Collections : [Avery Drawings & Archives]

Broken into two series, Stencils and Drawings and Collected Material, this collection includes a variety of visual material and a small amount of written work including meeting minutes of the Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America and two educational booklets. The stencils in this collection were organized by the creation of "Stencil Sets." In the process of creating a stenciled surface, Grierson would first draw a design drawing. From this drawing the stencil was cut. An intricate and polychrome composition would require a layering technique that demanded the stencil to be broken up into individual components. Thus, to properly execute a single design drawing, upwards of five stencils might be required. When possible the design drawings were matched with their stencils to create a complete set. Individual stencils without design drawings were grouped thematically.