CLARK ART INSTITUTE TO HOST SYMPOSIUM, ‘ALTERNATIVE ART HISTORIES: FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN US LATINX ART’

April 17, 2019

Williamstown, Massachusetts—The Clark Art Institute hosts the symposium “Alternative Art Histories: Future Directions in US Latinx Art” on Saturday, May 4 from 9 am–5 pm. The symposium is preceded by a keynote lecture on Friday, May 3 at 4 pm. Both events are free and open to the public and will be held in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.

The keynote lecture, “Undead Darwinism and the Fault Lines of Neocolonialism in Latinx Art Worlds,” will be given by Laura Elisa Pérez, professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies and chair of the Latinx Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
The all-day symposium brings together leading museum curators, museum directors, and art historians to discuss the aesthetic contribution of US Latinx arts and how to (re)imagine art history as a more aesthetically expansive, culturally relevant, and socially inclusive field. The distinguished panel of speakers addresses the intersectionalities that Latinx communities represent across race, class, gender, sexuality, and immigration—and how these factors may impact the production and presentation of the visual arts. As interrogation of underrepresentation within the academy, museum, and galleries continues, now is the time to come together and critically reassess the field.

The symposium is organized by C. Ondine Chavoya, Professor of Art and Latina/o Studies at Williams College, and Marco Antonio Flores, MA ’19, a student in the Williams Graduate Program in the History of Art. For more information, email [email protected].

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, 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. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of more than 275,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; open daily in July and August. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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