Opening Celebration
Friday, November 6
Member Preview • 6 PM, Public Celebration • 7–9 PM

Extended Play: B-Side explores the work of Sam Gilliam (1933–2022), one of the most significant American abstract painters of the past six decades. Building on the art-historical foundation established in Extended Play: A-Side, the exhibition focuses on Gilliam’s continually evolving practice and the lasting relationships that connect his work to Madison.

Featuring works from MMoCA’s permanent collection alongside significant loans, the exhibition traces Gilliam’s experiments with color, collage, material, and structure. It also considers his decades-long collaboration with Wisconsin master printer Bill Weege and the local collectors, artists, and museum leaders who helped establish one of the most substantial museum holdings of Gilliam’s work outside Washington, D.C.

Gilliam understood art as something experienced over time rather than all at once. The gallery reflects that idea, with seating, sound, curated playlists, and live performances that encourage visitors to slow down, spend time, and allow the work to unfold.