Merce Cunningham Dance Company Collection

Over the course of his nearly 70-year career, Merce Cunningham (1919–2009) redefined the visual and performing arts through pioneering collaborations with leading artists, designers, and musicians. In 2011, the Walker accepted an unprecedented opportunity from the Cunningham Dance Foundation to acquire and steward the objects derived from those collaborations. Comprising some 4,300 artifacts representing 150 dances, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company Collection (MCDCC) include décor and costumes by Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Rei Kawakubo, Roy Lichtenstein, Ernesto Neto, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol, among many others, as well as posters, studies and models, photographs, costume drawings, correspondence, ephemera, fabric samples, color charts, and related administrative files from 1960 to 2006. Together, these materials provide invaluable context for understanding the interdependence and integration of costuming and décor within Cunningham’s work.
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unidentified costumes for Merce CunninghamKleinunknown
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costumes for Cage EventsKleinunknown
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study for Neighbors backdropMark Lancasterundated
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study for backdrop for Change of AddressMarsha Skinnerundated
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costumes for Events (navy blue)Kleincirca 2000s
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costumes for Events (brown)Suzanne Gallocirca 1999
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poster for Merce CunninghamKleincirca 1994
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costumes for Events (brown)Mark Lancastercirca 1978
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costumes for EventsSuzanne Joelsoncirca 1976
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costumes from Events (gray ombre unitards)Kleincirca 1974
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poster for Ballets Americains de MerceKleincirca 1964
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poster for NY State Council for the Arts: Contemporary VoicesNY State Council for the Artsc. 1973
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costumes for Events (Park Avenue Armory)Anna Finke2011
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Pixel Cloud décor for Merce Cunningham Dance Company's performances at the ...Daniel Arsham2011
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poster for Merce Cunningham Dance Company Nearly 90² Grand Theatre, Hong K...Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Center2011
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poster for Merce Cunningham Dance Company: It's a Mod New WorldUniversity of Notre Dame2011
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costumes for Nearly 902Anna Finke2009
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costumes for Nearly NinetyRomeo Gigli2009
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model for Nearly Ninety decorBenedetta Tagliabue2009
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costumes for Beacon Events series in Dia:Beacon's Bruce Nauman installationAnna Finke2008
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costumes for Beacon Events series in Dia:Beacon's Walter De Maria and Dan F...Anna Finke2008
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costumes for Beacon Events series in Dia:Beacon's Richard Serra galleryAnna Finke2008
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costumes for eyeSpace (40')Daniel Arsham2007
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costumes for XOVERRobert Rauschenberg2007
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costumes for Beacon Events series in Dia:Beacon's Warhol and Chamberlain ga...Anna Finke2007
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study for eyeSpace (20) backdrop Blues Arrive Not Anticipating What Transpi...Henry Samelson2006
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Blues Arrive Not Anticipating What Transpires Even Between Them, decor for ...Henry Samelson2006
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costumes for Views on CameraJames Hall2005
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costumes for eyeSpace 20'Henry Samelson2005
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poster for L' Altra Danza Teatro Comunale Di ModenaTeatro Comunale di Moderna2005