Jan van Raay photographs of art strike protests

The collection contains black-and-white photographs by Jan van Raay documenting strikes, demonstrations, protests, sit-ins, happenings, and other events in New York City, primarily at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photographs depict actions including the Art Strike against Racism, Sexism, Repression, War; the PASTA MoMA union strike; demonstrations and marches in support of the Panther 21, Black and Puerto Rican artists, and abortion rights; and The People's Flag Show, an exhibition at Judson Memorial Church organized by Guerrilla Art Action Group (GAAG) co-founders Jon Hendricks and Jean Toche, and Faith Ringgold, a Black activist and artist, who were subsequently arrested for flag desecration and became known as the Judson Three.

The bulk of the collection documents the activities of GAAG, and included are copies of the group's manifestos, action scripts, open letters, internal memos, and other papers, such as letters written on behalf of Black activist Angela Davis during her imprisonment. Many photographs of protests and meetings prominently feature groups such as the Art Workers Coalition, Women Artists in Revolution, Ad Hoc Women Artists Committee, and Black Emergency Cultural Coalition. Some of the individuals pictured include Raay herself; GAAG co-founder Poppy Johnson; artists Takis, Tom Lloyd, Lil Picard, Roy Lichtenstein, Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Kate Millett, and Alice Neel; Black feminist lawyer Florynce Kennedy; attorney and American Civil Liberties Union Director William Kunstler; activist Abbie Hoffman; and MoMA Director John Hightower. Materials date from 1969 to 1974.