Selections from the Shirley Family Calder Collection

In spring 2023, SAM announced the generosity of patrons Jon and Kim Shirley in gifting the museum over 45 works by the iconic American artist Alexander Calder (1898–1976). The Shirley Family Calder Collection—one of the most important private holdings of Calder's art—is the result of 35 years of thoughtful collecting, first by Jon and his late wife, Mary, and then by Jon and Kim. This gift also established an ongoing initiative, including annual exhibitions, programs, and collaborations centered on Calder, with the goal of expanding knowledge and appreciation of these significant works.

Calder reimagined the very nature of sculpture with his pioneering use of industrial materials, particularly sheet metal and wire. Upending the time-honored media of bronze, clay, and stone. He transformed how objects energize space, introducing the fourth dimension of time with his invention of mobiles and resetting the traditional relationship between volume and void with the planar power of his stabiles. Calder’s avant-garde vision, underpinned by an intuitive and direct working method, broke through the established boundaries between genres and set a radical new course for sculpture. This gallery demonstrates a selection from this transformative gift.