June 9, 2025
CLARK ART INSTITUTE KICKS OFF OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES WITH BALLA KOUYATÉ
Williamstown, Massachusetts—The Clark Art Institute presents the first in a series of free outdoor concerts with thematic connections to the Ground/work 2025 exhibition with a performance by Balla Kouyaté on Wednesday, July 2 at 6 pm on the Reflecting Pool Lawn.
Balla Kouyaté’s lineage goes back more than 800 years to Balla Faséké, the first of an unbroken line of djelis in the Kouyaté clan. The word “djeli” derives from the Mandinka language, meaning the oral historians, musicians, and performers who celebrate the history of the Mandé people of Mali, Guinea, and other West African countries. Kouyaté’s musical virtuosity on the balafon (the West African antecedent of the xylophone) brings the sounds of West Africa to Williamstown, honoring the roots of Ground/work 2025 artist Aboubakar Fofana.
Free. Bring a picnic and your own seating. Inclement weather moves events to the Manton Research Center auditorium. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
The next free outdoor concert takes place on Wednesday, July 9 at 6 pm on the Reflecting Pool Lawn and features singer-songwriter-producer Gaby Moreno.
ABOUT GROUND/WORK 2025
Curated by independent art historian Glenn Adamson, Ground/work 2025 features a dynamic range of outdoor presentations throughout and in response to the Clark’s 140-acre campus by international artists Yō Akiyama, Laura Ellen Bacon, Aboubakar Fofana, Hugh Hayden, Milena Naef, and Javier Senosiain. The focus is on global conceptions of craft: the means by which artists transform the world around them.
Ground/work 2025 is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by independent scholar Glenn Adamson.
Ground/work 2025 is made possible by Denise Littlefield Sobel. Major funding is provided by the Edward and Maureen Fennessy Bousa Fund for Contemporary Projects, Karen and Robert Scott, and VIA Art Fund, with additional support from Girlfriend Fund and Agnes Gund.
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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