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Tad Miyashita Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Miyashita, Tad,1922-1979.
Title: Tad Miyashita Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1952-1977
Quantity: 3 linear ft.
Abstract: Papers of the American painter. Collection includes artwork (both original and photographs), biographical material, correspondence, and printed material (exhibit catalogs, clippings, etc.).
Language: Bulk in English, few items in Japanese.
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Tad Miyashita (1922-1979) was an American artist particularly known for his collage and his mixed-media and found object work. Born in Hawaii, he studied at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. and at the Art Students League in New York City. During World War II he served with the Nisei Regimental Combat Team. He was a resident artist at the Millay Colony for the Arts (1975) and at Yaddo, and his work has been exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Grand Central Art Galleries, and the Corcoran Gallery among others in both solo and group shows.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Tad Miyashita Papers consist of artwork, biographical material, correspondence, and printed material.

Artwork contains one original piece (a collage) and numerous reproductions in the form of photographs, negatives, slides, and a few glass plate positives. Many of the slides were submissions to art galleries, competitions, or artists' colonies such as Yaddo.

Biographical material includes curriculum vitae and photographs of Miyashita, some by Dena.

Correspondence is the largest part of the collection, and consists entirely of incoming correspondence. Here may be found letters from friends and family (brother Toshio and various people who address him as "Uncle Tad"); colleagues in the creative arts, including poets, artists, and authors (Heather McHugh, Paul Friedman, Thomas McKeown, Nita Regnier, Frances Whyatt); art galleries (Grand Central Galleries, the Guggenheim, Whitney Museum of American Art); and residential artists' colonies where Miyashita stayed (Ossabaw Island Project, the Macdowell Colony, Yaddo). The most substantial correspondent is Paul Friedman, author and professor of English at the University of Illinois (four folders spanning 1973-1977).

Printed material contains exhibit catalogs for Miyashita and others, a number of books given to Miyashita by the authors (many of which are signed and inscribed to him), and a few miscellaneous items.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Artwork is arranged alphabetically by type. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Printed material is arranged alphabetically by type and within that by title, if appropriate.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has the papers of many important American artists and illustrators. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Canaday, John, 1907-
English, Maurice.
Friedman, Paul, 1937-
Humble, Christopher.
Launois, Yukiko.
Miyashita, Tad, 1922-1979.
Whyatt, Frances.
Yeh, Carol.

Corporate Bodies

MacDowell Colony (Peterborough, N.H.)
Yaddo (Artists' colony)

Subjects

Art, American -- 20th century.
Artist colonies -- United States.
Collage, American -- 20th century.
Painters -- United States.
Painting, American -- 20th century.
Poets, American.

Genres and Forms

Clippings (information artifacts)
Collages (visual works)
Correspondence.
Drawings (visual works)
Exhibition catalogs.
Negatives (photographs)
Photographs.
Slides (photographs)

Occupations

Artists.
Painters.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Tad Miyashita Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Bulk of collection, gift of Tad Miyashita, 1967-1977.

Original collage, gift of Andrew Gurian, 2017.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: --
Date: Jan 1967
Revision history: 9 Oct 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC); 30 Oct 2017 - additions (MRC); 29 Jan 2018 - correspondence dates corrected for New York Times (MRC)

