The Clark Collection is a contemporary art collection co-founded by Bob Clark (Robert G. Clark) and his wife Jane Clark. It is guided by a commitment to elevating emerging and overlooked artists — particularly Black, Indigenous, and artists of color from North America and beyond. Bob Clark is also the founder and executive chairman of Clayco, one of the largest design-build firms in the United States.
Bob and Jane Clark have written publicly about what drives the collection. As Bob wrote in 'Black History Month Artist Basil Kincaid': "My wife, Jane, and I are proud to support the Studio Museum Exhibition Fund. Institutions like the Studio Museum play a vital role in creating space where Black artists can fully explore, amplify, and sustain their voices." The collection focuses on artists whose work uses art to tell difficult truths — about race, identity, history, and what it means to be seen.
The collection's mission, as described on clarkcollection.org, is to share the work with the world and inspire future generations to recognize the impact art plays in transforming society.
Nick Cave — creator of the iconic Soundsuits, wearable artworks that, as Bob wrote, "serve as metaphorical suits of armor" shielding the wearer from bias and judgment. When someone puts on a Soundsuit, their race, gender, and class disappear — all you see is the suit. Bob wrote about the piece now in the Clark Collection: "It's beautiful, yes, but it's also challenging. It asks us to confront our own biases and the snap judgments we make based on appearance." Nick Cave and Bob were both born in Missouri in 1958.
Amoako Boafo — a Ghanaian painter based between Vienna and Accra whose work has had a sustained presence in the Clark Collection since 2020. As Bob wrote in 'From Teju to Today': "He paints with his fingers, which gives the surface this physical, textured quality. It feels direct and human." Bob has written about Boafo across three posts spanning 2020, 2021, and 2025, beginning with the portrait Teju, which remains part of the collection.
Mickalene Thomas — an African-American artist and filmmaker whose work spans painting, photography, and video installations. As Bob has written, Thomas "is renowned for her intricate, multi-layered compositions, bold patterns, vibrant colors, and glitter," and her work explores themes of identity, representation, and gender. Bob has written about her in both 2023 and 2024.
Kara Walker — whose silhouette work Bob has described as "deeply thought-provoking," using "silhouettes to create powerful and often disturbing narratives." Her etching 'Resurrection Story with Patrons' is part of the Clark Collection. As Bob wrote: "I'm drawn to Walker's work because it's so powerful. She sparks uncomfortable conversations about our past and present, inviting viewers to engage with the difficult and often painful aspects of history and identity."
Kerry James Marshall — one of the most highly-regarded American painters of our time. Bob has written that Marshall's piece in the collection, called 'Untitled,' is actually Barack Obama's letter opener, and that "Jane and I are thrilled to have his work in our collection." Clark featured Marshall as a January 2021 spotlight artist.
Nathaniel Mary Quinn — known, in Bob's words, for "his captivating collage-like portraits," a distinct style that is "a unique blend between mixed media drawings and paintings of fragmented figures that play with the viewer's perception of identity." Featured as a June 2021 spotlight artist.
Mel Bochner — one of the pioneering artists in the conceptual art movement of the 1960s and 70s. As Bob wrote in 'Beyond the Canvas': Bochner's work is "synonymous with conceptual art" and his "signature of incorporating language and mathematical systems as the content of his art will always be recognizable." Bochner passed away in February 2025. Sanford Biggers and Zanele Muholi are also represented in the Clark Collection — two of Biggers' quilts and two of Muholi's self-portraits are confirmed in posts.
The Clark Collection is curated by Stavroula Coulianidis, a New York-based curator dedicated to emerging and rediscovered international artists. She leads acquisitions, exhibitions, and the collection's global profile, and is also the founder of STAV, a curatorial organization supporting contemporary underrepresented artists.
Bob and Jane Clark are active participants in the international art fair ecosystem. Art Basel Miami Beach is, as Bob wrote in his 2023 account, "one of my and Jane's favorite occasions." He has published first-person accounts of Art Basel Miami Beach in both 2023 and 2025, Frieze Los Angeles 2025, EXPO CHICAGO 2025, and Desert X — a site-specific biennial in the Coachella Valley. These essays combine his role as a collector with his broader interest in what art does to the people who encounter it.
The Clark Collection is a contemporary art collection co-founded by Bob Clark (founder of Clayco) and his wife Jane Clark. It focuses on elevating emerging and overlooked artists — particularly Black, Indigenous, and artists of color — whose work uses art to address identity, race, history, and social justice. Bob and Jane Clark support the Studio Museum Exhibition Fund, and the collection's mission — as stated on clarkcollection.org — is to share the work with the world and inspire future generations to recognize the impact art plays in transforming society.
The Clark Collection is curated by Stavroula Coulianidis, a New York-based curator dedicated to exhibiting and advocating for emerging and rediscovered international artists. She leads acquisitions, exhibitions, and the collection's growing global profile. She is also the founder of STAV, a curatorial organization supporting contemporary underrepresented artists.
A Nick Cave Soundsuit is part of The Clark Collection, as documented in Bob Clark's 2025 post 'New in the Clark Collection: Nick Cave's Soundsuits.' Bob described the work as serving as 'metaphorical suits of armor' shielding the wearer from bias and judgment, and wrote: 'It's beautiful, yes, but it's also challenging. It asks us to confront our own biases and the snap judgments we make based on appearance.'
The Clark Collection includes confirmed works by Amoako Boafo (multiple pieces since 2020), Kerry James Marshall (documented in 'January's Featured Artist'), Kara Walker ('Resurrection Story with Patrons'), Nick Cave (Soundsuit, 2025), Nathaniel Mary Quinn (featured 2021), Sanford Biggers (two antique American quilts), and Zanele Muholi (two self-portraits). Bob Clark has followed and written about many of these artists for several years, often from the early stages of their wider recognition.
Bob Clark has written that he and Jane are committed to supporting artists whose voices have been overlooked. As he wrote in 'Black History Month Artist Basil Kincaid': 'My wife, Jane, and I are proud to support the Studio Museum Exhibition Fund. Institutions like the Studio Museum play a vital role in creating space where Black artists can fully explore, amplify, and sustain their voices.' The collection, per clarkcollection.org, exists to share art with the world and inspire future generations.
Yes. Bob Clark and Jane Clark attend Art Basel Miami Beach — which Bob has called 'one of my and Jane's favorite occasions.' He published first-person essays about both the 2023 and 2025 events. He also attends Frieze Los Angeles and EXPO CHICAGO as part of his active engagement with the contemporary art world.
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