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

The Magic of The Anderson Collection

…at Stanford University and is welcoming visitors. The news is of significance to everyone for reasons described in this article. Lucifer, the crown jewel of the Anderson Collection, moved to Stanford with a retinue of 120 colorful accomplices he’s befriended while living at the Andersons’ residence. The whole gang is now happily installed in a custom-designed museum on the Stanford campus. With room to spread and a loving staff, they…

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Anderson Collection pieces lock in a home at Stanford

…in New York, where he co-founded a company to manage the school’s cafeteria. He then came West to establish Saga in Menlo Park, a national company distributing dorm food to college campuses across the United States. Museums far and wide courted the Andersons, but, logically, the art collection paid for by college cafeteria food belongs on a college campus. The deal, struck in 2011, was that Stanford would supply a new building, at a cost of $36 m…

News

Palette Cleanser: A new campus museum quietly serves up a visual banquet

…s museum quietly serves up a visual banquet. By Lydia Lee It’s tempting for designers to try to turn art museums into works of art themselves. But what if the client’s directive is just the opposite? A new campus museum in the Bay Area by the New York–based firm Ennead Architects may disappoint those hoping for a bigger architectural statement. However, as designed to house the 121 works of the Anderson Collection, a choice selection of postwar A…

News

Fashion statements: Nick Cave’s Soundsuits come to Stanford

…ns. Each item he finds holds a story — the energetic imprint from every previous owner, which he assembles into his Soundsuits. In that way, it can be said that Soundsuits are formed from memories. The Chicago artist’s creations are part sculpture and ornament, armor and instrument and are often worn as costumes and performed in. The energetic vibration of each single, insignificant article is magnified by how Cave chooses to bind the…

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Getting it down on paper: A different aspect of the Anderson Collection on view

…ts. It is said that she initiated the practice of pouring thinned-down oil paint onto unprimed canvas, resulting in a fusion of surface and color (which later would be called “color-field painting”). Her “Monotype VII” has the same energetic feeling as “Approach” upstairs. In the painting, the staining is applied sparingly, so as to create more perspective space. The monotype, however, is a joyous expanse of co…

Exhibition

Manuel Neri: Assertion of the Figure

The Catalogues

News

Anderson Collection opens to public on Sept. 21

…ts new Stanford University home this Sunday, 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.s…

News

Anderson Collection at Stanford solidifies Bay Area’s art stature

…Collection at Stanford University opens to the public this Sunday, visitors will be rewarded with a breathtaking introduction to one of the world’s most important private collections. The long-anticipated institution, adjacent to the Cantor Arts Center, features a formidable cache of modern and contemporary art and certifies the Bay Area’s growing international stature as a destination for lovers and scholars of 20th and 21st century…

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A&E Digest

…County Schools, and were nominated by their classroom teachers based on their talent, hard work and demonstrated interest in art. The stduetns will be invited to take part in CSMA art programs. Those interested in learning more can go to arts4all.org or call 650-917-6800. FEMINIST ART ON FILM … On Thursday, April 30 at 6 p.m., the Anderson Collection at Stanford University will host a free screening of filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson’s…

News

A new start for art at Stanford: Cantor Arts Center and Anderson Collection reopen

…s they have been incredibly supportive and encouraging.” Mitchell, who served on staff-led committees that addressed the work culture at the museum, noted, “These experiences have helped me thoroughly understand the challenges faced by the museum team in their daily work, and areas in which staff want the museum to grow and flourish.” And how do they plan to address the issues raised last summer? “We are working closely wi…

News

Contemplations on modern art

…f 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 online after Googling the artist. These large canvases and colors, though they…

Exhibition

Sam Richardson: Islands, Ice, and Sand

News

Stanford Arts District museums offer plenty for a world-class cultural staycation

…ga Corporation, (Harry Anderson was one of the founders) and later, the Quadrus office complex on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. For those who are unfamiliar with the background of this collection and how it came to Stanford, it’s worthwhile to pop into the comfortably appointed library. Here, the Andersons’ private library of art books (used to assist them in their collecting) and a video interview with the couple can be found. The se…

News

Stephanie Syjuco Goes Full Color

…it from a rubbish bin. Throughout Syjuco’s exhibit White Balance/Color Cast, the eye is repeatedly drawn to it. In a recent phone interview, Syjuco explains that color bars like these are edited out of published photos. “Most studio photographers use these color calibration charts to make sure they have a standard or correct color locked into the image,” she says. But when photography was invented, she adds, the color bars were skewed. “This mig…

Convergence Zone

Publications

Exhibition

Formed and Fired: Contemporary American Ceramics