Octavio Medellin was an artist and teacher who was active in Texas from the 1920s until his death in 1999. He is primarily known as a sculptor but also did work in ceramics, glass, and mosaics. Born in Mexico, Medellin was heavily motivated by pre-Columbian art, mainly of Mayan origin, and he is associated with the Texas Regionalists movement of the 1930s and 1940s. The collection reflects his distinguished art career and includes art work, clippings, correspondence, documents, ephemera, negatives/slides, photographs, publicity, published works, scrapbooks, and three-dimensional objects.
The Octavio Medellin art work and papers collection consists of material that includes art work, clippings, correspondence, documents, ephemera, photographs and slides, publicity, and published works. These reveal Medellin’s interest and study of pre-Columbian art, mainly at Chichén Itzá in Mexico, his designs for final art projects, and his involvement in his students’ work throughout his teaching career. Work by other artists included in the collection reflect Medellin’s friendship with his contemporaries. The clippings, photographs, publicity, and published works document his art career and museum exhibitions.
Please take a look at the detailed finding aid available through Texas Archival Resources Online.
Image courtesy of Octavio Medellin art work and papers, Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University