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For decades, most of the works by late American artist Clyfford Still have been hidden from public view, tightly guarded by his painstakingly precise will. Since 2004, when Denver was selected as the beneficiary of his wife’s estate, admirers of the groundbreaking Abstract Expressionist have awaited the display of those works. That day will come November 18, when the city’s Clyfford Still Museum is scheduled to officially open. The museum’s staff will post the announcement on its website later today with details on the completion of the two-story concrete structure, which broke ground west of the Denver Art Museum in 2009.
Even if you sit on the fringes of the art world, or outside of it entirely, the Clyfford Still Museum is highly significant for the Mile High City. “Colorado’s growing arts community is gaining the world’s attention,” says Governor John Hickenlooper, who as mayor was responsible for the museum landing here. “Having one of the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world in Denver is an incredible collection for the city and our state.”
The museum’s inaugural exhibit will include 100 works from the Still collection, many of which will be on display for the first time ever. But don’t wait until November to get a glimpse of what’s to come: Head to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science next Wednesday, May 11, at 6 p.m. for a free live brodcast tour of the collection from Maryland, where it is currently stored. But be sure to RSVP first to info [at] cliffordstillmuseum [dot] org.