Welcome to the Anderson Collection
Stanford University's free museum of modern and contemporary American art

Open Wed - Sun

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Advance reservations not required.
Click here for group visits.

News

‘Formed & Fired: Contemporary American Ceramics’ at the Anderson Collection breaks the mold

…erson Collection at Stanford University. An exhibition of ceramics highlights artists who are reshaping ceramics in concept and craftsmanship. The exhibition – which features 11 works by Kathy Butterly, Kahlil Robert Irving, Simone Leigh and Brie Ruais – was postponed from spring 2020 and will be on view upon the museum’s reopening, hopefully in early 2021. A virtual tour of the show is available online now. “By sharing the work and voices of the…

News

The Anderson Collection at Stanford: An Uplifting Experience

…ed Speaking at the building’s dedication on September 18, Stanford’s President John Hennessy praised the Anderson’s gift of 121 works by 86 artists as a “gift for the generations” and also noted with great pride that the Anderson would play a key role in the remarkable and ongoing “Stanford Arts Initiative.” If you think Stanford is just a tech-incubator with a football stadium, think again: the opening o…

News

A private art collection becomes a Stanford collection on Sunday, Sept. 21

…supporters and volunteers who have made so much possible. I’m thrilled to be sharing this collection with the world and invite you to became a part of the journey.” Stanford constructed a building exclusively for the collection within the expanding arts district, and over the summer the collection moved in. The building is adjacent to Cantor Arts Center and the planned McMurtry Building for the Department of Art and Art History (open…

News

Anderson Collection opens to public on Sept. 21

…in a freestanding pavilion next to the Cantor Arts Center in the University’s growing arts district. Members of the Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection can also attend a special preview of the museum on Sept. 20. Opening day festivities will include food trucks, music, activities and digital tours. Admission is free, and while visitors can reserve timed tickets online at anderson.stanford.edu, walk-up tickets will also be available. D…

News

New acquisition by David Park on view at the Anderson Collection

…ord alumnus Richard Diebenkorn, Manuel Neri and Nathan Oliveira, who taught at Stanford. Bay Area figurative art is a particular strength of the Anderson Collection and the second Park painting is an important acquisition. A collection of essays about the painting by Nancy Boas, Helen Park Bigelow and John Seed will be available in the galleries and online at the time of the opening. The Anderson Collection reopens to the public on Sept. 22 after…

News

Eamon Ore-Giron Named to Presidential Residency at the Anderson Collection at Stanford University

…hers. He also serves as assistant professor of painting and drawing at California State University, Bakersfield. The artist, who is based in L.A., will have access to the rich intellectual resources of Stanford’s campus while engaging with students, faculty and the community over the course of the fall, winter and spring quarters. The residency will culminate in an exhibition of Ore-Giron’s work in spring 2021, giving new context to objects alrea…

News

Contemplations on modern art

…t collection. I was in the middle of a room surrounded by large canvases of colors. One of them, covering almost the entire wall, was simply a large pattern of burgundy, black and white. However, there was something very calming about looking at it. I used to criticize such artworks a lot, not understanding the value placed on artists like Rothko. But seeing such pieces in a museum in front of you feels very different than looking at images onlin…

News

Stanford’s Anderson Collection museum to feature trove of couple’s art

…stures toward the splashy black and white “Figure 8,” 1952, by Franz Kline and “Pink and White Over Red,” 1957, by Mark Rothko. In the living room, with 18th and 19th century English furniture, Morris Louis’ “Number 64,” 1958, hangs over the comfortable sofa while Sam Francis’ “Red in Red,” 1955, is over the brick fireplace. The cozy, casual atmosphere reflects the intimate relationship…

News

How to find love at the Anderson Collection

…“Hunk” and Mary Margaret “Moo” Anderson bought “Lucifer” — one of Jackson Pollock’s prized action paintings and the latest addition to the family’s private art collection — they hung it over their daughter’s bed. Mary Patricia “Putter” Anderson grew up like most girls, hosting slumber  parties and fighting the temptation to give Pollock’s painting new “drips.” This privilege — to learn and live among masterpieces — is yours now. In 2011, the And…

Volunteer Opportunities

Previewing the Anderson Collection at Stanford University

News

Apsáalooke artist Wendy Red Star creatively engages with the Stanford community

By Robin Wander Wendy Red Star: American Progress on view at the Anderson Collection at Stanford University is a solo exhibition of works by the artist Wendy Red Star, who was raised on the Apsáalooke (Crow) reservation in Montana. With historical research, Stanford student collaborations, large-scale installations, and images of sovereignty, Red Star asks viewers to grapple with the layered complexity of American history. On view on the first…

News

Hot Art Bling the New Thing on the Peninsula

…yes to Your Feet But that’s changing, says chapter co-chair Kathy Kenyon. “I think it’s real exciting what they’re doing here with this whole arts section, with the Anderson Collection, and bringing over the art department so that it is directly connected with the museums here is a huge thing,” Kenyon says. And all of Stanford’s art collection is available to the public for free. There’s more to the scene than the high profile glamour of St…

REPORT: Stanford

News

The Magic of The Anderson Collection

…re is beauty and generosity in this dedication. May it offer many the joy of having an “art moment”. The Anderson Collection is special for many reasons. The collection is deeply personal. It was assembled by a family, not a museum curator or art consultant. It represents the personal choices and tastes of a family, and a love relationship that spanned over 50 years. They cherished every artwork equally as a family member. In fact, th…

News

Up Close: One Painting Tours With Artists

…She opened her first solo museum exhibition at the di Rosa Museum (Napa) in February 2020. Semo lives and works in San Francisco. Discover more of her work http://davinasemo.net. You can also follow her on Instagram. Artist Erica Deeman explores Jennifer Bartlett’s At The Lake, Morning Erica Deeman is a visual artist living and working in San Francisco, CA. Originally from the U.K., she has lived in the States for just over 8 years. Dee…

News

Anderson Collection’s 10 must-see works at Stanford

Not to be missed at the Anderson Collection (in no particular order): 1. Richard Diebenkorn: “Berkeley No. 26,” 1954. 2. Frank Stella: “Zeltweg,” 1981. 3. Ellsworth Kelly: “Black Ripe,” 1955. 4. David Park: “Four Women,” 1959 (on the cover). 5. Jackson Pollock: “Lucifer,” 1947. 6. Morris Louis: “Number 64,” 1958. 7. Wayne Thiebaud: “Candy Counter,” 1962. 8. Mark Rothko: “Pink and White Over Red,” 1957. 9. Vija Celmins: “Barrier,” 1986. 10. Phili…

Review: Anderson Collection of 20th-century art opens Sept. 21

News

Manuel Neri’s Chromatic Chaos

…a 1989 interview with the William James Association Prison Arts Project, Neri reveals that when he began carving in Carrara, Italy in the mid-1970s, the locals were at first “outraged” when he added swaths of oil-based enamel to his marble sculptures. “Makida III,” a 1997 carving on view at the Anderson Collection, is partially wrapped in feathery pale pink and blue strokes, a delicate and counter-intuitive Manuel Neri, “Makida III” (1997), 24 x…

Exhibition

Manuel Neri: Assertion of the Figure