Arrangement: The collection is arranged as follows: volumes, videotapes, jewelry design sketches, drawings, other papers, a model, posters, and an installation plan. The collection consists of 3 boxes, 29 volumes, 15 videotapes, and 2 oversize folders. It is 12 linear feet.

Date Acquired: 11/14/2008

Subjects: Aluminum sculpture., Art, American -- Louisiana -- 20th century., Geometry in art., Physicians as artists -- United States., Public sculpture, American -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., Sculptors -- United States -- Louisiana., Sculpture, American -- Louisiana., Silverman, Arthur, 1923-, Tetrahedra.

Forms of Material: Clippings (information artifacts), Contact sheets., Correspondence., Design drawings., Exhibition catalogs., Negatives (photographic), Notes., Photographs., Posters., Sketches., Slides (photographs), Videotapes.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection consists of photographs, sketches, designs, plans, correspondence, and other papers of New Orleans sculptor, Dr. Arthur "Art" Silverman. The binders have been assembled by Silverman and his staff to document the creation, installation, and display of his sculptures, jewelry, and other works.

Biographical Note

Arthur Silverman was born in New York City in 1923. He received both a bachelor's degree (1944) and a medical degree (1947) from Tulane University. Silverman practiced urology for thirty years before becoming a sculptor. He has designed in a variety of scales, from public sculptures that are several stories high to specially- commissioned jewelry, and has exhibited in galleries in New Orleans as well as other cities including San Francisco, Memphis, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. Public installations in New Orleans include sculptures at the Energy Centre on Poydras Street, Tulane's Uptown campus, Temple Sinai, and the Elysian Fields Sculpture Park adjacent to the University of New Orleans. Silverman has produced more than three hundred sculptures based on the tetrahedron, many of them constructed of aluminum. Silverman retired in 2007. His exhibition, "45 Years of Art" was held in February 2009 at Soren Christensen Gallery in New Orleans.

Subject/Index Terms

Aluminum sculpture.
Art, American -- Louisiana -- 20th century.
Geometry in art.
Physicians as artists -- United States.
Public sculpture, American -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
Sculptors -- United States -- Louisiana.
Sculpture, American -- Louisiana.
Silverman, Arthur, 1923-
Tetrahedra.

Administrative Information

Repository: Louisiana Research Collection

Alternate Extent Statement: 12 linear feet

Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions.

Use Restrictions: Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Technical Access Note: The collection contains some VHS tapes.

Acquisition Source: Arthur Silverman.

Acquisition Method: Gift.

Preferred Citation: Arthur Silverman papers, Manuscripts Collection 992, Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Processing Information: Collection processed by Eira Tansey in 2009. Archon collection-level record created in February 2010.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid information entered in Archon by LAC Group. Revised by LAC Group 8/29/11.

Other Note: OCLC Number: 374880833

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Volume:

[Volume 1: Are We Having Fun Yet, photographs and contact sheets, undated],
[Volume 2: B-Series Models, photographs, undated],
[Volume 3: Co-Motion, photographs and contact sheet, 1986-1989],
[Volume 4: The Early Years, photographs, undated],
[Volume 5: Furniture, 8000 series, photographs, 1988-1994],
[Volume 6: Jewelry, press, photographs, slides, 1993-1994],
[Volume 7: Midsize, photographs, ephemera, contact sheets, 1979-1997],
[Volume 8: Public, press, photographs, slides, 1981-1988],
[Volume 9: Solo-Duo-Trio, press, photographs, slides, ephemera, correspondence, 1980-1984],
[Volume 10: Wall, photographs, contact sheets, transparencies, 1982-1997],
[Volume 11: Arthur Silverman at Longue Vue, press photographs, correspondence, 1998-1999],
[Volume 12: Energy Centre, press, photographs, contact sheets, correspondence, 1984-1985],
[Volume 13: Jefferson Parish East Bank Regional Library/"Legibility," press, photographs, 1998],
[Volume 14: Temple Sinai Menorah/Marriott Fountain, photographs, press, 1998],
[Volume 15: Fort Meyers Fountain, slides, photographs, 1991],
[Volume 16: Geo Law Review/Resolutions in Metal, press, photographs, contact sheets, 1995],
[Volume 17: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, contact sheets, slides, photographs, press, 1996],
[Volume 18: Midsize, photographs, press, 1998],
[Volume 19: Pedestal, photographs, press, 1998],
[Volume 20: The Studio, photographs, contact sheets, undated],
[Volume 21: Newman Kids Notes and Drawings, letters, drawings, 1998],
[Volume 22: Negs, negatives and contact sheets, 1980s-1990s],
[Volume 23: Negatives, All Kinds, September 1997, negatives, 1990s],
[Volume 24: Negatives, 1999-, negatives, 1990s],
[Volume 25: Negatives, 2000],
[Volume 26: Photographs of Silverman's small and medium-size works, 1981-1998],
[Volume 27: Full Overview of All Pieces in Numbered Order, slides, 1975-1998],
[Volume 28: Press, 1994-2005],
[Volume 29: Slides, Other Artists - Sculpture, slides],
[Volume 30: Caricature sketches made during Medical School, 1944 or 1945],
[Videotape 1: Aluminum Attitudes, WDSU 6 News Midday, 11:30 AM, 1994 February 18],
[Videotape 2: Shalom New Orleans, Guest: Dr. Arthur Silverman, plus raw footage of art featured in program, 1994 August 19],
[Videotape 3: Public Installations Master Copy; New Orleans, plus Fort Myers, Bay Hill Fan, and Old Bay Colony, 1994 August 24],
[Videotape 4: Arthur Silverman Midsize Work, Studio, 1994 September],
[Videotape 5: Arthur Silverman Public Installations, 1994 September],
[Videotape 6: Arthur Silverman Public Installations (likely a duplicate), 1994 September],
[Videotape 7: Some Existing Public Sculpture, 1994],
[Videotape 8: Fabricating Monument to Martin Luther King, Jr., Baton Rouge, Fabrication, 1995; (master) tape, 1996],
[Videotape 9: Martin Luther King, Jr., fabrication for Baton Rouge sculpture, 1996],
[Videotape 10: Arthur Silverman, Montgomery demonstration (master), undated],
[Videotape 11: Arthur Silverman, Montgomery demonstration (likely a duplicate), undated],
[Videotape 12: Arthur Silverman, Montgomery demonstration (likely a duplicate), undated],
[Videotape 13: Arthur Silverman, Kino Park Project, undated],
[Videotape 14: Arthur Silverman at Longue View, undated],
[Videotape 15: Interview, Ann F. and Rabbi, undated],
[Box 1: Jewelry design sketches, drawings, and other papers],
[Box 2: Other papers],
[Box 3: Model],
[Oversize folder 1: Exhibit and conference posters, 1981-2004],
[Oversize folder 2: Plans for Energy Center installation, 1983],
[All]

Volume 13: Jefferson Parish East Bank Regional Library/"Legibility," press, photographs, 1998

Tulane University Special Collections