Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Search Results

Collections Search Center
29 documents - page 1 of 2

June Schwarcz papers, 1932-2014

Creator:
Schwarcz, June Therese, 1918-2015  Search this
Subject:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Di Mare, Dominic  Search this
Austin, Carole  Search this
Slemmons, Kiff  Search this
Solberg, Ramona  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Drawings
Citation:
June Schwarcz papers, 1932-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6331
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)226178
AAA_collcode_schwjune
Theme:
Women
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_226178

Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017, bulk 1960-2017

Creator:
Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-2022  Search this
Subject:
Castle, Wendell  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Schwarcz, June  Search this
Paley, Albert  Search this
Jurs, Nancy  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Drawings
Interviews
Video recordings
Citation:
Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017, bulk 1960-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Scrapbooks  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6040
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)239435
AAA_collcode_benngarr
Theme:
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_239435
Online Media:

Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015

Creator:
Stocksdale, Bob, 1913-2003  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Subject:
Stocksdale, Bob  Search this
Collingwood, Peter  Search this
Anderson, Norman  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Turner, Tran  Search this
Larsen, Jack Lenor  Search this
Maloof, Alfreda Ward  Search this
Maloof, Sam  Search this
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Merrill, Forrest L.  Search this
Shawcroft, Barbara  Search this
Uchida, Yoshiko  Search this
Central Utah Relocation Center  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
War Relocation Authority  Search this
Tanforan Assembly Center (San Bruno, Calif.)  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Textile design  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Asian American art  Search this
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American art  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Asian American fiber artists  Search this
Asian American educators  Search this
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment -- 1942-1945  Search this
Woodwork  Search this
Textile crafts  Search this
Fiberwork  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Asian American  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11112
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)246683
AAA_collcode_stockbob
Theme:
Craft
Asian American
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_246683
Online Media:

Merryll Saylan papers, 1975-2008

Creator:
Saylan, Merryll B., 1936-  Search this
Subject:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Scarpino, Betty  Search this
Mississippi, Connie  Search this
Working, Susan  Search this
Type:
Drawings
Sound recordings
Citation:
Merryll Saylan papers, 1975-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)13703
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)279578
AAA_collcode_saylmerr
Theme:
Women
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_279578
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Kay Sekimachi [Stocksdale], 2001 July 26-August 6

Interviewee:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Interviewer:
Baizerman, Suzanne  Search this
Subject:
Adamson, Glenn  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Kay Sekimachi [Stocksdale], 2001 July 26-August 6. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Asian American art  Search this
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American art  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Asian American fiber artists  Search this
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment -- 1942-1945  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Women  Search this
Asian American  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11768
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)227771
AAA_collcode_sekima01
Theme:
Craft
Women
Asian American
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_227771
Online Media:

Garry Knox Bennett papers

Creator:
Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this
Jurs, Nancy, 1941  Search this
Paley, Albert  Search this
Schwarcz, June, 1918-2015  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Extent:
12.4 Linear feet
0.446 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Drawings
Interviews
Video recordings
Date:
1917-2017
bulk 1960-2017
Summary:
The papers of woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer Garry Knox Bennett measure 12.4 linear feet, 0.446 gigabytes, and date from 1917 to 2017 with the bulk of the material dating from 1960 to 2017. The collection documents the artist's life and career through biographical materials, correspondence with family and friends including other artists, exhibition files, professional files, financial and legal records, and printed material and scrapbooks recording his exhibition history and more, including photographs from his youth.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer Garry Knox Bennett measure 12.4 linear feet, 0.446 gigabytes, and date from 1917 to 2017 with the bulk of the material dating from 1960 to 2017.

The collection includes biographical materials containing Bennett's birthday and wedding celebration material, appointment calendars, childhood artwork, sketches and patterns for projects, photographs and notes regarding the Bennetts' marriage, resumes, student records, and material regarding the Bennetts' house fire in 2003. Correspondence is with artists Wendell Castle and Nancy Jurs, June Schwarcz, Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale, Albert Paley who describes an accident that occurred in 2002, and good friend and writer Jack Marlowe, as well as with wife Sylvia and daughter Jessica. Exhibition files consist of artwork price lists, artist statements, shipping documents, correspondence, and printed materials for Bennett's solo and group exhibitions. They also include documentation of a few exhibitions showing pieces from his personal art collection.

