The personal and professional correspondence of Ivan C. Karp includes letters addressed to Ivan Karp, Marilynn Gelfman Karp, the couple, and to the gallery. Typed letters, e-mail, and handwritten items sometimes show Karp's canny sense of humor. Included are Karp's responses to detailed questions from graduate students and art professionals regarding his areas of expertise, as well as letters of reference or support. Many letters from established members of the art world and others express gratitude to the Karps for their helpfulness and generosity. Correspondents include museums, schools, galleries, dealers, collectors, and artists.
Some items of note include a letter from Chuck Close asking for Karp's support for a fellow artist with a neurological disorder. Correspondence between Marilynn Gelfman-Pereira Karp and Jasper Johns (signed in his absence by assistant Mark Lancaster) is about stabilizing Savarin Coffee Can with Brushes . An e-mail from President Obama to "Ivan" thanks him for supporting the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act. Letters from Karp to Hilton Kramer and William Grimes express his opinions on issues of the day. More typical, are letters written by Karp concerning gallery business and his opinions about the value or authenticity of specific works.
Holiday cards received by the Karps are mostly handmade. Also found are letters to art critic Andy Grundberg of The New York Times questioning why he seldom reviews exhibitions at OK Harris Works of Art; many of these letters are blind copies received by Karp.
Arrangement:
Additional correspondence is found among the arists' files (Series 4).
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original material requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
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Collection Citation:
Ivan C. Karp papers and OK Harris Works of Art gallery records, 1960-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
