Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers

In 1982, film director Robert Altman received an unusual offer: an invitation to direct an opera for the University of Michigan School of Music. He accepted, staging an experimental version of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress and teaching a short course on film while in residence. Altman soon returned to campus to film Secret Honor in 1984, further solidifying his great affection for the University. Five times nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, Altman was awarded the honorary Oscar on display here in 2006.

In 2005, with the acquisition of a significant collection of primary source material documenting the creative activities of Orson Welles during the last two decades of his life, the Library embarked on a collecting adventure that now distinguishes it as a major destination for research on maverick American filmmakers including—in addition to Altman and Welles—Alan Rudolph, Nancy Savoca, and John Sayles.

More information about Altman's career and archive can be found in the online exhibit The Many Hats of Robert Altman: A Life in Cinema.