Professional files relate to workshops, lectures, exhibitions, donations, and grant proposals. Also found are project and publication files, artist statements written by Jack Marlowe and Tom Farber for Bennett, studio visit records, a video recording of an interview with Bennett, and a few digital recordings. The Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett (2001) retrospective files consist of correspondence, fundraising records, lender files, and material regarding the creation of a book that also served as the catalog for the exhibition. Financial and legal records contain check registers, invoices and receipts, card files containing sales information, and legal material relating to the estate of Peter T. Joseph. Printed materials include clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and exhibition history material. Additional printed material can be found in the scrapbooks recording exhibitions and Bennett's career. The scrapbooks also include some personal items such as letters, photographs, and documents from Bennett's youth.

Handwritten notes by Sylvia Bennett, offering additional history and context, can be found throughout the collection. The notes were typically written onto the original folders which have been preserved along with the related material.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1917-2009 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 1, 13, OV 14)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1955-2017 (2.0 linear feet, 0.174 gigabytes; Boxes 1-3, ER0001-ER0002)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1979-2017 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1959-2017 (5.0 linear feet, 0.272 gigabytes; Boxes 4-9, ER0003-ER0004)

Series 5: -- Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett -- Retrospective, circa 1977-2009 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 9-11)

Series 6: Financial and Legal Records, 1950s-2010 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 11-12)

Series 7: Printed Materials, 1960-2015 (0.8 linear feet; Box 12)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1948-1997 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 12-13)
Biographical / Historical:
Garry Knox Bennett (1934-2022) was a woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer in Oakland, California.

Bennett was born in Alameda, California to Katherine von Tagen and Robert Bennett, but was raised by his grandparents. He attended the California College of the Arts, then the California College of Arts and Crafts, where he studied painting and began experimenting with metals. During this time he married his wife Sylvia.

He opened a studio in the late 1960s where he produced his famous roach clips, then later opened a larger studio named Squirkenworks in Oakland. In the 1970s, he began working with wood and on 1980 fabricated his infamous Nail Cabinet, a wood cabinet with a single nail driven through the face of the door, which garnered attention not only for Bennett's expert craftsmanship but also for what some saw as disrespect for the craft. Regardless of any controversy Bennett's work created, he became highly respected as a craftsman. In step with his unconventional nature, Bennett exhibited and sold his paintings and jewelry using the pseudonyms Ambrose Pillphister and Gerraldo Bennucci.

Bennett received the Award of Distinction from the Furniture Society and the Master of the Medium Award from the James Renwick Alliance, and was a Fellow of the American Craft Council. A major retrospective, Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett, took place in 2001 at the American Craft Museum in New York and the Oakland Museum in California.

Bennett died unexpectedly in 2022 in Oakland, California.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Garry Knox Bennett conducted February 1-2, 2002 by Glenn Adamson in Oakland, C.A. for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Provenance:
The Garry Knox Bennett papers were donated in 2003 by Sylvia Bennett, Bennett's wife, and in 2017 by Garry Knox Bennett. The papers were collected as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project For Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- California -- Oakland  Search this
Woodworkers -- California -- Oakland  Search this
Furniture designers -- California -- Oakland  Search this
Topic:
Scrapbooks  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Interviews
Video recordings
Citation:
Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.benngarr
See more items in:
Garry Knox Bennett papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw910abe018-7381-4bf6-b522-a4b42fcfc6c8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-benngarr
Online Media:

