Carolyn Brown Estate Gifts Rauschenberg Works to Walker Art Center
Carolyn Brown, a significant member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, passed away on January 7, 2025, at the age of 97. Renowned for her contributions as a dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker, she participated in over 40 Cunningham productions and collaborated with prominent figures like John Cage and Robert Rauschenberg. Brown's memoir, "Chance and Circumstance," released in 2007, is a pivotal work documenting her experiences. Following her death, she bequeathed two Rauschenberg artworks, "New Painting" (1962) and "White Walk" (1970), to the Walker Art Center, reflecting her longstanding relationship with the institution from the late 1960s onward.
Key facts
- Carolyn Brown (1927–2025) was a founding member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
- Brown originated roles in more than 40 Cunningham works.
- She performed in Robert Rauschenberg's Pelican (1963) and John Cage's Theatre Piece (1960).
- Her memoir Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham was published in 2007.
- Brown participated in Walker residencies in 1967, 1969, and 1972.
- On March 12, 1972, she performed Event #32 with MCDC at the Walker.
- The Walker acquired the MCDC archive of 4,300 items in 2011.
- Brown's estate gifted Rauschenberg's New Painting (1962) and White Walk (1970) to the Walker.
- New Painting is an early silkscreen work; White Walk is from the Stoned Moon series.
- Brown died on January 7, 2025.
Entities
Artists
- Carolyn Brown
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Merce Cunningham
- John Cage
- Richard Rutledge
- Viola Farber
- Marion Rice
- Antony Tudor
- Margaret Craske
- Sara Rudner
- James Klosty
- Maggi Payne
- Radford Bascome
- Claudia La Rocco
- Abigail Sealy
Institutions
- Walker Art Center
- Merce Cunningham Dance Company
- Black Mountain College
- Juilliard
- Purchase College
- Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation
- NASA
- Gemini G.E.L.
- Tyrone Guthrie Theatre
- Minneapolis Public Schools
Locations
- Minneapolis
- United States
- Twin Cities
- Los Angeles
- Cape Canaveral
- Black Mountain
- New York City