Da Vinci Art Alliance records

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Background note

Scope and content note

Administrative Information

Related Materials

Controlled Access Headings

Collection Inventory

Summary Information

Repository

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Creator

Da Vinci Art Alliance.

Title

Da Vinci Art Alliance records

ID

3226

Date

1933-1991

Extent

4.0 Linear feet 4 linear feet, 8 boxes,

Author

Finding aid prepared by Annie Halliday.

Sponsor

Processing made possible by a generous donation from the Young Friends of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and gifts in honor of Mr. Joe Danciger.

Language

Italian

Abstract

The Da Vinci Art Alliance, originally named the Da Vinci Alliance, was founded in November of 1931, as an association of Italian-American artists. The alliance is still in operation today with its gallery and headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Membership to the alliance was originally restricted to only artists of Italian heritage. Following WWII the alliance became more fully integrated, accepting members of all ethnicities and genders. In 1957 they adopted a charter for the organization and changed the name to the Da Vinci Art Alliance. In 1959 they obtained their current headquarters in south Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There they have a community space, studio, and gallery for members to use. The Da Vinci Art Alliance records contains seven document boxes, one oversized item, one volume, and one flat box. The records includes bylaws, annual meeting minutes, correspondence, membership records, financial documents, newsletters, programs, photographs, a history of the organization, and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings.

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Background note

The Da Vinci Art Alliance, originally called the Da Vinci Alliance, was founded in November of 1931 as an association of Italian-American artists. The alliance is still in operation today with its gallery and headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded by 17 artists among whom was the cartoonist Emidio D’Angelo, photographer Severo Antonelli, painter Giacomo Colombo, architect and designer Henry Coscia, sculptor Giuseppe Donato, sculptor Domenico D’Imperio, illustrator Ernest Lapatina, sculptor Luigi Maraffi, Frank and Anthony Martino, Alex Papale, violin maker Joseph Primavera, interior decorator Amando Ricci, landscape artist Cesare Ricciardi, Jules Scallela and the Alliance’s first president Nicolo D’Ascenzo. Membership to the alliance was originally restricted to only artists of Italian heritage. Following World War II the alliance became more fully integrated, accepting members of all ethnicities and genders. In 1957 they adopted a charter for the organization and changed the name to the Da Vinci Art Alliance. During that time a majority of the alliance’s members were trained artists, teachers, or self-taught artists. The goal was to provide opportunities of exposure for different members, including annual exhibitions and lectures. The organization originally held its monthly meetings in a different artist’s studio. In 1966 they obtained their current headquarters in south Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There they have a community space, art studios, and gallery spaces for members. Annual exhibitions hosted by the Da Vinci Art Alliance include; an annual art exhibition, a photography exhibition, a drawing exhibition, and a watercolor exhibition. The art alliance also hosted an annual award dinner, starting in 1960, to commemorate individuals who contributed to the art world.

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Scope and content note

The Da Vinci Art Alliance records contains seven document boxes, one oversized item, one volume, and one flat box. The records includes bylaws, annual meeting minutes, correspondence, membership records, financial documents, newsletters, programs, photographs, a history of the organization, and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings. The annual meeting minutes were originally housed in binders but are now in folders. The minutes include member attendance and the meeting agenda. The correspondence includes invitations to alliance and non-alliance events, postcards, and letters related to alliance business. The records also include completed and blank membership applications. These applications list member’s names, occupation, and the medium with which they worked. The volume and folders in Box 5 record annual dues paid by members. The alliance’s financial records contain bank statements, treasury reports, invoices, bills, and documents related to their non-for profit status. The newsletters in Box 6 span 1939 to 1991 and were mailed to members of the Da Vinci Art Alliance. These newsletters have calendars of important dates, news from members, and details on annual art shows.

There are also numerous programs related to the member’s only annual photography show, annual print and drawing show, the Artists and Models costume ball, the Comic Strip Artists ball, testimonial dinners, and other miscellaneous occasions including some non-art alliance events. The annual general exhibition for Da Vinci members is organized separately and contains entrance forms for the exhibit, list of participants, list of winners, catalogs of artwork with their prices listed, and programs. The folder of programs (Box 1, Folder 7) has multiple programs from the first ever annual exhibition in 1938, leading up to shows in the 1990s.

There are a few photographs of pieces of art created by alliance members, and portraits of alliance members in Box 7. The one oversized item in the Da Vinci Art Alliance records is a photograph of the fourth annual banquet in 1938. The history of the alliance is well documented in the collection with a few typed histories in Box 4 and in the Golden Jubilee folder, also in Box 4. The Golden Jubilee was the 50th anniversary of the art alliance in 1983. There is also a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from 1933-1939, as well as some folders of newspaper clippings in Box 6 and Box 7.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2018.

Access restrictions

This collection is open for research.

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Related Materials

Related materials

At other institutions:

Giuseppe Donato collection, MS.065, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Dorothy and Kenneth Woodcock Archives, Philadelphia, PA.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

• Da Vinci Art Alliance.

Geographic Name(s)

• Philadelphia (Pa.).

Personal Name(s)

• Angelo, 1903-
• Antonelli, Severo

Subject(s)

• Art and artists--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
• Art Exhibitions.
• Artists--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--20th century.
• Artists--United States.
• Artists.
• Italian American artists--Pennsylvania.
• Italian American artists.
• Italian Americans--Pennsylvania--Societies, etc.

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Collection Inventory