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Guide to the John De Vincenzi Papers
MSS-1998-03
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Title: John De Vincenzi papers
Dates: 1963-1991
Bulk Dates: 1965-1973
Collection number: MSS-1998-03
Creator:
De Vincenzi, John, 1963-1991
Collection Size:
1 box
(0.5 linear feet)
Repository:
San José State University. Library.
San José, California 95192-0028
Abstract: The John De Vincenzi Papers document De Vincenzi's activities as the chair of the Gallery Advisory Committee to the San José
Fine Arts Commission. The committee advocated for, planned, and managed the development of the San José Civic Gallery--now
known as the San José Museum of Art--in downtown San José, California. The bulk of the documents in the collection reflect
the committee's activities and interactions with the public, the City Council, the Triton Museum, and the San José City Council
Art Department, between 1965 and 1973. Some documents from 1963 and 1991 are also included.
Physical location: Vault 1, Range 20B
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
The collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions
also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational
purposes.
Gift of John De Vincenzi, 1998.
John De Vincenzi Papers, MSS-1998-03, San José State University Library, Special Collections & Archives.
Processed by Laura Lind, 2006. EAD encoded by Laura Lind, 2006. Reviewed by Danelle Moon, 2006.
John De Vincenzi was born in San José in 1921. He married Lonnie Santina in 1943 and they had two children. Vincenzi also
served in World War II. He received a Bachelor's degree from San José State College in 1949, an MA degree from Stanford in
1950, and in 1950 he became an art instructor at San José State College. He was promoted to full Professor in 1969; a position
he held until his retirement in 1991. During his career, he achieved high honors as an artist. He was the first artist in
residence at Santa Clara's Triton Museum, and was knighted by the Republic of Italy.
De Vincenzi became chair of the Gallery Advisory Committee to the San José Fine Arts Commission in November, 1965. Under
De Vincenzi's leadership, the advisory committee carried out the planning process for the proposed conversion of a San José
public library building into a city art gallery. The City Council approved the committee report in February of 1969 and the
San José Civic Gallery opened on September 19, 1971. De Vincenzi remained active on the advisory committee until September
of 1972. He was instrumental in the formation of the Civic Gallery Association, and also helped assemble the gallery's first
permanent collection--a group of 40 works donated by local artists.
The John De Vincenzi Papers were donated to the San José State University Special Collections and Archives in 1998. The collection
consists of files documenting the activities of the Gallery Advisory Committee to the San José Fine Arts Commission, which
John De Vincenzi chaired. The bulk of the papers in the collection were created between 1965 and 1973, though a 1963 memo
and some 1991 clippings about the gallery's history are also included. The papers are arranged as a single series: Gallery
Advisory Committee Files.
The papers are arranged as a single series: Gallery Advisory Committee Files.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
De Vincenzi, John, 1921-2006
San José Museum of Art
Triton Museum of Art
San José Civic Gallery
Art -- California -- San José
Art Commissions -- California -- San José
Art museums -- California -- San José