A first-time visit : Clark Art Institute

Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA  

http://www.clarkart.edu

through October 12, 2026 

by Nechama Katan

The Clark Art Institute mixes an integration of a traditional art museum and Berkshires outdoor space. 

A permanent collection anchors the galleries, alongside the guest exhibition, "An Exquisite Eye: Introducing the Aso O. Tavitian Collection," which is open until February 2027. 

 

Tavitian (1940 - 2020) was a philanthropist and connoisseur who, over decades, assembled 331 works of European art from the 15th -19th centuries, then gifted the entire extraordinary range to the Clark. This is the first public taste of the collection, a preview before the Tavitian Wing at Clark opens in 2028. The pieces for view present an intimate view that is rich in portraiture. Oftentimes, museum goers must stand a foot away from the art to see the precise excellence of the image. 

 

Next, roam the grounds, because the Clark's entirety is only partially an indoor museum. The outdoor reflecting pool faces the woods, where chairs face the water so visitors can sit, eat lunch, and simply enjoy. This mix of formal art, nature, and modern art sums up the Clark Art Institute. 

 

Anthony van Dyck, Portrait of Margaret Lemon, c. 1638, Oil on canvas

A cow pasture behind a fence, where the fence itself is, not surprisingly, a form of art: a lesson in "teaching the cows to draw," designed by Analia Saban. This functioning fence includes varying pattern between the posts and crossbars. Very clever and again signature Clark.

 

The real reason to wander, though, is "Ground/work 2025," a walking trail of six monumental outdoor sculptures scattered across the campus, curated by Glenn Adamson. Art is best when it is not only viewed but experienced, and this trail permits exactly that, moving through the landscape and meeting each piece, literally on its own ground.

 

Each of the six artists reinvents a global craft tradition. Javier Senosiain's "Coata III" is a glorious tiled serpent in the water, drawn from Mexican mosaic. Aboubakar Fofana works in West African indigo cotton wrapped into seeds of life in a metal tree. Laura Ellen Bacon woven willow creates an intricate design that combines the local trees and biodegrade.  Hugh Hayden integrates pieces of wood into a large rib cage. Yō Akiyama uses Japanese ceramics and inspiration from the woods. Milena Naef works with marble and again local wood. Each piece is nestled into the landscape with its own story. The walk through the exhibit gives individual visitors the time to consider and ponder each work in it isn't own time and space. 

 

Museum guests can become physical with the art, to experience it in the wild, and then step back inside for the hushed, traditional museum. Note the trail and other outdoor space are free.

The traditional visitor plans an entire day, or at least an afternoon to delve into the natural art and the masterworks, alike.

By the way, the drive is part of the picturesque pleasure.                         

PREVIEW: Clark Art Institute: Trailblazing Women Artists

Clark Art Institute , Williamstown, MA

www.clarkart.edu

June 9 – September 3, 2018

ECHO, by Ellen Thesleff (1891)
Oil On Canvas, Photo by Kjell Soderlund
Courtesy American Federation of Arts

The Clark Art Institute’s summer 2018 exhibition, Women Artists in Paris, 1850–1900, celebrates an international group of artists who overcame gender-based restrictions to make extraordinary creative strides, taking important steps in the fight for a more egalitarian art world. Featuring nearly 70 paintings drawn from prominent collections across the United States and abroad, the exhibition includes works by renowned artists including Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Rosa Bonheur as numerous equally remarkable peers. Women Artists in Paris, 1850–1900 was organized by the American Federation of Arts and curated by Laurence Madeline.

Paris was a cultural mecca, luring artists from around the world to its academies, museums, salons, and galleries. Despite the city’s cosmopolitan character, gender norms remained strikingly conservative and women painters faced obstacles. Women painters in the 19th century engaged in portraiture, shaping an image of themselves as serious artists. Social restrictions hindered women’s full participation in artistic circles.

The perception of childhood evolved as an important stage in the formation of healthy adults, and children were celebrated as the future of a family’s line. This new attention lavished on children coincided with the burgeoning aspirations of women artists. These painters produced images that poignantly celebrate the wonder of childhood and the profound nature of motherhood. Mary Cassatt specialized in maternal scenes and portraits of children.

In a lecture on June 10 at 3:00 pm, curator Esther Bell will speak about the achievements of the artists represented in the exhibition. A conversation with Laurence Madeline, Chief Curator for French National Heritage, and curator of Women Artists in Paris, follows.

The Clark Art Institute is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. For more information on these programs and more, visit www.clarkart.edu or call 413-458-2303.

Orchestrating Elegance: The Clark’s exhibit of exquisite craftsmanship

Orchestrating Elegance: Alma-Tadema and Design

The Clark, Williamstown, MA

through September 4, 2017

 

For well over a decade, I have observed the splendor of the decorative piano at the Clark Art Institute. Admittedly, I had not taken a serious look at the details until last week.

-Shera Cohen

As resurgent interest in Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (British, born Netherlands 1836–1912) raises appreciation and interest in his work for a new generation, the Clark offers new insight into one of the painter’s most successful and distinctive artistic endeavors—the design of a music room for the New York mansion of financier, art collector, and philanthropist Henry Gurdon Marquand (1819–1902). Orchestrating Elegance: Alma-Tadema and Design reunites 12 pieces from the original furniture suite, along with paintings, ceramics, textiles, and sculpture from the room for the first time since Marquand’s estate was auctioned in 1903. The Clark’s ornately decorated Steinway piano, acquired in 1997, is the centerpiece of the exhibit which runs through September 7, 2017.

The music room acted as the Marquand mansion’s parlor and formed the social center of the residence. Marquand set no cost limit for the music room project, which was Alma-Tadema’s only commission of this type. The resulting furniture suite, extraordinary in every detail, created a sensation when it was displayed in London prior to shipment to New York. Acclaimed for its imaginative forms, the suite was painstakingly decorated with veneers of ebony and cedar accented with elaborately carved inlays of boxwood, ivory, abalone, and mother-of-pearl. Magazines and newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic featured extensive coverage of the furniture and the room, praising the design and craftsmanship, while marveling at the cost: an estimated $50,000 for the piano alone.

The piano has a rich history as a musical instrument. Its interior lid was fitted with parchment sheets so it could be signed by the musicians who played it. Over the years, a number of famous musicians signed it, including Walter Damrosch, Sir Arthur Sullivan, Sir William S. Gilbert, and Richard Rogers. The exhibition includes a room devoted to the musical history of the piano, featuring a video of the recent performances on the piano including music tied to its history.

The Clark galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, visit www.clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.