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Bill Rhoades Northwest Art Archive

 Collection
Identifier: WUA062

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Bill Rhoades Northwest Art Archive is a collection of materials documenting Northwest art and artists. Established through the personal collecting of Bill Rhoades, the archive contains correspondence, interviews, printed matter, and artifacts that track the development, promotion, and preservation of regional art. The collection includes materials relating to sculptors, painters, printmakers, and photographers. It also contains newsletters, exhibition announcements and catalogs, gallery materials, and other publications documenting museums and galleries throughout the Northwest.

Additional materials document Rhoades' career as a journalist and his longstanding interest in the outdoors. Together, these materials provide insight into the development, promotion, and documentation of Northwest art, as well as the professional and personal activities of an individual closely engaged with the region's artistic and cultural communities.

Dates

  • Creation: 1892-2023
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1960-2016

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Library acts as “fair use” reproduction agent.

For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the Willamette University Archives and Special Collections.

Copyright Information: Before material from collections at Willamette University Archives and Special Collections may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permission. Persons wishing to quote from materials in any collections held by University Archives and Special Collections should consult the University Archivist. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.

Biographical Note

Bill Rhoades is a collector of Northwest Art, residing in Central Oregon. He is a native Oregonian and outdoors-man. Rhoades' interest in art collecting includes American Indian basketry and modern Northwest prints and paintings. In 1997, he made arrangements with Roger Hull, Professor Emeritus of Art History at Willamette University, to begin making donations of art to the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. His donations include works by Jack McLarty, Coralee Popp, John Stahl and Manuel Izquierdo. Rhoades' goal in 1997 was to donate at least 100 works of art to the Hallie Ford Museum. By 2005 he had already accomplished and exceeded that goal.

Full Extent

14 Linear Feet (18 boxes)

Additional Description

Overview

The Bill Rhoades Northwest Art Archive (1892-2023) documents regional art and artists through correspondence, exhibition catalogs, gallery materials, and artifacts collected by Rhoades. The collection covers sculptors, painters, printmakers, and photographers, alongside records reflecting Rhoades's career as a journalist and outdoor enthusiast. Together, these materials provide insight into the development, promotion, and preservation of Northwest art and cultural history.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into eight series: Series I. Correspondence; Series II. Artiist Interviews; Series III. Printed Materials; Series IV. Publications; Series V. Artworks; Series VI. Artifacts; Series VII. Media; and Series VIII. Personal. Materials maintain original order where it could be determined; in alphabetical order and/or chronologically.

Physical Location

Mark O. Hatfield Library

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Bill Rhoades, 2010-2023.

Related Name

Subject

Subjects

Collecting Areas

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Bill Rhoades Northwest Art Archive, 1892-2023
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid processed by Ashley Toutain in 2014. Additional processing by Susan Irwin in 2026
Date
© 2026
Description rules
Dacs
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Willamette University Archives and Special Collections Collection Descriptions

http://library.willamette.edu/archives/
Contact:
Mark O. Hatfield Library
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 United States

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