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RIT Campus Art collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: RITArc-0047

Scope and Contents

The RIT Campus Art collection contains documents related to the artwork housed on the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) campus. This includes published articles, newspaper clippings, press releases, and images of various works. There are also several documents that list items on RIT's campus, creating a partial inventory for the university's collection. Specific artists included in the collection are Josef Albers, Alistair Bevington, Harry Bertoia, José de Rivera, Frederick Lipp, Henry Moore, and Albert Paley. There is also information the D'Amanda Clock, located on top of Kate Gleason Hall, and a publication highlighting the art on RIT's Henrietta campus in 1968.

Dates

  • Creation: 1955-2003

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is available for research use.

Historical Information: RIT campus art

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has a rich history in the field of arts and crafts. The Mechanics Institute, RIT's predecessor, was formed in 1885 by Henry Lomb as the first technical school in the Rochester area. Within that first year, an art department was established, offering courses in industrial design, drawing, and architecture. By 1888, the department had expanded to become the department of industrial and fine arts. The art program experienced strong growth. In 1907 the name was changed to the department of applied and fine arts.

When RIT moved out of the city of Rochester to the suburb of Henrietta in 1968, the importance of art to the school was recognized by the university's administration. One percent of the total cost of construction for the relocation project was earmarked for the purchase of fine art for RIT's new campus. A small committee selected works by artists such as Josef Albers, Harry Bertoia, Alistair Bevington , José de Rivera , and Henry Moore. The committee was made-up of Arthur L. Stern, a member or RIT's Board of Trustees; Stern's wife, Molly; and Aileen Vanderbilt Webb, founder of the School for American Crafts. These pieces are still part of RIT's Public Art on Campus Collection.

RIT's campus art collection has continued to grow over the years. For instance, in 2003 the school dedicated "The Sentinel," a metal sculpture created by RIT's Charlotte Fredericks Mowris Chair in the School for American Crafts, Albert Paley.

When the university celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2004, the Cary Graphic Arts Press published View It! The Art and Architecture of RIT, highlighting many of the pieces on RIT's campus. This was accompanied by a companion website titled "Art on Campus," available through the RIT Archive Collections homepage.

Extent

0.17 Linear Feet (9 folders in 1 half document box)

Language

English

Overview

Materials related to the artwork housed on the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) campus. The collection includes clippings, articles, press releases, and miscellaneous documents on several artists including Josef Albers, Harry Bertoia, Alistair Bevington, José de Rivera, Frederick Lipp, Henry Moore, and Albert Paley.

Arrangement

The collection contains 9 folders. For the most part, materials on specific artists are housed in separate folders.

Online Collections

A website titled "Art on Campus" is available through the RIT Archive Collection's website. The site was launched in 2004 and includes information on the individual pieces of artwork on the Rochester Institute of Technology's campus.

Processing Information

Finding aid created by Lara Nicosia in January 2011.

Title
Collection on RIT campus art
Status
Published
Subtitle
RIT Archives
Author
Lara Nicosia
Date
10 January 2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the RIT Archives Repository

Contact:
Rochester NY 14623 USA