THOMAS KRENS TO CONCLUDE LECTURE SERIES AT CLARK ART INSTITUTE

January 22, 2019

Williamstown, Massachusetts—Thomas Krens, chairman of the Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum (EMRCA) and Director Emeritus of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, presents the free lecture “Unfinished Business: The EMRCA and the Diseases of Despair” at the Clark Art Institute on Sunday, February 10 at 3 pm. The talk will be held in the auditorium, located in the Clark’s Manton Research Center.

The lecture concludes a four-part series focused on the importance of art and architecture in shaping the life of cities and changing societies. Highlights of the series include influential projects Krens has either led or played a major role in developing. While architecture tends to plays a central public role in such highly visible cultural development projects, Krens uses specific examples to discuss initial motivation; the essential links to a specific political agenda targeted at improving the quality of life; the stages of the planning process; the dialogue between form and content; the importance of architecture relative to specific sites; the importance of scale and platform to discursive relevance; and the complexities of implementation and cultural sustainability.

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 270,000 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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