By now, you’ve likely heard the buzz about the Clyfford Still Museum, which opens in Denver tomorrow, November 18. But who is Clyfford Still, you ask?
Clyfford Still, PH-77, 1936; oil on canvas 43 1/4 x 56 in.
Clyfford Still (1904-1980) is considered one of the most important painters of the 20th century, and is credited with laying the groundwork for the Abstract Expressionism movement. Abstract Expressionism is marked by abstract forms, expressive brushwork and monumental scale, which were used to convey universal themes about the human condition: creation, life, struggle and death—themes that became especially relevant during and after World War II.
Clyfford Still 1957-J No. 2 (PH-401), 1957; oil on canvas, 113x155 in.
Still had a strong dislike for museums, which he thought of as “morgues.” He didn’t like that curators grouped “schools” of artists together, and thought that his life’s work should be kept together so it could be reviewed in its full context, rather than parted out to a museum here, a private collection there. In 1951, Still ended his relationship with commercial galleries and exhibited very little work until his death.
In his famous one-page will, Clyfford Still left all of his artworks to an unnamed American city that would create “permanent quarters” for the exhibition and study of the works. Still’s wife Patricia was tasked with selecting that city.
Clyfford Still 1944-N No. 1 (PH-235), 1944; oil on canvas, 105 x 92 1/2 in.
In 1999, Patricia Still rejected Denver’s first proposal to house the Clyfford Still collection. The Denver Art Museum’s then-director, Lewis Sharp, had planned to incorporate the Still Museum within the master plan for the Denver Art Museum’s new addition. Patricia Still felt the proposal was too closely aligned with an existing museum and abruptly ended the negotiations.
In 2003, Denver tried again, this time with the help of then-mayor John Hickenlooper, who promised to create a freestanding museum in Denver to house the collection. By the summer of 2004, an agreement had been reached. To encourage Denver’s City Council to agree to the plan, Hickenlooper promised that no taxpayer money would be used to plan, construct, operate or endow the museum and to date, the museum has raised approximately $32 million; the funding for the new building was raised entirely from private sources.
The Clyfford Still Museum possesses nearly 94 percent of the artist’s work, encompassing 2,400 works created by Still between 1920 and 1980, including 825 paintings, 1,575 works on paper, three sculptures and some amazing archival materials such as letters, sketchbooks, clothing and photographs. The museum’s inaugural exhibition features approximately 110 works, many displayed for the very first time and virtually unknown by the art world.
The museum itself is a work of art. “Denver didn’t need another building that represents the mountains,” says architect Brad Cloepfil of Portland-based Allied Works Architecture. “This is a prairie town; the mountains are over there.” Instead of a soaring structure, Cloepfil designed a low, cantilevered building that’s close to the earth. Its richly textured facade—which features thin, vertical lines of concrete—changes with the movement of the sun. One can’t help but imagine that Clyfford Still—who liked the idea of displaying his art in a place where the light and his paintings would change throughout the day—would approve.
Inside, Cloepfil captured Denver’s abundant natural light by situating the nine exhibition galleries on the museum’s upper floor, where sunlight filters in through a series of skylights positioned over a cast-in-place, perforated concrete ceiling.
Two second-floor outdoor terraces offer intimate spots for visitors to pause along the gallery sequence.
The museum is situated in the heart of Denver’s Arts District, near the Denver Art Museum, at 1250 Bannock Street, between 12th and 13th Avenues.
Tickets are available beginning at noon on Friday, November 18 (adults: $10). To purchase online, click here. For more information, visit clyffordstillmuseum.org.
