Breaking It Down: Conversations from the Vault
“My idea is not to show all our treasures at once but in ever-varied and purposeful exhibitions, arranging the Collection in units which are frequently changed so that the walls of the various rooms reveal interesting transformations.”-Duncan Phillips, 1926
The Phillips Collection, from its inception, has focused on creating what founder Duncan Phillips called “units”: groups of works of art that represent key aspects of an artist’s vision or spirit. Leaders in championing the independent-minded artist, Duncan and Marjorie Phillips gave many their first museum exhibitions and acquisitions. This presentation offers a deep dive and new take on several artists who are cornerstones of the collection, including Georges Braque, Richard Diebenkorn, Arthur Dove, Sam Gilliam, Paul Klee, and Georgia O’Keeffe, alongside a growing collection of works by trailblazers of our time, including Sean Scully, Sylvia Snowden, Renée Stout, Joyce Wellman, and more.
This exhibition is organized by The Phillips Collection.
The Phillips Collection gratefully acknowledges the Frauke de Looper Trust for lead support of this exhibition.
This exhibition is made possible, in part, by Stephanie and Greg Guyett and the Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan Exhibition Fund.
Presented with the generous support of Martha R. Johnston and Lugano
Additional support is provided by Robert Berish and Barbara Brown, Daniel W. Hamilton, and Susan Lee and Stephen A. Saltzburg.