For Immediate Release
October 7, 2021
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS LECTURE ON THE HISTORY OF THE STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE COMMUNITY
Williamstown, Massachusetts—As the Clark Art Institute prepares to conclude its first outdoor exhibition, Ground/work, the Institute turns its attention to the rich history of its land. On Saturday, October 16, Heather Bruegl, Director of Education at Forge Project, discusses the history of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, the indigenous people who once lived on these lands. Bruegl will provide an overview of the community’s past and its present activities in a free lecture, Not the Last of the Mohicans: A History of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, that will be presented via Zoom and Facebook Live at 2 pm.
Sometimes historical narratives tend to shape how we view history. Sometimes it can just be a title that shapes the narrative. When James Fenimore Cooper wrote Last of the Mohicans he created a narrative that has lasted centuries. But it was a false narrative. The Mohican Nation is alive and well today with a rich history that spans long before colonization.
Prior to joining Forge Project earlier this year, Bruegl served as director of cultural affairs for the Stockbridge Munsee Community. Bruegl, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a first line descendent Stockbridge-Munsee, is a graduate of Madonna University in Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in U.S. History.
Registrants will receive an email with a private Zoom link to this live virtual program before the event. For more information and to register, visit clarkart.edu/events.
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 Art Institute sits on the ancestral homelands of the Mohican people. We acknowledge the tremendous hardship of their forcible removal from these homelands by colonial settlers. A federally-recognized Nation, they now reside in Wisconsin and are known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. As we learn, speak, and gather here, we pay honor to their ancestors (past and present) and to future generations by committing to build a more inclusive and equitable space for all.
The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Its 140-acre campus includes miles of hiking and walking trails through woodlands and meadows, providing an exceptional experience of art in nature. Galleries are open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday and daily in July and August. Advance timed tickets are required. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.
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