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The Arts Intel Report

Calder: In Motion

Alexander Calder with his sculpture Flight, 1957.

Nov 29, 2023 – Oct 20, 2024
1300 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, United States

“He is the most approachable artist of the last century,” Jon Shirley says of Alexander Calder, “because his works are in motion, and they offer a new perspective to anyone looking at them.” The former president and C.O.O. of Microsoft believes that the artist’s kinetic sculptures and aerodynamic forms ask “visitors to take off their goggles and experience art firsthand in three dimensions.” Shirley and his wife, Kim, recently donated their complete Calder collection—48 pieces, valued at around $200 million—to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). The hefty gift also came with a schedule of multi-year programming that’s exclusively dedicated to Calder and his legacy. It kicked off with “Calder: In Motion,” an exhibition of the entire endowment. —Osman Can Yerebakan

Photo: Walter Sanders/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock