanemitsu,
Matsumi
Kerzie, Ted
Subjects - Topics
Art galleries, Commercial--United States
Art museums--United States
Art, Modern--20th century
Arts, Asian
Indian art
Genres and Forms of Material
Color slides--United States--20th century
Compact discs
Ephemera--20th century
Gelatin silver prints--United States--20th century
Videocassettes--United States--20th century