Modern & Contemporary

two african american figures, a man and a woman, at a kitchen table

Carrie Mae Weems, American (b. 1953), Untitled (detail), 1990, from the “Kitchen Table” series, gelatin silver print, 19 x 19 inches composition, Purchase with The Carnegie Fund, Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder, 95.05.12, Photo: Aaron Hoffman, ©Carrie Mae Weems, Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder

print with two sections, on the right there are two women falling into a river, on the left there are two african american soldiers in front of a firing squad

Lorna Simpson, American (b. 1960), Suspended (The suicide of two young girls), 1995, laser print on felt, 8 x 12 1/2 inches composition, Gift of Polly and Mark Addison to the Polly and Mark Addison Collection, Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder, 2001.04, Photo: Jeff Wells, © Lorna Simpson

drawing of a woman on her knees

Diego Rivera, Mexican (1886–1957), Figure on Knees(detail), 1934, watercolor on rice paper, 11 x 15 1/2 inches. Gift of John M. Stratton of New York, Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder, 58.228. Photo: Jeff Wells,© 2017 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

stylized painting of a stack of logs

Marsden Hartley, American (1877 – 1943), Log Jam (Backwaters Up Millinocket Way No. 3), 1939 – 1940, oil paint on Masonite, 32 x 38 x 2 inches framed, Purchased from Raul Rosenberg & Co., New York, Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder, 57.153, Photo: Jeff Wells, © Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder

painting with gold and white flowers

Margaret Evangeline, American (b. 1943), Sebastian Saint Camellia(detail), 2011, oil paint on canvas, 60 x 60 inches. Gift of Ann Tanenbaum, Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder, 2011.17. Photo: Jeff Wells, © Margaret Evangeline.

loose drawing of a woman's torso and head

Richard Diebenkorn, American (1922–1993), Study of Resting Woman(detail), 1959, graphite pencil on paper, 11 7/8 x 8 5/8 inches. Purchase from the Artist, Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder, 59.247. Photo: Jeff Wells, © Richard Diebenkorn Estate.

Our globally diverse collection of modern and contemporary art encompasses drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, video and digital media. Among the highlights are paintings by Elizabeth Murray and Marsden Hartley, and minimalist sculptures by Sol LeWitt and Jackie Winsor.

Our contemporary ceramic collection reveals how today’s artists respond to the global history of ceramic materials and techniques. Major works by Graham Marks, Jean-Pierre LaRocque, Annabeth Rosen, Peter Voulkos and Betty Woodman demonstrate how contemporary ceramicists extend the traditional boundaries of material and form.

Our collection of modern art includes 19th-century photography that highlights the convergence of science and art in the modern development of photographic techniques and processes such as daguerreotype, tintype and stereoscopic photography. Works in this collection provide an understanding of how photographers manipulate materials and subject matter in innovative and experimental ways.

Generous patrons Polly and Mark Addison have donated significant works to the Art Museum, forming , which runs the gamut of contemporary art forms including paintings, sculptures, works on paper, video and digital media.