July 7, 2025

CLARK ART INSTITUTE HOSTS OPENING LECTURE FOR BERENICE ABBOTT’S MODERN LENS

Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Saturday, July 12, at 11 am, the Clark Art Institute celebrates the opening of its newest exhibition Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens with a free lecture. Grace Hanselman, exhibition curator and curatorial assistant for works on paper, introduces the work of Berenice Abbott, a pioneering documentary photographer known best for her portraits of the Parisian avant-garde and striking snapshots of twentieth-century New York. The talk takes place in the Manton Research Center auditorium.

In the 1920s, American-born Abbott worked as an assistant to Man Ray in Paris before her career as a portraitist solidified in its own right. In a major artistic pivot, she returned to the United States in 1929 to undertake her most celebrated project: documenting New York City’s rapid urban transformation. Lesser-known but equally accomplished is her body of work photographing other cities and towns in the American Northeast.  This exhibition showcases selections from a 2007 gift of over 400 Abbott photographs, some iconic and rarely if ever exhibited, highlighting her enduring impact on modern photography.

Free. Accessible seats available. Advance registration required at clarkart.edu/events or call 413 458 0524.

Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Grace Hanselman, curatorial assistant for works on paper.

This exhibition is made possible by Denise Littlefield Sobel.

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 nearly 300,000 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. Admission is free to all from January through March and is $20 from March through December; admission is free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is also available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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