Artist Sam Gilliam's signature strokes on draped cloths, towering panels and traditional canvases are part of our everyday lives, on display in museums as well as at libraries, banks and Reagan National Airport. For almost 50 years, Gilliam has been an ever-changing force in Washington's arts circles, even as his work and recognition have grown far beyond the city.
In 1967, Gilliam received his first solo show at the Phillips Collection, where he was saluted as an innovator in Washington's Color School, a movement in the '60s and '70s that produced bursts of color in geometric forms and fanciful shapes.
