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Robin J. Dunitz research files on Black muralists in Portland, Oregon

 Collection
Identifier: Coll 896

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of biographical information, clippings, images, and ephemera collected by Robin J. Dunitz relating to Black muralists in Portland, Oregon. The collection contains information about artists Henry Frison, Charlotte Lewis, Isaka Shamsud-Din, Arvie Smith, Thelma Johnson Streat, and others. The collection also includes images and newspaper articles about the Albina Mural Project, as well as Dunitz's own article about the Albina Mural Project that was published in Oregon Historical Quarterly. Additional materials in the collection include records and ephemera relating to the traveling exhibit "Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride" when it was showing at the Oregon Historical Society, and a CD of photographs of murals painted by Black artists in Portland, as well as a mural painted by Curtis Barnes and Royal Alley-Barnes in Seattle, Washington.

Dates

  • Creation: 1947-2017
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1978-2017

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Biographical Note

Robin J. Dunitz began researching, photographing, and writing about murals in the 1980s. Among the books she has written are "Street Gallery: Guide to 1000 Los Angeles Murals," 1993; "Painting the Towns: Murals of California," co-written with James Prigoff, 1997; and "Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride: African American Murals," co-written with James Prigoff, 2000. "Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride" became the basis for a traveling exhibit. Dunitz also wrote an article about the Albina Mural Project for the Winter 2010 issue of Oregon Historical Quarterly.

Sources: Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 111, No. 4, 2010; Oregonian articles, 2010-2011.

Historical Note

In 1977 and 1978, artists Isaka Shamsud-Din (then Isaac Shamsud-Din), Henry Frison, Darryl Clegg, Jenny Harada, Chonitia Henderson, Larry Scott, and Charles Tatum worked on the Albina Mural Project, which consisted of five panels of murals illustrating Black American history that were mounted on the outside walls of the Albina Human Resources Center at 5200 North Vancouver Avenue in Portland, Oregon. The project was funded by the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA). The project also included a wood relief, carved by Tatum, that was located above the building's entrance. The mural panels stayed on the building for five years before being removed.

Sources: Dunitz, Robin J., "The Albina Mural Project," Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 111, No. 4, 2011; articles in the Oregonian, 1978 and 2010.

Extent

0.15 Cubic Feet (10 folders in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Research files of Robin J. Dunitz concerning Black muralists from Portland, Oregon, and their work, including photographs of murals; information about artists Henry Frison, Charlotte Lewis, Isaka Shamsud-Din, Arvie Smith, and Thelma Johnson Streat; information concerning the Albina Mural Project; and records of the traveling exhibit "Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride." Dunitz has studied and written about murals since the 1980s.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Images on CD require specialized equipment to access. Contact library staff for assistance.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Robin J. Dunitz, November 2017 (Lib. Acc. 29241).

Related Materials

An oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din, SR 1759, is also held at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and is available in OHS Digital Collections at https://digitalcollections.ohs.org/sr-1759-oral-history-interview-with-isaka-shamsud-din.

Title
Guide to the Robin J. Duntiz research files on Black muralists in Portland, Oregon
Status
Completed
Author
Jeffrey A. Hayes
Date
2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240