Merryll Saylan papers

Creator:
Saylan, Merryll B., 1936-  Search this
Names:
Mississippi, Connie, 1941  Search this
Scarpino, Betty  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Working, Susan  Search this
Extent:
4.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Sound recordings
Date:
1975-2008
Summary:
The papers of woodworker, turner, and educator Merryll Saylan measure 4.7 linear feet and date from 1975 to 2008. The collection documents Saylan's career through biographical materials; personal and professional correspondence including with artists Connie Mississippi, Betty Scarpino, Kay Sekimachi, and Susan Working; writings including notebooks with diary entries and sketches for projects; gallery files including inventory and sales records; files documenting a variety of Saylan's professional activities; and printed materials recording Saylan's career.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of woodworker, turner, and educator Merryll Saylan measure 4.7 linear feet and date from 1975 to 2008. The collection documents Saylan's career through biographical material including certificates, appointment books, curriculum vitae, and photocopies of diplomas and student records; correspondence with collectors, woodworking organizations and publications, family, friends, and artists Connie Mississippi, Betty Scarpino, Kay Sekimachi, and Susan Working; writings consisting of drafts, typescripts, and notes for articles and lectures, and including 18 notebooks containing diary entries and sketches for projects; gallery files that include inventory and sales records, printed materials, and correspondence documenting Saylan's activities with numerous galleries; files documenting a variety of Saylan's professional activities including memberships, teaching, workshops and private classes, auctions, financial records, grants and artist residencies, and drawings for projects; and printed materials such as clippings, exhibition announcements, press releases, and miscellaneous items.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as six series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1980-2005 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1985-2008 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1987-2007 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 4: Gallery Files, 1984-2008 (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 5: Professional Files, 1975-2008 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 2-4, OVs 5-6, RD 7)

Series 6: Printed Materials, 1980-2008 (0.5 linear feet; Box 4, RD 7)
Biographical / Historical:
Merryll Saylan (1936-) is a woodworker, turner, and educator based in California. She helped to pioneer the popularization of the woodturning field and the application of color in wood art.

Saylan was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1936 but settled in California after moving there in her youth. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA in 1973 and a Master of Arts degree from California State University Northridge in 1979.

Saylan began turning wood in the 1970s, becoming one of few women in the field. Her use of modern lines and textures was inspired by the simplicity of Japanese design. Saylan was an active member of the Wood Turning Center, American Association of Woodturners, and Collectors of Wood Art. She was artist-in-resident at the Grizedale Sculpture Park, Cumbria, England, from 1990 to 1991, and visiting artist at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. She was also a visiting artist and taught at the California College of the Arts, San Francisco.

Saylan's works are in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Renwick Gallery, and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design which houses one of her most well-known works, Jelly Donut.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an interview of Merryll Saylan conducted on May 20-June 5, 2006 by Glenn Adamson for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2008 by Merryll Saylan.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Woodworkers -- California  Search this
Educators -- California  Search this
Turners -- California  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Sound recordings
Citation:
Merryll Saylan papers, 1975-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.saylmerr
See more items in:
Merryll Saylan papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e4166e09-ca2a-4076-99ac-91a32bec7fc3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-saylmerr
Online Media:

Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers

Creator:
Stocksdale, Bob, 1913-2003  Search this
Names:
Central Utah Relocation Center  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Tanforan Assembly Center (San Bruno, Calif.)  Search this
War Relocation Authority  Search this
Anderson, Norman  Search this
Collingwood, Peter, 1922-2008  Search this
Larsen, Jack Lenor  Search this
Maloof, Alfreda Ward  Search this
Maloof, Sam  Search this
Merrill, Forrest L.  Search this
Okubo, Miné, 1912-2001  Search this
Shawcroft, Barbara  Search this
Stocksdale, Bob, 1913-2003  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Turner, Tran  Search this
Uchida, Yoshiko  Search this
Former owner:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Extent:
19.5 Linear feet
0.125 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Interviews
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1900-2015
Summary:
The papers of woodturner Bob Stocksdale and fiber artist Kay Sekimachi measure 19.5 linear feet and 0.125 GB and date from circa 1900 to 2015. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, professional files, exhibition files, project files, personal business records, printed and digital material, scrapbooks, photographic material, and artwork. Of note are records from Sekimachi's forced internment during World War II at Tanforan Assembly Center and Topaz War Relocation Center from 1942 to 1944.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of woodturner Bob Stocksdale and fiber artist Kay Sekimachi measure 19.5 linear feet and 0.125 GB and date from circa 1900 to 2015. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, professional files, exhibition files, project files, personal business records, printed and digital material, scrapbooks, photographic material, and artwork. Of note are records from Sekimachi's forced internment during World War II at Tanforan Assembly Center and Topaz War Relocation Center from 1942 to 1944.

