[Texas]: [Gonzales, Leopoldo]:

[Archive of Mexican-American Artist Leopoldo Gonzales].

[Mainly San Antonio, Tx. 1950s-1960s]. Approximately thirty-five separate items, including typed letters, postcards, fliers, programs, and similar items. Overall general wear, occasional minor toning. Very good. Item #4323

A nice archive of material documenting the career of Leopoldo Gonzalez, Jr., a notable, award-winning Mexican-American artist who made his home in San Antonio. Leopoldo Gonzalez, Jr. (1921-1998) was born in Monterey, Mexico and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1929, by which time he and his family were living in San Antonio. Gonzalez served in the United States Army for about two years during World War II, and later achieved some measure of local and statewide fame for his midcentury oil paintings. He studied art at the Little House School of Art and the Art Center, where he studied with Cecil Casebier. Gonzalez was also associated with the Texas Watercolor Society and the Men of Art Guild gallery in San Antonio, and the San Antonio Art League recognized Gonzalez as artist of the year in 1970. Gonzalez participated in numerous exhibitions around Texas from 1958 onward, at venues such as the Beaumont Art Museum, the Texas Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, Sun Carnival Exhibition in El Paso, Amarillo's Tri-State Art Exhibition, Corpus Christi's Centennial Museum, and so forth.

The present archive includes a handful of items documenting Gonzalez's public art career, as well as an assortment of correspondence, some advertising fliers announcing exhibitions or inviting submissions, and more. The most impactful item is an illustrated ten-panel brochure advertising a 1970 sole exhibition at the Witte Memorial Museum to honor Gonzalez as the Artist of the Year; the program includes reproductions of four of Gonzalez's paintings, a biographical note, and a catalogue of the ninety paintings and sketches on display during the exhibition. Another notable item is a pair of printed cards celebrating Gonzalez's March 1960 honor as the Artist of the Month by the San Antonio Junior League (with a detailed biographical notice that includes some additional typed notes at the bottom). The collection also includes a rejection letter from the jury of the Sixth Annual Ecclesiastical Arts Exhibition in Dallas, accompanied by the small matted photograph submitted by Gonzalez of his large painting, "Crucifixion."

Other material related to Gonzalez's career include a handful of invitations to submit artwork to various contests and museums, response cards and letters pertaining to some of Gonzalez's submissions, a letter from the Centennial Art Museum regarding two pieces by Gonzalez that were rented by them, a 1964 letter from the Executive Director of the Laguna Gloria Museum in Austin soliciting a piece by Gonzalez for rent (with a handwritten note at the bottom identifying the piece as Gonzalez's "Virgin"), and a printed catalogue for 1962 Men of Art Guild exhibition (which pictures Gonzalez along with one of his paintings). Some additional material includes a few advertising mailers from museums, postcard mailers advertising exhibitions by fellow artists of the Men of Art Guild, and more.

A small but important peek into the business of an obscure but working Mexican-American artist in micentury Texas.

Price: $850