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University of Michigan graduate (BFA '74, MA '76, and Ph.D. '88) and artist, art historian, and educator with an emphasis in Latino art. Materials include artwork as well as research, teaching, and professional topical files.

The George Vargas papers present a look at the interests, work, and activities of artist and historian George Vargas. The material is dated from approximately 1933-2016 and includes topical files, artwork, and correspondence.

The strength of the collection is found in the numerous lectures written by Vargas, which reveal the depth of his research, the original artwork, and the broader view of multi-cultural and, particularly, Latino art activities in Michigan. Also of note are his extensive files of artists that were of interest to him as well as his own papers and publications.

The researcher should note that many items in the collection overlap various series. As a result, researchers should—in addition to reviewing multiple series—be sure to look for the "see also" notes that help identify some of these overlaps.

Jon Onye Lockard was an artist and muralist, activist, and professor in Southeast Michigan. His papers document his career as an artist, as well as a professor at the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College, where he taught classes on Black Art and Culture, as well as traditional art classes. In addition, the collection documents Lockard's work with the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (now the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies), his work on the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington, D.C., and the National Conference of Artists.

The Jon Onye Lockard papers are organized into four series: Personal Files, Teaching, Art, and Activism. The Personal Files series is comprised of biographical materials and personal correspondence, and contains some of Lockard's autobiographical files. Materials in the Teaching series relate to the classes Lockard taught at both the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College, as well as other materials related to his work for institutions of higher education. The Art series is comprised of materials related to Lockard's art career, including materials about his murals, art events, and shows, as well as materials related to Black history, culture, and art and artists. Most of the audiovisual material within the collection is housed in this series. The Activism series is the broadest, and consists primarily of topical files, recordings, and materials from the organizations Lockard worked with over the course of his career, including the National Conference of Art, a Black arts organization. Because of the interconnected nature of Lockard's activism and his career as an artist and professor, there is significant overlap between the Teaching, Art, and Activism series; researchers are encouraged to consult multiple series when working with this collection.