Kenneth Patchen Festival records, 1927-1991, bulk 1989-1991

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Summary

Creators:
Trumbull Art Gallery
Abstract:
Contains correspondence, publicity including catalog layout sheets, photographs, slides, recordings, an artifact and mail art material generated and collected mainly by Trumbull Art Gallery director during the Kenneth Patchen Festivals held between 1987-1991 in Warren, Ohio. Included are festival exhibit material; Warren G. Harding High School yearbooks and newspapers from 1927-1929.
Extent:
4 archival boxes
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

Kenneth Patchen Festival records. MS 166. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Background

Scope and content:

Contains correspondence, publicity including catalog layout sheets, photographs, slides, recordings, an artifact and mail art material generated and collected mainly by Trumbull Art Gallery director during Kenneth Patchen Festivals held between 1987-1991 in Warren, Ohio. Of special interest are the festival exhibit material, Warren G. Harding High School yearbooks and newspapers dating to 1927-1929.

Biographical / historical:

In the Spring of 1987 Artist and Curator at the Trumbull Art Gallery, William Mullane organized a major celebration of Kenneth Patchen's work in his home town of Warren, Ohio. Kenneth's sisters and other members of Patchen's family were involved in four days of events, commemorative poetry readings and exhibitions. During this first gathering the Ohio Arts Council decided to sponsor an annual Kenneth Patchen Festival to celebrate the poet's work beginning in 1989.

Account of Events:

Kenneth Patchen: An Exhibition of painted poems, books, sculptures and documentation on Kenneth's early years in Warren, Ohio, Mar 7-Apr 5, 1987. Trumbull Art Gallery (TAG) with the cooperation of the Kenneth Patchen Archives located at the UCSC presented an exhibit. In addition to presenting Patchen's works, the exhibit explored the Warren from 1910-1930 in an attempt to document the community, industry, and schools, which influenced the writer's vision. Special program was held on Mar 5, 1987 at Kent State University Trumbull Campus featuring Kenneth's wife Miriam, who spoke about her late husbund's work and read his poetry.

Kenneth Patchen: Literary Festival, Apr 27-30, 1989. Scheduled events consisted of exhibition of Patchen' Art; production of Patchen play Don't Look Now (Apr 28, 30, May 5-7, 1989), video presentation of "Kenneth Patchen; an Art of Engagement", readings, panel discussion, presentation on Kenneth Patchen Archive, and a tour of Kenneth Patchen Coffee Shop at Trumbull Memorial Hospital. "Don't look now" opend at the Kent State University Trumbull Campus theatere for a two week run. It was directed by Joel Climenhaga, poet, playwright and professor of speech and theatre from Tarkio College, Missouri. Some of the program participants included Miriam Patchen; poet, teacher, freedom fighter Dennis Brutus; poet, artists, publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Patchen bibliographer Larry Smith.

Kenneth Patchen Festival: A Celebration of the Arts, Apr 27-29, 1990 Scheduled events included a reading by Miriam Patchen, panel Discussion of "The Role of the Small Press in American Letters", video presentation of "Kenneth Patchen and Art of Engagement", reproduction of Kenneth Patchen's radio play "City Wears a Slouch Hat" undet direction of Joel Climenhaga, soundscaped by Gary Boggess, and an exhibit of Patchen's silkscreens. Program participants included Dennis Brutus, Carlos Cortez, C. M. James, Miriam Patchen, Bern Porter, Larry Smith, Jonathan Williams, and Al Young.

Kenneth Patchen Mail Art Festival, 1991. Project was sponsored by the Kenneth Patchen Festival Group, and was housed at the Trumbull Art Gallery in Warren, Ohio. C. M. James, the event organizer, culminated year's worth of mail art from around the world.

Date Event
Mar 7-Apr 5, 1987 Kenneth Patchen: An Exhibition of painted poems, books, sculptures and documentation on Kenneth's early years in Warren.
Apr 27-30, 1989 Kenneth Patchen: Literary Festival
Apr 27-29, 1990 Kenneth Patchen Festival: A Celebration of the Arts
1991 Kenneth Patchen Mail Art Festival
Acquisition information:
Gift of Trumbull Art Gallery c/o William E. Mullane, 1988, C. M. James, 1991; Vivian Pemberton, 1988; Judith Wray 1989; Joel Climenhaga, 1988.
Arrangement:

Material is devided into three series. Series 1. General Festival Business; contain correspondence, festival publicity ,and event photographs, slides & audio recordings accumulated during the first three Patchen festivals. Series 2. Kenneth Patchen Exhibit Material, 1987; consists mainly of historical items relating to Patchen's High School Years shown in 1987. Series 3. Mail Art Material, 1991; consists of year's worth of mail art items and a few business records collected by the event cordinator C. M James, 1991. Mail art is arranged alphabetically by sender.

Physical location:
Stored offsite at NRLF: Advance notice is required for access to the papers.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection open for research.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to publish or to reproduce the material, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Preferred citation:

Kenneth Patchen Festival records. MS 166. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Location of this collection:
Special Collections and Archives, University Library
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, US
Contact:
(831) 459-2547
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu
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