For Immediate Release
December 13, 2021
CLARK ART INSTITUTE TO OFFER FREE ADMISSION THROUGHOUT JANUARY
Williamstown, Massachusetts—The Clark Art Institute will offer free admission for all visitors for the month of January 2022.
“We believe that the ability to see and appreciate art is fundamental to enhancing and understanding the human experience. As a means of encouraging people to make time in their lives to enjoy the power of art, we have decided to offer free admission throughout the month of January,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “We continually hear from people that the chance to walk our trails or visit our galleries has been particularly meaningful over the last two years and has helped to provide a source of respite and relaxation. As a way of saying ‘thank you’ to those who have visited, and as a way of saying ‘welcome’ to new visitors, we are pushing the doors of the museum wide open and hope people will visit often to tour our galleries and special exhibitions.”
The free admission program is made possible through the generous support of Clark Trustees Andreas and Diane Halvorsen.
In addition to its full permanent collection, the Clark has three special exhibitions on view in January. Visitors can explore Competing Currents: 20th-Century Japanese Prints in the Clark’s Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Works on Paper through January 30, 2022 and Hue & Cry: French Printmaking and the Debate over Colors in the Clark Center galleries. Competing Currents provides a rare opportunity to see many of the works in the Clark’s collection of Japanese prints while Hue & Cry offers a rich array of French color prints by artists including Pierre Bonnard, Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Jules Chéret, Maurice Denis, Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Edouard Vuillard.
In addition, January visitors will be the first to see Tomm El-Saieh: Imaginary City, the latest installment of the Clark’s presentation of contemporary art in public spaces, opening on January 29. The year-long exhibition is on view in multiple locations in the Clark Center and Manton Research Center. The child of Palestinian-Haitian and Israeli parents, Tomm El-Saieh's practice is in dialogue with Abstract Expressionism and Surrealist automatism as well as Haitian vodou traditions—all of which coalesce in the artist’s highly distinctive painterly approach.
The Clark’s grounds, which are always open free of charge, provide miles of walking trails. In January, the Clark’s popular Project Snowshoe program offers visitors the opportunity to borrow free snowshoes to explore the beauty of the campus in winter. Snowshoes are available in adult and child sizes on a first-come, first-served basis.
While admission to the galleries is free to all visitors throughout the month, advance registration is strongly recommended. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for all visitors over the age of 12 and facemasks are required for all visitors over the age of 5. Visit clarkart.edu to register and for details on current health and safety protocols.
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 285,000 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. 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 from September through June and daily in July and August.
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