The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver will open a multisensory exhibition titled "Still in Sound" on May 16, exploring how visitors can experience abstract visual language through sound. Co-curated by Bailey Placzek, the museum's curator of collections, and British multidisciplinary artist Ben Coleman, the exhibition features original sonic interpretations by contemporary artists Maria Chávez, Maya Dunietz, Kalyn Heffernan, Matana Roberts, and Michael Schumacher, each responding to a specific Clyfford Still artwork. The museum will also open a special-feature exhibition, "Celebrating 15 Years: 15 New Paintings in 15 Months," unveiling one previously unseen painting each month for 15 months. The exhibition runs through February 14, 2027.
This exhibition matters because it represents an innovative approach to engaging audiences with abstract expressionist art through sound, potentially broadening access and interpretation for visitors. Additionally, the accompanying "Celebrating 15 Years" exhibition addresses a significant gap in public access to the museum's collection, as roughly two-thirds of its holdings have never been on public view since the museum opened fifteen years ago. This dual approach—experimental multisensory programming alongside systematic collection unveiling—reflects a growing trend among museums to both deepen visitor engagement and fulfill their mission of making collections accessible.