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Watercolor Society of Oregon Records, 1958-2009

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Watercolor Society of Oregon.
Title
Watercolor Society of Oregon Records
Dates
1958-2009 (inclusive)
1966-2009 (bulk)
Quantity
4.3 cubic feet, including 2362 photographs, (5 boxes)
Collection Number
MSS Watercolor
Summary
The Watercolor Society of Oregon Records document the activities, membership, and administration of the Watercolor Society of Oregon. These records date back to the organization's establishment in 1966 and include materials from the Oregon Amateur Watercolor Society, which merged with the Master Watercolor Association to form the Watercolor Society of Oregon.
Repository
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The Watercolor Society of Oregon (WSO) was formed in 1966 by members of two Oregon-based organizations, the Master Watercolor Association and the Oregon Amateur Watercolor Society. Seeking to "further the interest of transparent watercolor painting and to encourage a wider experience, enjoyment, and education to the painter and the viewing public," WSO founders stipulated that the society would hold two juried shows a year at two different locations throughout the state. Upon the conclusion of these shows, the featured artwork would then travel as part of a traveling exhibit throughout the state. The first WSO show took place in Lincoln City in April 1966 and the tradition of the two semi-annual shows continues to this day. Starting out with a membership of 38 artists at the time of its establishment, the WSO counted about a 1000 members by 2012.

Tom Allen, one of the founding members of the WSO, worked for the Oregon State University Botany Department from 1962 until 1991. At Oregon State University, he established the Art About Agriculture program in 1983 and served as the university's first artist-in-residence.

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Content Description

The Watercolor Society of Oregon Records document the activities, membership, and administration of the Watercolor Society of Oregon (WSO). These records primarily consist of notebooks assembled by WSO members that reflect the two shows of WSO artwork held annually as well as painting workshops and board meetings. In addition to photographs, the notebooks contain exhibit catalogs, flyers, meeting minutes, membership rosters, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and reports. One of the notebooks contains materials from the Oregon Amateur Watercolor Society, which pre-date the formation of the WSO in 1966.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Watercolor Society of Oregon Records (MSS Watercolor), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The Watercolor Society of Oregon Records are arranged into 8 series: 1. Notebooks, 1958-2006; 2. Photographs, 1988-2000; 3. Handbooks, 1984-1996; 4. Correspondence, 1973-1984; 5. Show Entry Lists, 1966-1974; 6. Exhibit Catalog for 25th Anniversary Show, 1990; 7. Newspaper Clippings, 2009; and 8. Account Ledger, 1966-1975.

Acquisition Information

These records were transferred to the Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center in 2015 by the Watercolor Society of Oregon.

Related Materials

There are other collections that document WSO founder and Oregon State University Botanist Tom Allen. Images of Allen, his paintings, and his  research projects can be found in the Robert W. Henderson Photograph Collection (P 098), the Frederick Earl Price Photograph Collection (P 073), and the Media Services Photograph Collection (P 119). An interview with Tom Allen is featured as a part of the OSU Sesquicentennial Oral History Collection. Documentation of the Art About Agriculture program at Oregon State University, established by Allen in 1983, is included in the Memorabilia Collection, the OSU Development Office and Foundation Records (RG 144), and the College of Agricultural Sciences Photograph Collection (P 036).

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Detailed Description of the Collection