Arcana:

(CONGRESS ON RACIAL EQUALITY). Rich, Marvin. New York: Congress on Racial Equality, 1965. Edition Not Stated - Presumed First. 4to. Brad-Bound Stiff Wrappers. Exhibition Checklist. Very Good.. np (16pp), no illustrations. This is the checklist cum catalogue for the 1965 exhibition and sale of works by nearly two hundred and fifty artists held at New York's Graham Gallery to benefit the Scholarship, Education, and Defense Fund of the noted Civil Rights organization, the Congress on Racial Equality. The primary committee chairs for the fifth installment of this annual event were Jack Tworkov, Lloyd Goodrich, Mrs. August Heckscher, and Mrs. Arthur Logan. Robert Rauschenberg is thanked for having created a color silkscreen print for the event, and virtually everyone who was every anyone of a liberal philanthropic bent in Manhattan is listed here as an organizer or patron. It begins with a explanatory text by executive director Marvin Rich followed by an eleven page unpriced checklist detailing the participating artists with a description of each work, and an eye-opening roster of supporters. Artists of color who contributed include Charles Alston, Romare Bearden, Felrath Hines, Jacob Lawrence, Joe Overstreet, Raymond Saunders, Thomas Sills, Bob Thompson, Jack(y) Whitten, and Walter Williams. The established artists include Milton Avery, Alexander Calder, Edwin Dickinson, Richard Diebenkorn, Helen Frankenthaler, Michael Goldberg, Philip Guston, Grace Hartigan, Hans Hofmann, Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Louise Nevelson, Isamu Noguchi, Fairfield Porter, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Ben Shahn, David Smith, and Moses and Raphael Soyer, while the up and comers feature Arman, John Chamberlain, Jim Dine, Mark di Suvero, Leon Golub, Ron Gorchov, Red Grooms, Robert Indiana, Alex Katz, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Mangold, Marisol, Claes Oldenburg, Rauschenberg, George Rickey, Larry Rivers, James Rosenquist, George Segal, Frank Stella, Tom Wesselmann, and Andy Warhol, who provided a 16 ½ x 20 "Blue Jackie" on canvas. A bright, most handsome example of this exceedingly uncommon - not a single copy is currently cited in OCLC WorldCat - item in brad-bound stiff printed wrappers documenting the fascinating intersection of the mid-sixties Civil Rights movement and the New York Art world with an invitation on letterhead to the May 4th 1965 "Broadway at the Gallery" showing laid in. Inventory Number: 027129