May 4 Art Collection, 1970-2002

May 4 Collection -- Boxes #136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141

Finding Aid

Prepared by Virginia Dressler, February 22, 2007
2.33 cubic feet, 2 half-size record storage boxes, 2 flat oversize boxes, + 1 document case, 12th floor

Historical Note

The events and aftermath of the Kent State shootings have inspired and informed artistic works in many media and forms. Some artists produced works that reflected their personal feelings or responded to the political climate of the time, while other works were used as educational tools.

Scope and Content

The matierals in this collection feature a variety of artistic expressions in response to the Kent State shootings. The Ravenna Grand Jury stoneware by Henry Halem is an artistic reaction to the court case that attempted to indict the fallen students. Halem made a series of mixed media masks that represented one face of each member of the grand jury from the case. The Dance Alloy materials pertain to the telling of the May 4 story via a pair of dance performances honoring the 25th Commemoration in 1995. Also included are paintings, sketches and drawings from both professional artists and children, as well as unsolicited submissions and correspondence for a memorial prior to the official May 4 Memorial Competition. (Materials pertaining to one of these submissions, the "Abraham and Isaac" sculpture by George Segal, may be found in Box 90 of the May 4 Collection.)

Box 136

1. Halem, Henry, "Ravenna Grand Jury II" (two faces), Stoneware ceramic with metallic (gold and platinum) lustre, 1971

Box 137

1. Halem, Henry, "Ravenna Grand Jury III" (one face), Stoneware ceramic with metallic lustre, 1971

Box 138

1. Dance Alloy, materials from 2000 performance (video cassette, audio tape, advertising flyers, t-shirt, clippings, program, photographs), May 3, 2000

Box 139

1. Albert, John Joseph, "From Darkness, Light, From Death Life/Christmas Rose," painting on paper, March 27, 2002
2. Podwal, Mark, "Kent State", ink drawing, 2003 (Copyrighted)
3. Drawings from 8th grade students at Apple Middle School, Lakeland, FL, May 30, 2002 [12th Floor Map Case]

Box 140

Folder -- Contents

1. Correspondence and slides from artists regarding memorial submissions, 1970-1986
2. Sketch by Jose E diDonato, sculpture submission, 1978

OVERSIZED ITEMS [all located on 11th floor]

1. "Ikaris sculpture" (gun barrel sculpture) by Nikolas Ikaris, mixed media, 1978
2. "4 Dead in Ohio" by Richard Dales, metal, [no date]
3. "Peace: Learn It, Live It, Teach It" by Candace Bates, 2000
4. "Untitled," mixed media (collage, paint) on wood, [unknown artist], [no date]
5. "Kent State 1970" by Hartig Nantucket, oil on wood, May 5/6, 1970 (This item has visual similiarities with Picasso's Guernica), [no date]
6. Drawings from students from Wilkes-Barre Middle School, July 1, 1996