About
Extended Play: B-Side explores the work of Sam Gilliam (1933–2022), one of the most significant American abstract painters of the past six decades. Building on the art-historical foundation established in Extended Play: A-Side, the exhibition focuses on Gilliam’s continually evolving practice and the lasting relationships that connect his work to Madison.
Featuring works from MMoCA’s permanent collection alongside significant loans, the exhibition traces Gilliam’s experiments with color, collage, material, and structure. It also considers his decades-long collaboration with Wisconsin master printer Bill Weege and the local collectors, artists, and museum leaders who helped establish one of the most substantial museum holdings of Gilliam’s work outside Washington, D.C.
Gilliam understood art as something experienced over time rather than all at once. The gallery reflects that idea, with seating, sound, curated playlists, and live performances that encourage visitors to slow down, spend time, and allow the work to unfold.
Resources
William Weege on Sam Gilliam
Watch the conversation exploring Gilliam and Weege’s decades-long collaboration at the Jones Road Print Shop and Tandem Press.
Explore Extended Play: A-Side
Learn more about the artists and ideas that shaped Gilliam’s development within and beyond the Washington Color School.
Programming & Events
Opening Celebration
Friday, November 6
Member Preview • 6 PM, Public Celebration • 7–9 PM
Support
Extended Play is made possible through the exceptional generosity of Gina and Michael Carter, Mary Ellyn and Joseph Sensenbrenner, and MMoCA members. Additionally this exhibition was made with extraordinary assistance from the Sam Gilliam Foundation, Gagosian Gallery, Pace Gallery, and David Kordansky Gallery.