Anderson Collection at Stanford University

'The Journey Continues’ opens next week on March 19! This exhibition is a celebration of contemporary women artists featuring works by Arlene Shechet, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Teresa Baker and others all made within the past decade. Works in ‘The Journey Continues’ are all on loan from the collection of Mary Patricia “Putter” Anderson Pence, reflecting the Anderson family’s legacy of supporting contemporary artists. Learn more about the exhibition: https://lnkd.in/gTnk3vxV [Michaela Yearwood-Dan. “My sugah, my honey, my tenda lovah, 2024. Oil, paper, and earthenware ceramics on canvas. Collection of Mary Partricia Anderson Pence.]

Is it your dream to work in a museum? We invite you to apply to the Stanford Internship Program in the Arts! During this 10-week, paid summer internship open to Stanford freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, you will have the opportunity to explore career pathways in the arts and deepen your engagement with Stanford’s art institutions. Interns will be placed at one of five institutions on campus, including the Anderson Collection. We are looking for one Summer Pathways intern to work alongside our registrar to conduct collection condition reports and support our programs team. The application for this pre-arranged internship at the Anderson Collection will remain open until February 20.

Today, we’re celebrating Joan Mitchell’s centennial! Mitchell, who was born in Chicago in 1925, was an active participant in the New York School and established a reputation as one of the leading Abstract Expressionist painters, and one of the few women associated with the male-dominated action painting movement. We are fortunate to have her painting ‘Before, Again IV’ in our collection, a work created in 1985 during Mitchell’s difficult battle with cancer. Still, Mitchell continued to paint ambitious and experimental works. ‘Before, Again IV’ has traveled from our museum to several retrospective presentations of Mitchell’s work, with notable host venues including SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Baltimore Museum of Art, and Fondation Louis Vuitton. Huge thanks to the Joan Mitchell Foundation’s Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs Sarah Roberts who gave a special tour last week of ‘Before, Again IV’ and Louise Nevelson’s ‘Sky Garden,’ which are both included in our current exhibition “An Expanded Lens.” On this day, we invite you to view the painting on our second floor and celebrate Mitchell’s contributions to American art. #JoanMitchell100 #JoanMitchell ??Joan Mitchell (American, 1925-1992), Before, Again IV, 1985, oil on canvas. On view at the Anderson Collection, 2025. ??Joan Mitchell in her Vétheuil studio, 1983. Photograph by Robert Freson, Joan Mitchell Foundation Archives, ? Joan Mitchell Foundation.

One of our current exhibitions “Bringing It Home” offers a personal view into the Anderson family’s relationships with artists in their collection, including Frank Stella, Philip Guston, and Josef Albers, who was commissioned by Hunk Anderson to create the ‘Stanford Wall,’ a large public sculpture unveiled on campus adjacent to the Stanford Oval in 1980. Prior to the unveiling, Albers sent a maquette of ‘Stanford Wall’ to Hunk and Moo in 1975. The wall – with one side crafted from black African granite and the other made of white Arkansas brick –? was deemed controversial upon its reveal to the Stanford community, yet has come to symbolize the university’s dedication to outdoor art. View the maquette, paintings by Albers, archival photos and special correspondence between Albers and the Andersons in “Bringing It Home” before it closes on February 16! ??? The Josef & Anni Albers Foundation ?? Josef Albers with Moo Anderson at Albers’s studio in Connecticut. Photo courtesy of the Anderson family. ?? In-gallery view of ‘Untitled (Maquette of Albers’ Wall),’ ‘Study for Homage to the Square: “2 Pairs Act 3 Pairs”,’ and ‘Intimate’ by Josef Albers in the exhibition “Bringing It Home,” on view at the Anderson Collection.

The Andersons curated their collection with intention, choosing pieces that evoke emotional depth and intellectual engagement, far beyond fleeting trends or investments. Their generous partnership with Stanford University demonstrates a deep commitment to education, sharing their collection to inspire future generations. Stanford PhD student Dejan Vasi? was invited to engage with the Anderson collection and to curate a portion of “An Expanded Lens.” In engaging with the collection first at the Andersons home, and later at the museum, Vasi? observed how the stunning architecture of the Anderson Collection building (designed by Richard Olcott) mirrored how light interacted with art in the Andersons’ home. Vasi?’s observations go beyond a mere annotation of geography or landscape. “As we explore the relationship between art and objects within our homes versus a museum setting, we uncover how context shapes our perceptions,” he remarks. “Each piece, when displayed in the gallery, sheds its everyday layers, reminding us that our experiences are deeply personal and subjective, influenced by light, space, and our unique journeys.” For Vasi?, each visitor’s experience is unique, influenced by the interplay of light, space, and personal history, creating an atmosphere that celebrates both art and living spaces. Explore “An Expanded Lens,” on view at the Anderson Collection, and experience the seamless merging of art and everyday life. ?? In-gallery views of “An Expanded Lens,” on view at the Anderson Collection. Photos by María José Alvarado Luna