The bulk of biographical materials are from Kay Sekimachi with some originating from her time spent in forced internment at Topaz and Tanforan camps. These records include identification cards, War Relocation Authority printed materials, and school records. Also found are awards, resumes, and blank stationery. Some materials are from Stocksdale's 85th birthday and memorial service.

Letters and extensive greeting cards are from friends, family, and professional acquaintances. Correspondents include Norman Anderson, Peter Collingwood, Jack Lenor Larsen, Sam and Alfreda Maloof, Forrest L. Merrill, Miné Okubo, Barbara Shawcroft, and others.

Writings and notes are scattered and include two interviews with Kay Sekimachi, hanging instructions, and notes. Writings by others are by Jack Lenor Larsen, Tran Turner, and Yoshiko Uchida.

Sekimachi's and Stocksdale's professional activities are documented through files relating to their participation at conferences, awards ceremonies, and lectures. Also found are fiber samples, order forms for materials and equipment, and notes on techniques and design by Kay Sekimachi. Exhibition records include extensive documentation on Marriage in Form, In the Realm of Nature, and Loom and Lathe as well as files for various solo and group exhibitions for both Sekimachi and Stocksdale. Gallery and institution files include material on multiple or unnamed exhibitions. Exhibiton documentation may include correspondence, writings, proposals, printed material, financial and loan records, condition reports, and photographs. Project files contain material for proposed book projects, a retrospective, and portfolio, by and about Sekimachi and Stocksdale. Also found are three commissions files for works by Sekimachi. A proposed retrospective on the work of Bob Stocksdale by Kay Sekimachi includes a digital sound recording of recollections.

Personal business records include sales books, purchase records for works of art by others, appraisals, contracts, consignment receipts, and insurance records.

Published books, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, magazines, and newsletters are found within printed materials. Of note is a publication by the San Francisco Chronicle entitled "This World" which features illustrations by Miné Okubo.

Four scrapbooks compiled by Kay Sekimachi date from 1937 to 1944. Most of the scrapbooks contain printed material from magazines and other sources with images such as children, valentines, food, birds, clothing, and may include scattered sketches and notes by Sekimachi. One scrapbook dates from the end of Sekimachi's internment at Topaz and relocation to Cincinnati, Ohio. This scrapbook includes sketches and printed materials concerning local and global events. Loose material found in this series was likely meant to be pasted into a new or the forth scrapbook. These materials include relocation information, Japanese-American publications, maps, clippings, sketches, and printed programs.

The bulk of photographic materials consist of slides of various vacation locations and homes and date from the 1960s to the 1980s. Also found are scattered portraits of Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale, as well as a photo of Miné Okubo with Roy Leeper and Cecil Thompson. Artworks are largely by Kay Sekimachi and include watercolor and pencil sketches as well as designs for fabrics and a weaving portfolio. Watercolor and pencil sketches are of Tanforan Assembly Center and date from circa 1942.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1920-2003 (1.5 linear feet; Box 1-2)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1943-2014 (7.6 linear feet; Box 2-10)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1960s-2008 (0.2 linear feet; Box 10)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1950s-2011 (1.1 linear feet; Box 10-11, 22)

Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1951-2015 (2.9 linear feet; Box 11-14, ER01; 0.125 GB)

Series 6: Project Files, circa 1900-2004 (0.3 linear feet; Box 14)

Series 7: Personal Business Records, 1970s-2010 (0.7 linear feet; Box 14-15)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1943-2011 (2.3 linear feet; Box 15-17, 22)

Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1937-1946 (0.9 linear feet; Box 17, 21)

Series 10: Photographic Material, circa 1950-2001 (0.9 linear feet; Box 18)

Series 11: Artwork, 1942-circa 1970 (1.1 linear feet; Box 18-20, 22-23)
Biographical / Historical:
Bob Stocksdale (1913-2003) was a woodturner active in California. He was known for bowls he formed from rare types of wood. Kay Sekimachi (1926- ) is a Japanese-American fiber artist and educator also active in California. She began her career in weaving on and off the loom and was part of the New Basketry movement.

