American artist Alexander Calder (1898â1976) is celebrated for revolutionizing sculpture with his renowned mobiles and stabiles, which range from the miniature to the monumental. This exhibition traces Calderâs career, highlighting his most important themes, styles, and materials from the 1920s through the 1970s. Calderâs dynamic abstract mobiles mingle with an array of his stationary stabiles of various scales, including notable works such as Gamma (1947), Bougainvillier (1947), and Toile dâaraignĂ©e (1965). In Motion spans several of SAMâs galleries, including its double-height gallery, a unique space in the museum designed for large-scale works that features several overlooks from the floor above. The exhibition demonstrates Calderâs unique vision, one that stands apart in the history of modern art and has left a profound legacy on American art and culture.
In spring 2023, SAM announced the generosity of patrons Jon and Kim Shirley in gifting the Shirley Family Calder Collection to the museum. The collectionâone of the most important private holdings of Calderâs artâis the result of 35 years of thoughtful collecting. In Motion reflects the depth and breadth of this collection in a non-chronological narrative that covers Calderâs career throughout the decades featuring many significant examples from his production: mobiles, stabiles, a constellation, paintings, illustrations, and prints.
This inaugural exhibition also sets in motion a new era at SAM, introducing ongoing exhibitions and programs centered around Calder and his legacy taking place in downtown Seattle, the Olympic Sculpture Park, and through local and national partnerships. These efforts are supported by a generous endowment and annual financial commitments from Jon and Kim Shirley.
Learn more about Calder at SAM.