Research & scholarship
The Foundation serves as a primary resource on the artist Sam Gilliam and is a steward of his collection and archive. For more information on his artworks, catalogues, and more, please contact us.
Archives
Onsite access to Sam Gilliam’s archives and library, housed at the Foundation in Washington, D.C., is by advance appointment. Please reach out to request an appointment or for more information.
Catalogue Raisonné – Currently in progress
A dedicated team of Sam Gilliam’s peers and scholars are in the midst of assembling a catalogue raisonné that encompasses the entirety of Gilliam’s career, including artwork, provenance, exhibition history, as well as essays by artists, conservators, and critics to present a range of perspectives on the artist and his practice.
Smithsonian Archives of American Art
The Sam Gilliam papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Sam Gilliam in 1989. Gilliam’s papers measure 7.9 linear feet and date from 1957 to 1989. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writings, business records, printed material, subject files, a scrapbook, artwork, and photographic material that document Gilliam’s life beginning as a student, through to his teaching, professorial, and artistic career based in Washington D.C. The collection highlights Gilliam’s close involvement with the art institutions, racial politics, and artistic innovation from the 1960s through the 1980s, and particularly showcases the planning and creation of Gilliam’s large-scale three-dimensional paintings, often associated with the Washington Color School.