Born in Indiana, Bob Stocksdale began his interest in carving by whittling with a pocket knife. Later, he created his own lathe with a washing machine motor and turned items such as baseball bats. During World War II, he was a conscientious objector and worked at various camps performing forestry work. It was in one of the camps that he turned his first bowl on a lathe.

After the war, Stocksdale settled in the Bay Area of California where he established his own woodturning shop in his basement. He concentrated on making bowls out of rare woods. His work has been recognized throughout the world and in 1998, he received the American Association of Woodturners Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2003, he received the James Renwick Alliance Masters of the Medium Award.

Kay Sekimachi was born in San Francisco, California in 1926. As a high school student, she was forcibly interned through Executive Order 9066 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt which incarcerated approximately 120,000 Japanese and Japanese-American citizens during World War II. Along with her mother and siblings, Kay lived at Tanforan Assembly Center and later moved to Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. She continued her schooling at Topaz and after 1944, was resettled in Cincinnati, Ohio.

After graduating from high school, Kay Sekimachi enrolled at the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts where she learned the craft of weaving under Trude Guermonprez and Jack Lenor Larsen. Her early works were tapestries and garments. She later used her weaving techniques as part of the New Basketry movement to create baskets and boxes out of fibers. Also an educator, Kay taught weaving at San Francisco Community College. She received the American Craft Council Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship in 2002.

After the dissolution of his first marriage through which he had two children, son Kim and daughter Joy Stocksdale, Bob married Kay Sekimachi in 1972. The two had been acquainted for many years as they were both craft artists living in the Bay Area. Although they married later in life, Kay and Bob travelled the world and exhibited their art together in many exhibitions including Marriage in Form and Loom and Lathe.

Bob Stocksdale died in Oakland, California in 2003. Kay Sekimachi continues to exhibit her work and lives in Berkeley, California.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are an oral history interview of Bob Stocksdale conducted February 16-March 21, 2001, by Signe Mayfield and an oral history interview of Kay Sekimachi [Stocksdale] conducted July 26-August 6, 2001, by Suzanne Baizerman. Both interviews were conducted in Berkeley, California, during the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Provenance:
The Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers were donated in 2003, 2004, and 2015 by Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of original audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Fiber artists -- California  Search this
Topic:
Textile design  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Asian American art  Search this
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American art  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Asian American fiber artists  Search this
Asian American educators  Search this
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment -- 1942-1945  Search this
Woodwork  Search this
Textile crafts  Search this
Fiberwork  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.stockbob
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d7db1c3a-95bc-44e4-92d5-382fb539e654
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-stockbob
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Kay Sekimachi [Stocksdale]

Interviewee:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Interviewer:
Baizerman, Suzanne  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Adamson, Glenn  Search this
Extent:
59 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2001 July 26-August 6
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Kay Sekimachi [Stocksdale] conducted 2001 July 26-August 6, by Suzanne Baizerman, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Sekimachi's home in Berkeley, California.
Sekimachi speaks of her family and early childhood in Berkeley; a trip to Japan when she was four, during which her older brother died of dysentery; what it was like growing up in a Japanese community in Berkeley; the death of her father when she was ten years old; learning Japanese culture through her mother's cooking and traditions; the relocation of her family during WWII; learning to paint and draw at the relocation center in Tanforan; moving to Utah, then Cincinnati before finally returning to Berkeley; her trip to Japan in 1974 and how it felt like she really belonged there, and falling in love with the Japanese aesthetic; trips to London, and consequently meeting Ann Sutton and Peter Collingwood; studying and working with Trude Guermonprez; teaching for Mary Woodard Davis in Santa Fe, N.M.; her first trip to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.; how the community groups and guilds provided support and many friendships, including Claire Weaver; some of the magazines she subscribes to, and the numerous books that influenced her during her career, by Anni Albers, Mary Atwater, and others; how her work started out as functional and gradually became non-functional; the many different types of her artwork, monofilament, paper bowls, and hornets nests; the limitations of the loom, and learning to experiment with fiber; difficulty of selling her craft; the numerous places she has exhibited and sold her work, including but not limited to Local Color, Nanny's (both in San Francisco), the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, and Brown Grotta Gallery in Wilton, Connecticut; how she doesn't like to deal with agents, and dealers; her marriage to Bob Stocksdale; her studio and the studio of her husband; all of the artwork in her dining room and living room area; and how she is still weaving, but is not as frequent in her studio because she has been taking care of Bob. Sekimachi also recalls Kenneth Trapp, Marguerite Wildenhain, Lee Nordness, Loiuse Allrich, Jack Lenor Larsen, Dominic DiMare, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Kay Sekimachi (1926- ) is a Japanese American fiber artist based in Berkeley, California. Suzanne Baizerman is a curator at the Oakland Museum in Oakland, California. Sekimachi is also known as Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale. She is married to wood-turner Bob Stocksdale.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 21 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Fiber artists -- California -- Berkeley  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Asian American art  Search this
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American art  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Asian American fiber artists  Search this
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment -- 1942-1945  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.sekima01
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b714b0ad-e9ff-4121-89b4-167e1e02e198
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-sekima01
Online Media:

Miné Okubo letter to Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale

Creator:
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Subject:
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1956 August 27
Citation:
Miné Okubo. Miné Okubo letter to Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale, 1956 August 27. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)18630
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_18630
Online Media:

Miné Okubo postcard to Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale

Creator:
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Subject:
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Stocksdale, Bob  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1977 July 27
Citation:
Miné Okubo. Miné Okubo postcard to Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale, 1977 July 27. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)18631
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_18631
Online Media:

Miné Okubo letter to Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale

Creator:
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Subject:
Stocksdale, Bob  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
circa 1980
Citation:
Miné Okubo. Miné Okubo letter to Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale, circa 1980. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)18632
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_18632

Miné Okubo to Kay Sekimachi.

Creator:
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1969 May 6
Citation:
Miné Okubo. Miné Okubo to Kay Sekimachi., 1969 May 6. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)6251
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_6251
Online Media:

Miné Okubo to Kay Sekimachi.

Creator:
Okubo, Miné  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1979 Feb. 1
Citation:
Miné Okubo. Miné Okubo to Kay Sekimachi., 1979 Feb. 1. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)6252
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_6252

June Schwarcz papers

Creator:
Schwarcz, June, 1918-2015  Search this
Names:
Austin, Carole  Search this
Di Mare, Dominic, 1932-  Search this
Slemmons, Kiff  Search this
Solberg, Ramona  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Extent:
7.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Drawings
Date:
1932-2014
Summary:
The papers of enameler June Schwarcz measure 7.6 linear feet and date from 1932 to 2014. The collection comprises biographical material including an interview, correspondence, gallery files, professional files documenting Schwarcz's activities outside of her work with galleries including files for her exhibition June Schwarcz: Forty Years/Forty Pieces, project and travel notebooks, personal business records, and printed materials. Also found are photographic materials including photographs, slides, and digital photographs of Schwarcz, works of art, exhibitions, events, and friends including Merry Renk, Kay Sekimachi, and Dominic di Mare.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of enameler June Schwarcz measure 7.6 linear feet and date from 1932 to 2014. The collection comprises biographical material including an interview, correspondence, gallery files, professional files documenting Schwarcz's activities outside of her work with galleries including files for her exhibition June Schwarcz: Forty Years/Forty Pieces, project and travel notebooks, personal business records, and printed materials. Also found are photographic materials including photographs, slides, and digital photographs of Schwarcz, works of art, exhibitions, events, and friends.

Biographical materials include datebooks, resumes, a transcript of an interview with Nancy Sarvis and "Visit with June" digital recordings, a photograph album and handmade book commemorating Schwarcz's 90th birthday, and a book of poems written by Schwarcz as a teenager. Correspondence is with Carole Austin, Dominic and Margaret di Mare, Bob Ebendorf, Deborah Krupenia, Forrest Merrill, Hal Nelson and Bernard Jazzar, Sarah Perkins, Brigitte Peterhans, Kay Sekimachi, Kiff Slemmons, Ramona Solberg, Paul Soldner, and others. Gallery files consist of correspondence, exhibition forms and related material, and a digital recording of an interview with Schwarz and images of works of art. Professional files document Schwarcz's activities outside of her work with galleries including files for her exhibition June Schwarcz: Forty Years/Forty Pieces, memberships, notebooks for projects and travel, and supply and procedure files. Also found are personal business records consisting of financial and legal records including several ledgers and record books with pricing and inventory information; printed materials that include catalogs and announcements for Schwarcz's exhibitions, clippings, and other material related to the craft community; and photographic materials containing photographs, slides, and born-digital material of Schwarcz, works of art, exhibitions, and snapshots of events and friends including Merry Renk, Kay Sekimachi, and Dominic di Mare.

