Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
June 4 - September 27, 2026
HEMPHILL is pleased to share the exhibition, Extended Play: A-Side on view at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, Wisconsin featuring artworks by artists of the Washington Color School, including works by Sam Gilliam, Alma Thomas and Paul Reed. The exhibition is on view June 4 - September 27, 2026.
Extended Play explores the emergence, evolution, and expansion of postwar American abstraction through artists connected to the Washington Color School and the groundbreaking work of Sam Gilliam. Inspired by the language of music—especially jazz—the exhibition considers how artists used rhythm, variation, and improvisation to shape new approaches to color, form, and movement. Featuring works by Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Alma Thomas, and Sam Gilliam, the exhibition traces how painters moved beyond the emotional intensity of Abstract Expressionism toward bold color and carefully structured compositions. It also follows Gilliam’s transformation of painting into a dynamic, sculptural practice as he removed canvases from their stretchers and allowed them to drape and respond to gravity.
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
227 State Street
Madison, WI 53703