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Inventory

Artwork
Oversize 1 Collage, "Wind on the Sand" - original collage by Miyashita
Gift of Andrew Gurian, 2017.
Box 1 Glass plate positives
Box 1 Photographs of Miyashita's work - includes prints and negatives
Box 1 Slides, submitted to Gerald Brummer 1976
Box 1 Slides, submitted to Guggenheim 1969
Box 1 Slides, submitted to [Hawaii] State Foundation for Culture and the Arts 1973
Box 1 Slides, submitted to Yaddo 1975
Box 1 Slides, miscellaneous undated - 1 item
Biographical material
Box 1 Curriculum vitae undated
Box 1 Photographs undated
Correspondence
Box 1 Abramowicz, Janet 1966, 1977
Box 1 Adams, John and Margrit 1975-1977 - includes slides
Box 1 Alexius, Paul 1966-1972, 1975-1976 - envelopes have return address "A. Burgess"
Box 1 Asia Society 1968-1969, 1972
Box 1 A, misc
Box 1 Barrow, John 1974, 1976
Box 1 B, misc
Canaday, John
See New York Times.
Box 1 Creative Artists Public Service Program (CAPS) 1973-1976
Box 1 C-D, misc
Box 1 English, Maurice 1975-1977
Box 1 E, misc
Box 1 Friedman, Paul 1973
See also Printed material : Books : Friedman, Paul.
Box 2 Friedman, Paul 1974-1977 (3 folders)
See also Printed material : Books : Friedman, Paul.
Box 2 F, misc
George Arents Research Library
See Syracuse University
Box 2 Grand Central Art Galleries 1965-1966
Box 2 Grand Central Moderns 1966
See also Roberts, Colette.
Box 2 Guggenheim Museum / Guggenheim Foundation 1968-1969, 1972, 1975, 1977
Hanson, Pauline (Polly)
See Yaddo; Printed material : Books : Hanson, Pauline
Box 2 [Hawaii] State Foundation on Culture and the Arts 1971-1974
Box 2 Holty, Carl 1966, 1968, 1972
Box 2 Honolulu Academy of Arts 1970-1973
Box 2 Hough, Julia 1975-1977
Box 2 Humble, Christopher 1973-1976
Box 2 H-I, misc
Box 2 J, misc
Box 2 Kamiya, Emi 1972-1973
Box 2 K, misc
Box 2 Landolt, Evan 1975
Box 2 Launois, Yukiko 1972
Box 2 Leiber, Judy and Gerson (Gus) 1969-1970
Box 2 L, misc
Box 2 Macdowell Colony 1972-1977
Box 2 McHugh, Heather 1973-1977
See also Printed material : Books : McHugh, Heather
Box 2 McKeown, Thomas S. 1975-1976
Box 2 Millay Colony for the Arts 1974-1976
Box 2 Miyashita, Toshio [brother] 1966, 1970-1971 - includes photographs
Box 2 M, misc
Box 2 Nakamura, Ed 1969-1970
Box 3 New York Times 1966-1972, undated - almost all are from John Canaday
Box 3 Nishimoto, Joe and Maude 1971-1972
Box 3 N, misc
Box 3 Ossabaw Island Project 1972-1973, 1977
Box 3 Peters, Bob 1973-1974
Box 3 P, misc
Box 3 Rapée, Joellen (Jody Hall; Mrs. George Rapée) 1972-1973
Box 3 Regnier, Nita 1974 - includes photocopy of short story, "Genesis Again"
Box 3 Roberts, Colette 1966, 1971
Box 3 R, misc
Box 3 Sachs Gallery 1967-1969
Box 3 Syracuse University 1966-1977
Box 3 S, misc
Box 3 Takashigi, Matt 1966-1972 - includes family members Anne, Sara, Hanna and Janet
Box 3 Tsumura, Robert 1971
Box 3 T, misc
Box 3 Wada family 1967-1977 - includes Steve, Jenny, Steff, Taxie [?]; some original artwork by Jenny
Box 3 Ward, Bruce and Patricia 1970-1973, 1977
West, Eleanor
See Ossabaw Island Project; Printed material : Books : West, Eleanor.
Box 3 Whitney Museum of American Art 1965-1969, 1972, 1974
Box 3 Whyatt, Frances 1973-1974
See also Printed material : Books : Whyatt, Frances.
Box 3 W, misc
Box 3 Yaddo 1973-1977
Box 3 Yeh, Carol 1973-1977
Box 3 Yrisarry, Mario 1971-1972
Box 3 Y, misc
Box 3 First name only
Box 4 Unidentified or illegible
Printed material
Books
Box 4 Friedman, Paul, And If Defeated, Allege Fraud 1971 - signed and inscribed by author to TM
Box 4 Hanson, Pauline (Polly), Across Countries of Anywhere 1971 - signed and inscribed by author to TM
Box 4 McHugh, Heather, Dangers 1977 - signed and inscribed by author to TM
Box 4 Roberts, Colette, Nevelson 1965 - signed and inscribed by author to TM
Box 4 West, Eleanor, Maria Bosomworth and William Rodgers 1976 - signed by author with note to TM
Box 4 Whyatt, Frances, Equal Time 1977 - signed and inscribed by author to TM
Box 4 [unidentified, in Japanese]
Box 4 Clippings 1958, 1965-1967
Box 5 Clippings 1975, 1977
Box 5 Exhibit catalogs, announcements, Miyashita 1952-1953, 1958-1959, 1963-1969 - includes printed fabric banner (2 folders)
Box 5 Exhibit catalogs, announcements, others 1967
Box 5 Miscellaneous - pubilcity brochure featuring Miyashita collage on cover; booklet on U.S. - Japan Security treaty

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