Louise LeQuire Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS.0887

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

The Louise LeQuire Papers are composed of 11.7 linear feet of research, writings, correspondence and photographs from her career as an artist, curator, writer and teacher. The dates of the collection range from the 1950s to the early 2000s and contain much of LeQuire’s own work as well as extensive research on notable artists of the time.

LeQuire was a tireless advocate for individual artists in the Nashville community, and her collection reflects that interest through its substantial files on individual artists. LeQuire wrote heavily on William Edmonson’s sculpture work, including a publication in Smithsonian magazine in 1985. LeQuire was also an advocate for Red Grooms and Frederic Remington, about whom she produced films. Her Red Grooms film, Sunflower in a Hothouse, was nominated for an Academy award in 1987.

Career—includes LeQuire’s materials on her art career, divided into subsections by type of work.

Organizations—details on the many commissions and other organizations on which LeQuire served
Writing—drafts and final copies of news and magazine articles or lectures given by LeQuire
Teaching—teaching resources LeQuire used, correspondence with other faculty, and information on schools LeQuire supported
Curation—correspondence and artist profiles used in LeQuire’s curation work for, among other groups, corporate firms and the Nashville airport
Art—Exhibitions—images and inventories from LeQuire’s own art shows, which primarily showed watercolors and landscapes
Art—Portraits—images and correspondence from LeQuire’s private portrait commissions

Research

Gallery/Venue Research—brochures and news clippings regarding galleries and venues across the nation, with emphasis on Nashville and New York City
Subject Research—news clippings and academic resources on various art movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance, Southern Art, and Women in the Arts

Family

Virgil LeQuire—personal details from and about LeQuire’s husband, Virgil, and his career and colleagues at the Vanderbilt Medical Center and Vanderbilt Medical School
Alan LeQuire—news clippings, correspondence, and other materials regarding LeQuire’s son, Alan, with specific emphasis on his “Athena” at the Nashville Parthenon
Rollin Lasseter—writings by and news clippings about LeQuire’s brother Rollin, who primarily wrote and published short stories

Artist Research

Poets—writings by various poets within and outside of the Nashville community of interest to LeQuire, including Ezra Pound
Red Grooms—correspondence, biographical information, and exhibit information and photos pertaining to Red Grooms
William Edmondson—research about Edmondson’s sculptures and correspondence regarding the use and distribution of Edmondson’s work
Other Artists—individual files continuing information and/or correspondence regarding different artists within and outside of the Nashville community

Media Materials

Pertaining to Donald Davie: Poet as Sculptor

Provenance Statement

This collection was donated by Louise LeQuire and her family to Vanderbilt Special Collections in 2012.

Literary Rights Statement

Permission to publish, copy, reprint, digitize, orally record for transmission over public or private airways, or use material from the Louise LeQuire Papers in any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures, must be obtained in writing from the Special Collections and University Archives Division of the Vanderbilt University Libraries. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards.

Dates

1950s-2000s

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections in the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Collections should be requested 2-3 days prior to visiting in order to facilitate easier access. For questions or to request a collection, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu.

Biographical Sketch

Louise Lasseter LeQuire (1924-2006) was a longtime teacher, artist, and curator in Nashville, Tennessee. A graduate of Peabody College, she taught Studio Art and Art History at Montgomery Bell Academy and the Tennessee Institute for the Arts. She also served as the first Art Critic for the Nashville Bannerx as a regular contributor from 1951-1960.

In addition to her teaching and art journalism, LeQuire served many municipal and state organizations such as the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and the Visual Arts Alliance of Nashville in her effort to promote art patronage in Nashville and Tennessee. A great deal of her collection contains documents and correspondence from her years with these various organizations.

A lifelong Nashville resident, she was married to Dr. Virgil LeQuire, a doctor at Vanderbilt Medical Center, and was mother to four children: Nancy, Paul, Alan, and Lista. Alan is now known for his sculpture work in Nashville, particularly for his “Athena Parthenos” at the Nashville Parthenon and his “Musica,” which serves as the centerpiece of Music City Circle.

LeQuire passed away on July 30, 2006 after a long battle with cancer.

Extent

11.7 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Abstract

The Louise LeQuire Papers document her career as an artist, curator, writer and teacher. It contains much of LeQuire’s own work, including documents and correspondence related to her service with the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and the Visual Arts Alliance of Nashville, as well her extensive research on notable artists of the time, such as William Edmonson, Red Grooms, and Frederic Remington.