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KSU Creative Arts Festival records

Special Collections and Archives

KSU Creative Arts Festival records

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Special Collections and Archives

KSU Creative Arts Festival records

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Repository:
Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.
Title:
Kent State University Creative Arts Festival records
Inclusive Date(s):
1966-1975
Bulk Date(s):
1973-1974
Author:
Finding aid prepared by Cara Gilgenbach
Creation:
Finding aid encoded by Cara Gilgenbach using the OhioLINK EAD Application in 2023
Description Rules:
Finding aid prepared using DACS, 2nd Edition
Origination:
Kent State University
Extent:
1.16 cubic feet (2 document cases + 1 half-size record storage box)
Physical Location:
11th Floor
Finding Aid Identifier:
OhKeUSC0224
Abstract:
The collection contains programs, artists' files, photographs, audio recordings, and other materials associated with the Kent State University Creative Arts Festival, an annual event that brought artists from many different genres and artistic media to campus for a series of lectures, workshops, readings, exhibits, and performances.
Language(s):
The records are in English.

History of the Creative Arts Festival

According to a 1969 article, the Creative Arts Festival (CAF), conceived as a week long event hosting visiting artists, was started in 1966 (Brenner, Bill. "Festival History," Daily Kent Stater. January 28, 1969, p. 9). The idea for the festival was suggested in 1965 by Sharon Graves who was at the time the cultural committee chair of the Student Activities Board (SAB). The festival, typically held during January or February, was intended to help students become more aware of the influence and importance of the arts (defined broadly) and creative endeavors. Outside artists were brought in for a week of activities, not only a single lecture or performance, providing students with ample opportunities to engage with artists from a variety of fields and genres. The festival featured lectures, seminars, readings, performances, workshops, and panel discussions among other activities over the years. A number of prominent artists and performers participated in the CAF over the years. The festival was advertised and covered in the Stater campus newspaper. It is difficult to establish a definitive date on which the festival ended, but articles about its existence as part of annual campus programming can be found dating through 1984.

Scope and Content

The bulk of the collection is comprised of Artists' Files that contain correspondence, biographical information, and photographs of artists who came to Kent State for the Creative Arts Festival. There are also selected programs, event photographs, and audio recordings in the collection. This is a partial archive of this event as Special Collections & Archives has only received partial records to date.

Statement of Arrangement

The collection is organized into five series:

  • Series 1: Artists Files
  • Series 2: Photographs
  • Series 3: Brochures/Programs
  • Series 4: Other Records
  • Series 5: Audio Recordings

Related Material

There are additional photographs of selected events and artists who came to Kent State as part of this festival in the Kent State University Photographs collection. Contact Special Collections & Archives for additional assistance locating these materials.

Restrictions on Use

Most of the artist photographs in the collection are not owned by Kent State and were supplied by the artists themselves. Kent State University cannot grant permission for use beyond personal, research use.

Preferred Citation

Kent State University Creative Arts Festival records. Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.

Acquisition Information

The records in this collection were gathered and compiled by Special Collections & Archives staff over time. A large influx of material was created and compiled by Kent State faculty member Robert J. Bertholf (English) who was an organizer of the festival in 1973 and 1974.

Accruals

Additional records of the Creative Arts Festival will be added to this collection as they are acquired.

Controlled Access Headings

The following are found in this collection:

Subjects:

  • Kent State University. Creative Arts Festival
  • Art festivals -- Ohio -- Kent
  • Arts -- Ohio -- Kent
  • Arts -- Study and teaching -- Ohio -- Kent
  • Performing arts festivals -- Ohio -- Kent

Persons:

  • Bertholf, Robert J.

Functions:

  • Arts -- Study and teaching
  • Art festivals -- Management
  • Performing arts festivals -- Management

Occupations:

  • College teachers

Material Types:

  • Photographs
  • Open reel audiotapes
  • Portraits
  • Records (Documents)
  • Brochures
  • Clippings
  • Lectures
  • Literary readings
  • Sound recordings
  • Programs (Publications)

