SOAP: Seattle Art Museum Blog

SAM Libraries: Book(s) of the Month Club: May and June

I didn’t get an entry in for May, so you’re getting a double-whammy of book highlights this month!

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. Many artists acknowledge, raise awareness of or define their own sexuality through their artistic practice. We have a number of books in our libraries that address the art, intersections, relationships and crossroads of the LGBT community.

Here are some of my favorites:

• The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol, by John Wilcock and a Cast of Thousands. John Wilcock. New York: Other Scenes, Inc., 1971.*
• Lesbian Art in America: A Contemporary History. Harmony Hammond. New York: Rizzoli, 2000.*
• Male Desire: The Homoerotic In American Art. Jonathan Weinberg. New York: Abrams, 2005.*
• Outlaw Representation: Censorship & Homosexuality in Twentieth Century American Art. Richard Meyer. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.*
• Sh[OUT]: Contemporary Art and Human Rights: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Art and Culture. Sean McGlashan et al. Glasgow, UK: Glasgow Museums, 2009.*
• Wack! Art and the Feminist Revolution. Cornelia H. Butler et al. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2007.*

***

May was Asian American Heritage Month. This gives us a chance to look at resources in our collection related to important Asian-American artists of our region.

The Seattle Art Museum holds a great number of works in its collection by regional Asian-American artists, including: Gui Deng, Fay Chong, Paul Horiuchi, Johsel Namkung, Kenjiro Nomura, Frank Okada, Joseph Park, Norie Sato, Roger Shimomura, Kamekichi Tokita, George Tsutakawa and many others.

Likewise, the Seattle Art Museum Libraries hold a number of resources that illucidate these artists’ work. Below are a few examples.

• Frank Okada: The Shape of Elegance. Museum of Northwest Art. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2005.*
• George Tsutakawa. Martha Kingsbury. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1990.*
• Joseph Park: Moon Beam Caress. Robin Held. Seattle: Frye Art Museum, 2005.*
• Paul Horiuchi: East and West. Barbara Johns. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2008.*
• The Prints of Roger Shimomura: A Catalogue Raisonné, 1968-2005. Emily Stamey. Lawrence, KS: Spencer Museum of Art, 2007.*

And we have a number of resources related to the themes of Asian-American art:

• Asia/America: Identities in Contemporary Asian American Art. Margo Machida. New York: The Asia Society Galleries, 1994.*
• Divided Destiny: A History of Japanese Americans in Seattle. David A. Takami. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998.*
• Fresh Talk, Daring Gazes: Conversations on Asian American Art. Elaine H. Kim. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.**
• One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now. Melissa Chu. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2006.**
• They Painted from Their Hearts: Pioneer Asian American Artists. Wing Luke Asian Museum. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.**

Another great resource on regional Asian-American artists is the Northwest Artist Files located at the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Library at SAM Downtown. This artist file collection consists of newspaper clippings, gallery announcements and cards, small brochures, biographical information and other ephemera. This collection may be accessed during the library’s open hours and photocopies can be made for a minimal charge. To consult information in these files, please contact the Bullitt Library at libraries@seattleartmuseum.org. (Appointments are strongly encouraged.)

* = Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Library at SAM downtown
** = McCaw Foundation Library, at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park

Traci Timmons, Librarian