DENVER, CO.- The Clyfford Still Museum announced the inception of the Clyfford Still Museum Research Center (CSMRC). Multidisciplinary in its approach, the CSMRC will develop programs and research encompassing the period in which Clyfford Still’s art flourished – circa 1920 through 1980. Conceived for both interested members of the public and dedicated scholars, the Research Center will foster humanities-based engagement with the Clyfford Still Museum collections, its archives and the manifold ideas that they embody. This agenda includes a competitive fellowship program, using CSM resources to facilitate enquiry across disciplines, preparing and distributing scholarly publications, and conducting symposia and a broad range of other public programs.

David Anfam – currently the Clyfford Still Museum’s Senior Consulting Curator – is the new Director of the CSMRC. Anfam holds a Ph.D. from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, that focused on Clyfford Still (1984). Among Anfam’s awards are the prestigious Mitchell Prize for the History of Art (2000) and the Umhoeffer Prize for Achievement in Humanities (2009). His writings on Still and other American artists have repeatedly explored the connections between their achievements and other disciplines, including anthropology, philosophy, literature, and social history.

“The Research Center is integral to the institution’s strategic long-term vision. It recognizes that supporting the scholarly understanding and interpretation of Still’s work and its broader American and Cultural Studies context is critical to a lively intellectual environment for generating new ideas,“ said Dr. Anfam. “The CSMRC aims to regularly disseminate humanistic knowledge through scholarly research and papers that will uphold the spirit of Still’s immensely wide-ranging intellect.”

Central to this planning is a commitment to engaging fresh audiences by creating a dialogue between specialists and the public. CSMRC has the capacity to sustain this vision because it is fundamental to the functioning of the institution and directly supports its mission, which emphasizes presentation, research, interpretation and preservation. The Center’s first program, CLYFFORD STILL: THE VIEW FROM THE 21ST CENTURY, was conducted in October at Sotheby’s in New York City.

“The Clyfford Still Museum is well-poised to announce this research center as we have a unique opportunity to create a high-quality, humanities-based institution that accesses a 20th-century national treasure as a centerpiece for broader American Studies,” said Dean Sobel, Director, Clyfford Still Museum. “Our vision has always been to provide and continue access to the late artist’s magnificent collection. The Research Center is a further endeavor to bring deeper understanding, insights and a more meaningful experience of Still to our Museum visitors.”

Collaborations with other institutions, both in and beyond Colorado, will be a key part of the Center’s scope. The Clyfford Still Museum will announce additional details, partners and programs surrounding the Research Center in the months to come.