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series 1: Artists Files, 1969-1974, undated
Scope and Content: The Artists Files contain clippings, biographical information, correspondence, photographs, and other material by and about the artists or artistic groups that were invited to participate in the Creative Arts Festival. Please note that some files contain very little information such as a single photograph or single clipping.
Box 1 / Folder 1
CAF: Artists Files: Akron Jazz Workshop, Inc., 1974
Box 1 / Folder 2
CAF: Artists Files: Arnett, Carroll, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 3
CAF: Artists Files: Barton, Bruce Walter, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 4
CAF: Artists Files: Benglis, Lynda, undated
Box 1 / Folder 5
CAF: Artists Files: Bialy, Harvey, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 6
CAF: Artists Files: Brakhage, Stan, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 7
CAF: Artists Files: Brolaski, Ines, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 8
CAF: Artists Files: Brown, Harvey, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 9
CAF: Artists Files: Byrd, Charlie, undated
Box 1 / Folder 10
CAF: Artists Files: Carlin, George, undated
Box 1 / Folder 11
CAF: Artists Files: Clark, Tom, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 12
CAF: Artists Files: Clarke, Shirley, undated (but 1969)
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Box 1 / Folder 13
CAF: Artists Files: Creeley, Robert, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 14
CAF: Artists Files: Dawson, Fielding, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 15
CAF: Artists Files: DEVO Sextet, undated
Scope and Content: This file contains one item: a small, handwritten note written on the back of a piece of scrap paper that reads: "Sextet Devo, 1) Gerald Casale, 2) Robert " [Casale], 3) Robert Lewis, 4) Mark Mothersbaugh, 5) Rod Reisman, 6) Charles Frederick Weber III, (Gonna) Buy the Farm"
Box 1 / Folder 16
CAF: Artists Files: Dinglefest Theatre Company, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 17
CAF: Artists Files: Doctorow, E. L., 1974
Box 1 / Folder 18
CAF: Artists Files: Dorn, Edward, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 19
CAF: Artists Files: Fuller, Samuel, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 20
CAF: Artists Files: Gerber, Dan, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 21
CAF: Artists Files: Hardwick, Elizabeth, undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Biography or History: Hardwick was a moderator during the 1969 CAF.
Box 1 / Folder 22
CAF: Artists Files: Kimball, George, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 23
CAF: Artists Files: King, B. B., undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Biography or History: King performed during the 1969 CAF.
Box 1 / Folder 24
CAF: Artists Files: Kyger, Joanne, undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Box 1 / Folder 25
CAF: Artists Files: LaMama Co., undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Biography or History: LaMama was part of the 1969 CAF.
Box 1 / Folder 26
CAF: Artists Files: Lowell, James, undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Box 1 / Folder 27
CAF: Artists Files: McClure, Michael, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 28
CAF: Artists Files: McGuane, Thomas, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 29
CAF: Artists Files: McMurtry, Larry, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 30
CAF: Artists Files: McNaughten, William, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 31
CAF: Artists Files: Metcalf, Paul, undated
Box 1 / Folder 32
CAF: Artists Files: Music Now & Then, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 33
CAF: Artists Files: Mydans, Carl, 1972
Box 1 / Folder 34
CAF: Artists Files: Myers & Teter, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 35
CAF: Artists Files: Okamura, Arthur, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 36
CAF: Artists Files: The Open Theater, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 37
CAF: Artists Files: Oppenheimer, Joel, undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Box 1 / Folder 38
CAF: Artists Files: Pearls Before Swine, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 39
CAF: Artists Files: Petersen, Will, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 40
CAF: Artists Files: Raphael, Frederic, undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Box 1 / Folder 41
CAF: Artists Files: Scardina, Paul, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 42
CAF: Artists Files: Segal, Michael, 1973
Box 1 / Folder 43
CAF: Artists Files: Sennett, Gerti, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 44
CAF: Artists Files: Shapiro, Karl, undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Biography or History: Shapiro participated in the 1969 CAF.
Box 1 / Folder 45
CAF: Artists Files: Sharits, Paul, undated
Box 1 / Folder 46
CAF: Artists Files: Soleri, Paolo, 1971
Box 1 / Folder 47
CAF: Artists Files: Street Fiction Press, undated
Box 1 / Folder 48
CAF: Artists Files: Sugarman, George, 1974
Box 1 / Folder 49
CAF: Artists Files: Tenney, James, undated
Scope and Content: File contains only photograph(s).
Biography or History: Tenney participated in the 1969 CAF.
Box 1 / Folder 50
CAF: Artists Files: Theatre of Communities, undated
Series 2: Brochures/Programs, 1966-1973
Box 2 / Folder 1
CAF: Brochures/Programs, 1966
Biography or History: Festival theme: "The Artist and His Work"
Box 2 / Folder 2
CAF: Brochures/Programs, 1968
Biography or History: Festival theme: "Encounter Interpret Innovate"
Box 2 / Folder 3
CAF: Brochures/Programs, 1969
Biography or History: Festival theme: "The Arts Reach Out"
Box 2 / Folder 4
CAF: Brochures/Programs, 1970
Box 2 / Folder 5
CAF: Brochures/Programs, 1971
Box 2 / Folder 6
CAF: Brochures/Programs, 1972
Box 2 / Folder 7
CAF: Brochures/Programs, 1973
Series 3: Photographs, 1973-1974, undated
Separated Material: For photographs of individual artists or groups, please also see the Artists Files series above.
Box 2 / Folder 8
CAF: Photographs: Art of the American Indian, 1974
Box 2 / Folder 9
CAF: Photographs: Events, 1973
Box 2 / Folder 10
CAF: Photographs: Events, 1974
Box 2 / Folder 11
CAF: Photographs: Unidentified Artists and Events, undated
Series 4: Other Records, 1968-1974, undated
Box 2 / Folder 12
CAF: Other Records: Clippings, 1968-1974, undated
Box 2 / Folder 13
CAF: Other Records: Contract (form, blank), undated
Box 2 / Folder 14
CAF: Other Records: Correspondence: Inter-Departmental, 1968, 1972
Box 2 / Folder 15
CAF: Other Records: Portfolio, 1974
Scope and Content: Portfolio publication featuring poems, illustrations, and photographs by CAF artists from the 1974 festival. This file includes the printed portfolio as well as mock-ups, manuscript drafts and annotations, and other materials related to the production of this piece.
Related Material: A copy of the published portfolio is also available in the LC-classified book collection. See catalog record for contents and other details.
Series 5: Audio Recordings, 1974-1975
Box 3
CAF: Audio Recordings, 1974
Physical Description: reel-to-reel tapes3 reels7 inch
Scope and Content: Three reels containing recordings of readings by Ines Brolaski, Joanne Kyger, Joel Oppenheimer, Ed Dorn, and the Panel on the West.
Alternate Form Available: Audio cassette duplicates (5 tapes) have been produced of the these audio reels.
Box 3
CAF: Audio Recordings, 1975
Physical Description: reel-to-reel tapes4 reels7 inch
Scope and Content: Three reels containing recordings of readings by Harvey Bialy, Robert Creeley, Fielding Dawson, and lectures by Stan Brakhage and Will Petersen, as well as a performance by Music Now & Then.
Alternate Form Available: Audio cassette duplicates (6 tapes) have been produced of the these audio reels. The cassettes are numbered 5-10.

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