Collection LA.SC156 - Anita Aarons collection

Identity area

Reference code

LA.SC156

Title

Anita Aarons collection

Date(s)

  • 1970s-1980s (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

25 audio cassettes

Context area

Name of creator

(1912-2000)

Biographical history

Anita Aarons (1912-2000) was an Australian-born artist, educator, curator and arts administrator who was active in Toronto from 1964 to 1984. During her time in the city she taught at Central Technical School, was the allied arts editor for Architecture Canada (1965-1971), worked at the Art Gallery of Ontario as a curator in the Extension Services department in the early 1970s, and became the founding Director of the Art Gallery at Harbourfront (precursor of The Power Plant), 1976-1984. In 1985 Aarons moved to Noosa, Queensland with her husband, the artist Merton Chambers, where they were both instrumental in the establishment of the Noosa Regional Gallery.

Archival history

Cassettes were maintained by Anita Aarons until she left Toronto, at which point she entrusted them to Ihor Holubizky, who had worked with her at Harbourfront.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

AGO Credit Line: Gift of Ihor Holubizky, 2018 and 2021

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Collection consists of audio recordings of interviews carried out by Anita Aarons with a number of Canadian art world figures active in the 1970s and 1980s, including Ron Bloore, Graham Coughtry, Dorothy Cameron, Guido Molinari, Yves Gaucher, Ted Bieler, Gordon Rayner, Jack Pollock, Joyce Wieland, Harold Town and William Ronald.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open. Access to Special Collections is by appointment. Please contact the reference desk for more information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright is held by the creator or her heirs. It is the researcher’s responsibility to obtain permission to publish any part of the collection.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Generated finding aid

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Audio recordings in this collection have been digitized for access and preservation.

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Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

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Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Revised

Level of detail

Full

Dates of creation revision deletion

Revised 11 February 2025

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Originally prepared by Amy Furness. Prepared, uploaded and adapted by Nirvana Chainani, 2019. Updated to reflect 2021 accrual in February 2025.

Accession area

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