Clyfford Still Museum, Denver

I woke up in Denver this morning! It was a beautiful cloudless and hot day. It got to almost 30C (low 80s F). Look at that beautiful sky behind the City & County building. Hard to believe that snow is predicted in a couple of days!  (Writing this many days later, it DID snow!  A LOT!).

I went to one of my favourite places for breakfast, near the City & County building in the middle picture, and almost next door to the Denver Art Museum. I was thinking about visiting the museum on this trip, but came across the Clyfford Still Museum next door, and when I saw that they were having a free day, I decided to go there instead. I like free!!

I knew nothing about this artist or the history of the museum and I’m so glad I went! Clyfford Still was born in North Dakota in 1904 and died in Maryland in 1980. He is considered a leading figure of the ‘Abstract Impressionist’ movement in the post WW2 era. After some early exhibitions he declined any public exhibitions for many years, having become disillusioned with the commercialisation of art. He also refused to name any of his paintings, using a numbering system instead.  

Two years before his death he wrote in his will that almost all his works of art (other than what was left to his wife), was to be bequeathed to one city:

"I give and bequeath all the remaining works of art executed by me in my collection to an American city that will agree to build or assign and maintain permanent quarters exclusively for these works of art and assure their physical survival with the explicit requirement that none of these works of art will be sold, given, or exchanged but are to be retained in the place described above exclusively assigned to them in perpetuity for exhibition and study."

It took over 20 years for a city to be chosen and in the meantime no one had access to any of his 2400 works. Finally in 2004 the city of Denver was chosen by his widow, Patricia Still, to receive the artwork in his estate. This museum was specially built and was opened in 2011 as an independent and non-profit organisation.

Although Abstract Impressionism may not be my favourite form of art, and I probably liked his earlier work more, I enjoyed my visit very much and learned a great deal. Everyday is a school day!  So if you’re ever in Denver I would highly recommend!