Denver, CO – March 11, 2024 – Susan F. Lake and Barbara A. Ramsay were the first conservators given access to examine and study the extensive collection of paintings in the Clyfford Still and Patricia A. Still estate 28 years after the artist’s death. Lake will share her findings during a talk from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on March 20 in the Clyfford Still Museum (CSM) lobby.
The extensive research project between Lake and Ramsay resulted in the publication of Clyfford Still: The Artist’s Materials. The book provides a detailed account of the artist’s methods, materials, and techniques. Lake will translate and share her research in an accessible way for all audiences during the talk.
This program is $5 for the public, free for CSM members, and requires registration. Space is limited. Before the program, the Museum’s galleries will be open from 6 to 6:30 p.m.
About Susan F. Lake
Susan F. Lake worked at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, for 30 years, first as a painting and research conservator, then as chief conservator and director of the museum’s Collection Care and Management department. After retiring in 2015, she was named director of collections and chief conservator emeritus. Lake holds a master’s degree in art history from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. in art conservation research from the University of Delaware. Her research interests include the history and identification of modern painting materials with an emphasis on the American Abstract Expressionists. Lake is the author of Willem de Kooning: The Artist’s Materials (2010) and the co-author of Clyfford Still: The Artist’s Materials (2022).
About the Clyfford Still Museum
Designed by Allied Works Architecture to display the art of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists, the Clyfford Still Museum opened in November 2011 in Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District. Considered one of the most important and mysterious painters of the 20th century, Clyfford Still (1904-1980) was among the first generation of abstract expressionist artists who developed a new and powerful approach to painting in the years during and immediately after World War II. The Museum’s collection represents more than 93% of the artist’s lifetime output. As the steward of Still’s art and legacy, the Museum’s mission is to preserve, exhibit, study, and foster engagement with its unique collections; generate outstanding exhibitions, scholarly research, educational and other cross-disciplinary programs that broaden the definition of a “single-artist” museum; and be a gathering place for the exploration of innovation and individual artistic endeavor. Connect with the Clyfford Still Museum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or at clyffordstillmuseum.org.
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