The Denver Art Museum (DAM) and Clyfford Still Museum (CSM) present a collaborative presentation of contemporary works and abstract expressionist masterpieces in Shade: Clyfford Still/Mark Bradford. Paintings by renowned contemporary American artist Mark Bradford will be on view at the DAM, alongside related canvases by Clyfford Still. At CSM, a collection of Still’s work curated by Bradford also will be on view. From his vantage point as an African American painter, Bradford explores abstraction’s ability to address social and political issues and Still’s use of black as a signature component in his work. Shade will explore both artists’ relationship with the color as they draw viewers from their comfort zones, evoke emotions and confront conventional notions of race.

Social activism through art will be explored further with programming at both museums.

Shade is accompanied by an illustrated exhibition catalog available in The Shops at the Denver Art Museum and online.

The exhibition is located on level 1 of the Hamilton Building. Included in the price of general admission. Free for youth 18 and under.

This is a traveling exhibition, a version of which was at Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Art Gallery in 2016. DAM’s exhibition, curated by Rebecca Hart, curator of modern and contemporary art, is an expanded presentation of the works on view at Albright-Knox. Bradford’s curation at CSM featuring approximately 15 works by Clyfford Still, and continues the Artists Select program, which invites contemporary artists to curate works from the museum’s holdings to explore Still’s legacy and the inspiration each draws from the work.