The Michael Leonard Oral Histories Collection includes audio recordings conducted by Michael Leonard during his tenure as a graduate student at San Francisco State University in the 1980s. These recordings were part of Leonard’s research for his Master’s thesis (1985) titled “A History of Painting at the California School of Fine Arts, 1940-1960.” The collection comprises both the original recordings, preserved on cassette tapes, and accompanying transcripts, providing perspectives and understanding into the thoughts and experiences of artists and educators Joan Brown, Jay DeFeo, Wally Hedrick, Hayward King, Erle Loran, Fred Martin, Ernest Mundt, Ralph Putzker, Nell Sinton, and Jack Jefferson, as well as noted artist’s model and activist Flo Allen, all of whom had significant ties to the California School of Fine Arts during the years 1940 to 1960.

Michael Leonard, an artist, art historian and educator, pursued an MA in art history at San Francisco State University from 1982 to 1985. During his tenure as a graduate student, Leonard conducted a series of interviews with prominent figures in the San Francisco Bay Area art world as part of his research for his MA thesis, “A History of Painting at the California School of Fine Arts, 1940-1960.” These oral history interviews provide insights into the cultural and artistic landscape of mid-20th-century California and help trace the history of painting at a pivotal time for the California School of Fine Arts. (Note that the school changed its name from the California School of Fine Arts to the San Francisco Art Institute in 1961, and that both names appear within the recordings.) They particularly illuminate the emergence of Bay Area Abstract Expressionism and the rise of the Bay Area Figurative movement and shed light on the school’s evolving leadership during this transformative period and its subsequent impact on the trajectory of Bay Area art.

One archival box containing 11 audio cassette tapes, all of which have been digitized, approximately 0.75 linear feet.

Contact the San Francisco Art Institute Legacy Foundation + Archive for questions or requests regarding use of these materials. Please note that documents, photographs, ephemera, recordings, and transcripts from the collections of the San Francisco Art Institute Legacy Foundation and Archive may be protected by copyright, trademark, or a related interest separate from the SFAI Archive. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to determine whether any such rights exist, and to obtain necessary permission for use.

The collection is open for research use.