June 4, 2025
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS
OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES
Williamstown, Massachusetts—The Clark Art Institute presents a five-part outdoor concert series with thematic connections to its Ground/work 2025 exhibition. These free concerts take place every Wednesday in July at 6 pm on the Reflecting Pool Lawn, with the exception of July 23’s concert, which takes place on the Fernández Terrace.
The lineup includes:
BALLA KOUYATÉ
July 2, 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.
GABY MORENO
July 9, Reflecting Pool Lawn
Singer-songwriter-producer Gaby Moreno has released eight albums and earned four Grammy nominations for her albums. Over her career, Moreno has shared the international stage with music luminaries such as Tracy Chapman, Nickel Creek, Buena Vista Social Club, Calexico, Los Lobos, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Taj Mahal, and Jackson Browne. Her talent and breadth match well with the Ground/work 2025 architect and artist Javier Senosiain.
CHINOBAY
July 16, Reflecting Pool Lawn
Hailing from the rich musical traditions of Uganda, Chinobay is a musician, cultural ambassador, and educator, spreading the vibrant rhythms and melodies of Africa everywhere. As a child, he embraced the folk tunes he gleaned from his elders. As time unfolded, he undertook the task of revitalizing these classic songs, all while mastering an array of traditional instruments. Just as Ground/work 2025 artist Aboubakar Fofana’s artistic practice is rooted in the traditions of West African dyeing and weaving, Chinobay’s musical practice connects to the past and to the inherited teachings of his ancestors.
SONIA DE LOS SANTOS
July 23, Fernández Terrace
Sonia De Los Santos shares her Mexican heritage with Ground/work 2025 artist Javier Senosian and has been singing in Spanish and English for audiences of all ages since 2007. She brings her joyful music to the Clark for a family-friendly concert geared towards the young and the young at heart.
Generously supported by Allen & Company.
CEDRIC WATSON
July 30, Reflecting Pool Lawn
One of the brightest young talents to emerge in Cajun, Creole, and zydeco music over the last decade, Cedric Watson is a four-time Grammy-nominated fiddler, singer, accordionist, and songwriter. Although he comes from a very different part of Texas than Ground/work 2025 artist Hugh Hayden, he underscores how traditional, folk, and popular music in the United States is interwoven with the history of Black America.
All outdoor summer concerts are free and take place at 6 pm. 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.
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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