Exhibitions

Upcoming

Monochrome: Calder and Tara Donovan

May 13 2026–Jan 3 2027
Seattle Art Museum

At times reminiscent of biological structures and geological formations, Tara Donovan’s work elevates mass-produced industrial materials, such as tar paper, drinking straws, or the silvery metal rings of slinky toys, into mesmerizing installations. Her cumulative process transfigures the mundane into exalted new forms.

Donovan chose one of Alexander Calder’s last works, the distinctive Mountains (1:5 intermediate maquette, 1976), as a touchpoint for this exhibition. Like the vast majority of the legendary sculptor’s masterpieces, Mountains is black. Donovan explains, “My primary (though not sole) focus on the color black references Calder’s use of black in many of his works as a neutralizing force that flattens sculptural shapes.”

When asked about the role of color in his work, Calder replied, “Well, it’s really secondary. I want things to be differentiated. Black and white are first—then red is next—and then I get sort of vague.” Donovan likens her use of a singular object or material to a different kind of monochromatic practice, one animated by light. Viewers are continuously alert to the transformations brought by the subtle glimmer of tar paper, the sheen of mylar, or the bright reflection of silvery metal. A different animation occurs in Calder’s mobiles, as the moving cacophony of elements delineates changing outlines, clusters, and forms.

Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder, part of the Calder at SAM multiyear initiative, is generously supported by

*Untitled (Mylar)* (detail), 2011/2013, Tara Donovan, American, b. 1969, mylar and hot glue, dimensions variable, Courtesy Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, © Tara Donovan, photo: Mick Vicenz.

Putting SAM on the Map

The promised gift of the Shirley Family Calder Collection transforms the museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art once again, building on gifts from the Virginia and Bagley Wright Collection and the Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Collection. This gift also makes SAM the Pacific Northwest hub for Calder exploration, joining other institutions around the world with significant Calder collections. Visit the Calder Foundation’s interactive map to explore key locations of Calder artworks across the globe.

Future Exhibitions

Exhibitions centered around Calder will debut every year celebrating the promised gift of the Shirley family Calder collection. For future exhibitions some will feature renowned contemporary artists who have been profoundly influenced by Calder and others will be an in-depth reexamination of specific historical periods in the artist’s career.

These efforts are supported by a generous endowment and annual financial commitments from Jon and Kim Shirley.

Events & Tours

Press

Seattle Art Museum Becomes the Alexander Calder Destination with Shirley Family Collection
Forbes

How the Former President of Microsoft Amassed an Extraordinary Calder Collection
Galerie

A Gift of Calder
The New York Times Fine Arts & Exhibitions Section

$200 Million Calder Collection puts Seattle Art Museum in National Spotlight
The Seattle Times

Dynamic and Engaging: The Call of Calder
Seattle Magazine

SAM Stories

A Cherished Gift: 48 Artworks by Alexander Calder Are Coming to SAM

Supporting the Arts: SAM Trustees Called to Serve the White House

Olympic Sculpture Park: Sculpting a Universe

Weightlessness: Tour The Eagle

K-12 Student Responses to Calder

Past Exhibitions

Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder

Nov 20 2024–Jun 1 2025
Seattle Art Museum

Be moved by the sculptural visions of American artists Thaddeus Mosley (b. 1926) and Alexander Calder (1898–1976). Mosley, a contemporary sculptor inspired by modernist aesthetics and traditional African wood carvings by the Dogon, Senufo, Bamum, and Mossi people, is recognized for his innovative concept of “weight in space,” in which sculptural forms appear to defy gravity. In Following Space, 17 of his large-scale wooden sculptures, made between 2001 and 2024, are in dialogue with five seminal artworks by Calder, who revolutionized modern sculpture by introducing actual movement and time to the medium. This is one of Mosley’s largest exhibitions to date and the first to pair his work with Calder’s. The two artists’ work are shown together in SAM’s double-height galleries, where visitors can experience their dynamic sculptures from every angle.

Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder, part of the Calder at SAM multiyear initiative, is generously supported by

Calder: In Motion, The Shirley Family Collection

Nov 8 2023 – Oct 20 2024
Seattle Art Museum

American artist Alexander Calder (1898–1976) is celebrated for revolutionizing sculpture with his renowned mobiles and stabiles, which range from the miniature to the monumental. This exhibition traces Calder’s career, highlighting his most important themes, styles, and materials from the 1920s through the 1970s. Calder’s 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 d’araignée (1965). In Motion spans several of SAM’s 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 Calder’s 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 collection—one of the most important private holdings of Calder’s art—is 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 Calder’s 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.

Calder: In Motion, The Shirley Family Collection is organized by the Seattle Art Museum. The exhibition is generously supported by

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