Throughout the collection, but particularly in correspondence and photographic materials, researchers may find notes that were handwritten onto items by Schwarcz describing events depicted and relationships to people who appear in the collection. Schwarcz also developed an inventory numbering system for her artworks. Inventory numbers are referenced throughout the collection. Information on which works of art correspond to each inventory number can be found in the ledgers and record books in Series 5.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as seven series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1932-2012 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1956-2014 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Gallery Files, 1964-2012 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1953-2013 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1956-2013 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 5-6)

Series 6: Printed Materials, 1956-2011 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 6-7)

Series 7: Photographic Materials, circa 1935-2013 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 7-9)
Biographical / Historical:
June Schwarcz (1918-2015), a long-time resident of Sausalito, California, was one of the preeminent contemporary enamelers in the United States.

Schwarcz was born in Denver, Colorado to Percy and Mary Morris. From 1939 to 1941, she studied industrial design at Pratt Institute. Soon after graduating she married Leroy Schwarcz, an engineer, and the couple moved to Baltimore, Maryland and had two children, Carl and Kim. The family lived in Brazil in the early 1950s before returning to Denver in 1954 for a brief period. While in Denver, Schwarcz learned about enameling through the books of Kenneth Bates. She acquired her first kiln and began creating enamels. Looking to nature for inspiration, she began enameling readymade copper vessels and soon began hammering her own bowls. Eventually she developed a signature method of drawing paper patterns and creating pieces from a lightweight, flexible copper foil that was amenable to folding and sewing like textiles. The work was then immersed into an electroforming bath for several days. The resulting enameled or oxidized vessels represented a unique development in enamel-on-metal technique, one that distinguished her among her fellow American craft artists.

Schwarcz died in 2015 in Sausalito, California.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview of June Schwarcz conducted January 21, 2001 by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Schwarcz's home and studio, Sausalito, California.
Provenance:
The June Schwarcz papers were donated in 2001 and 2013 by June Schwarcz.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Enamelers -- California  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Drawings
Citation:
June Schwarcz papers, 1932-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.schwjune
See more items in:
June Schwarcz papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9057a85fc-3194-4411-b52c-f08b32dbcce6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-schwjune

United States War Relocation Authority Citizen's Indefinite Leave identification card for Kay Sekimachi

Creator:
United States. War Relocation Authority  Search this
Subject:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Type:
Legal Documents
Date:
1944
Citation:
United States. War Relocation Authority. United States War Relocation Authority Citizen's Indefinite Leave identification card for Kay Sekimachi, 1944. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)21097
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_21097
Online Media:

Sketch for mylar monofilm experiments

Creator:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Type:
Artworks
Date:
undated
Citation:
Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale. Sketch for mylar monofilm experiments, undated. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)22460
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_22460

Sketch for a weaving

Creator:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Type:
Artworks
Date:
undated
Citation:
Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale. Sketch for a weaving, undated. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)22461
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_22461

Linen, wool weaving sample

Creator:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Type:
Artifacts
Date:
circa 1962-1963
Citation:
Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale. Linen, wool weaving sample, circa 1962-1963. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)22497
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_22497

Dupont Plastics Products Division letter to Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale

Creator:
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi, 1926-  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1976 March 16
Citation:
Dupont Plastics Products Division letter to Kay Sekimachi Stocksdale, 1976 March 16. Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Asian American artists  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)22499
See more items in:
Bob Stocksdale and Kay Sekimachi papers, circa 1900-2015
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_22499
Online Media:

Modify Your Search







or


Narrow By
  • Archives of American Art