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DeLoss McGraw Papers
MSS 0631
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Creator:
McGraw, DeLoss
Title: DeLoss McGraw Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1975-2003
Extent:
11.70 linear feet
(9 archives boxes, 79 oversize folders and 2 art bin items)
Abstract: The papers of DeLoss McGraw, artist, children's book illustrator, fine arts lecturer, and educator, document McGraw's artistic
career from the mid-1980s to 2003, especially his use of literary texts in his compositions and his collaborations with poets,
most notably W. D. Snodgrass. The collection contains correspondence with literary figures, friends and members of the fine
arts community; brochures, catalogs and reviews for McGraw's solo and group exhibitions; and documentation of his public art
commissions, including the Carlsbad City Library Sculpture Project. Also included are numerous artworks by McGraw, particularly
monoprints for edition books and projects, such as his series entitled "In Response to Poems by Snodgrass," printed at Magnolia
Press. The collection includes materials related to the production of the trade books W.D.'S MIDNIGHT CARNIVAL (1988) and
THE DEATH OF COCK ROBIN (1989) and for the illustrated children's book ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (2001), which earned
him the Illustrator's Society Book of the Year Award for 2002. The papers are arranged in eight series: 1) MISCELLANEOUS/ABOUT
MCGRAW, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) EDITION BOOKS AND MONOPRINTS, 4) TRADE BOOKS, 5) CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS, 6) WORKS ON
COMMISSION AND PUBLIC ART, 7) EXHIBITION MATERIALS, and 8) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES.
Repository:
University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
La Jolla, California 92093-0175
Collection number: MSS 0631
Language of Material:
Collection materials in English
Collection is open for research
Not Available
DeLoss McGraw Papers, MSS 0631. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
DeLoss McGraw was born in Okemah, Oklahoma, in 1945. He attended East Central State College, Oklahoma; the Otis Art Institute,
Los Angeles; and the Art Institute of San Miguel del Allende, Mexico. McGraw obtained his bachelor of art from California
State University, Long Beach, in 1969 and his master of fine art from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Michigan, in 1971.
Before pursuing a full-time career as an artist, McGraw taught fine art at Northern Kentucky University from 1972-1975 and
at the University of San Diego, from 1978-1983. He also served as a guest artist at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1982,
the Tamarind Institute, University of New Mexico in 1985, and at the Oklahoma Arts Institute.
Much of McGraw's inspiration comes from poetry and literature, as well as the disciplines of theatre and music. McGraw has
been a pioneer in art and poetry collaborative works since the 1980s. Besides his creative responses to writings by Emily
Dickinson, Mary Shelley, Franz Kafka, W. B. Yeats, William Blake, and others, McGraw also incorporates the poet's text in
the compositions of his paintings, especially in the collaborative works with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W. D. Snodgrass,
who he has worked with since 1976. He has worked with a number of contemporary poets, including Robert Phillips, Robert Hass,
Daniel Halpern, William Heyen, Thom Ward, Janet Lewis, Barton Thurber, among others.
Scope and Content of Collection
The papers of DeLoss McGraw contain artworks and book development materials for edition, trade and artist's books by McGraw,
often collaborations with contemporary poets, including W. D. Snodgrass, William Heyen, Susan M. Wyler, Thom Ward, and Al
Poulin Jr. Also included are proofs of lithographs and monoprints, often in series, printed at the Tamarind Institute, Magnolia
Press, Brighton Press, and the Ernest de Soto Workshop. The correspondence documents McGraw's collaborations with writers
and poets, as well as business with gallery owners and the art community. The files also document McGraw's numerous exhibitions
and public art projects.
The papers are arranged in eight series: 1) MISCELLANEOUS/ABOUT MCGRAW, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) EDITION BOOKS AND MONOPRINTS,
4) TRADE BOOKS, 5) CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS, 6) WORKS ON COMMISSION AND PUBLIC ART, 7) EXHIBITION MATERIALS, and 8) ORIGINALS
OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES.
SERIES 1: MISCELLANEOUS/ABOUT MCGRAW
The MISCELLANEOUS/ABOUT MCGRAW series, arranged alphabetically, contains writings and miscellaneous doodles by McGraw, as
well as materials about the artist, such as a pamphlet of McGraw's biography, photographs of McGraw and others, and a typescript
of interview with McGraw, W. D. Snodgrass and Kathleen Snodgrass.
SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE
The CORRESPONDENCE series, arranged alphabetically by name, contains personal and business letters, including drafts and typescripts
of poems, essays, short stories, and signed broadsides by poets, W. D. Snodgrass, Sam Hamill, Al Poulin Jr., and Thom Ward.
Among the letters of McGraw's clientele and friends are thank you notes enclosed with photographs of paintings by McGraw.
SERIES 3: EDITION BOOKS AND MONOPRINTS
The EDITION BOOKS AND MONOPRINTS series is arranged in two subseries: A) Edition Books and B) Monoprints by McGraw.
A) The Edition Books subseries, arranged chronologically, contains preliminary artworks by McGraw; artist's proofs, proof
mock-ups, letterpress proofs, tissue drawings, lithographs, and watercolor paintings. Other materials include brochures,
correspondence, annotated typescript drafts of poems and essays, selected writings, and research materials.
B) The Monoprints by McGraw subseries, arranged chronologically, contains serial lithographs and artist's proofs, hand-printed
by McGraw. Monoprints without dates are located at the end of the series and in alphabetical order by title. The early monoprints
in this subseries date circa 1980s and the majority of these were printed at the Magnolia Press in San Francisco. Stone lithographs,
"Apects of Alice" and "Poet: Wearing Tools of Trade," printed at Ernest de Soto Workshop date from 1989 to early 1990s.
SERIES 4: TRADE BOOKS
The TRADE BOOKS series, spanning the dates 1987-1992, consists of two trade book publications, W. D.'S MIDNIGHT CARNIVAL (1988)
by ARTRA Publishing, Inc. and DEATH OF COCK ROBIN (1989) by the University of Delaware Press. This series, arranged chronologically,
contains typescripts, annotated drafts and correspondence from Snodgrass. It also includes two typescript poems not included
in the book, "The Midnight Carnival: Resisting the Hypnotist, Dr. Ph. D. Dark" and "The Midnight Carnival: Tunnel of Romance."
Additional materials include clippings and announcements.
SERIES 5: CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS
The CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS series, arranged chronologically, spans the years, 1992-2002 and documents McGraw's illustrations
and designs for children's books. McGraw won book awards for FISH STORY (1993) and HIPPITY HOP, FROG ON TOP (1995). The
collection includes extensive preliminary artwork for ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (2001) including correspondence, original
sketch drawings, drawings on tracing paper, color photocopies of paintings by McGraw, page proofs, mock-up clamshell boxes
in five different colors with hand-painted cover art, clippings, photographs of paintings of "Alice" series, and reviews.
SERIES 6: WORKS ON COMMISSION AND PUBLIC ART
The WORKS ON COMMISSION AND PUBLIC WORK series, arranged chronologically, documents McGraw's professional works on commission,
including public art projects. It contains a variety of cover art by McGraw including playbills and announcement cards for
the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, art design for a KCRW brochure and many dust jackets. In addition, this series includes
proofs and layouts for the broadside poem entitled, "Only the Traveler Can Change the Journey," signed by the author and the
artist to commemorate the publication of Thom Ward's book of poetry, SMALL BOAT WITH OARS OF DIFFERENT SIZE (2000). Preliminary
studies, sketch drawings, photographs, and notes document McGraw's involvement in the public art, such as the sculpture project
at Carlsbad (California) City Library, the installation of "Children's Chair for the Seasons" at Nashville Public Library,
as well as a bronze scuplture of a mermaid for the resort hotel at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, in Los Cabos, Mexico. Also included
in this series are two portrait drawings in charcoal on paper.
SERIES 7: EXHIBITION MATERIALS
The EXHIBITION MATERIALS series, arranged chronologically, contains materials from solo and group exhibitions and spans the
years 1975-2002. It includes catalogues, pamphlets, brochures, reviews, correspondence with poets and others, invitation
and announcement cards, posters, photographs of McGraw and others.
SERIES 8: ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES
The ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES series contains the originals of brittle or high acid content documents that have
been photocopied.
RELATED COLLECTIONS
MSS 486 - The Brighton Press Archive contains abundant DeLoss McGraw materials, especially for the fine press edition of MIDNIGHT
CARNIVAL.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
McGraw, DeLoss -- Archives
Artistic collaboration -- United States
Snodgrass, W. D. -- (William De Witt), 1926- -- correspondent
Hamill, Sam -- correspondent
Ward, Thom -- correspondent
Poulin, A. -- correspondent
Heyen, William, 1940- -- correspondent
Wyler, Susan Melissa -- correspondent