Sterling & Francine Clark Art Inst

IN 1950, STERLING AND FRANCINE CLARK CHARTERED THE STERLING AND FRANCINE CLARK ART INSTITUTE AS A HOME FOR THEIR EXTENSIVE ART COLLECTION. OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1955, THE INSTITUTE HAS BUILT UPON THIS EXTRAORDINARY GROUP OF WORKS TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED AND RESPECTED ART MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD, KNOWN FOR ITS INTIMATE GALLERIES AND STUNNING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. ONE OF THE FEW INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT COMBINES A PUBLIC ART MUSEUM WITH RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A MAJOR ART HISTORY LIBRARY, THE CLARK IS A LEADING INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION ON THE NATURE OF ART AND ART HISTORY.

SEE SCHEDULE O FOR RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS - AS AN INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR HIGHER LEARNING, THE CLARK IS DRIVEN BY A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE GENERATION OF IDEAS AND A DISTINCT FOCUS ON EDUCATION. THE CLARK'S RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAM ENCOURAGES FRESH APPROACHES TO ADVANCING CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES IN THE VISUAL ARTS. CLARK FELLOWS - CONSIDERED TO BE PROMISING AND ESTABLISHED SCHOLARS AND PRACTITIONERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS - FOSTER INTELLECTUAL DIALOGUE AND INQUIRY IN THE THEORY, HISTORY, AND INTERPRETATION OF VISUAL CULTURE. CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIA, A PODCAST, AND ONLINE LECTURES FOCUS ON VITAL TOPICS IN THE FIELD AND ADDRESS QUESTIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A BROADER PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF VISUAL CULTURE. THE CLARK'S ART RESEARCH LIBRARY, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, SERVES BOTH SCHOLARS AND THE PUBLIC. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN THE EARLY 1960S, THE LIBRARY COLLECTION HAS GROWN FROM ITS BASE - THE ROBERT STERLING CLARK COLLECTION OF ILLUSTRATED RARE BOOKS - TO ENCOMPASS OVER 295,320 VOLUMES IN OVER 72 LANGUAGES. THE LIBRARY'S OPEN AND CLOSED STACKS AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF ENSURE THAT MATERIALS ARE READILY AVAILABLE TO ALL PATRONS. IN COOPERATION WITH WILLIAMS COLLEGE, THE CLARK OFFERS A MASTERS' PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY OF ART, CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE FINEST IN THE COUNTRY. THE PROGRAM DRAWS UPON THE RICH RESOURCES OF THE CLARK AND WILLIAMS TO PREPARE GRADUATE STUDENTS FOR RESEARCH AND FURTHER STUDY IN THE ACADEMIC AND MUSEUM WORLDS.

SEE SCHEDULE O FOR MUSEUM PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS.MUSEUM PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1950, THE CLARK'S COLLECTION HAS CONTINUED TO GROW, NOW CONSISTING OF OVER 10,000 OBJECTS, INCLUDING OVER 500 PAINTINGS AND SIGNIFICANT HOLDINGS OF WORKS ON PAPER AND DECORATIVE ARTS. THE COLLECTION FEATURES EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN PAINTINGS, SCULPTURE, PRINTS, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND DECORATIVE ARTS FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY. THE COLLECTION IS ESPECIALLY RICH IN FRENCH IMPRESSIONIST AND ACADEMIC PAINTINGS, BRITISH OIL SKETCHES, DRAWINGS, AND SILVER, AND THE WORK OF AMERICAN ARTISTS WINSLOW HOMER, GEORGE INNESS, AND JOHN SINGER SARGENT. BASED ON THE FOUNDING GIFT FROM STERLING AND FRANCINE CLARK, THE COLLECTION HAS EXPANDED OVER THE YEARS THROUGH NUMEROUS ACQUISITIONS AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT GIFTS AND BEQUESTS, INCLUDING THE GIFT OF SIR EDWIN AND LADY MANTON COLLECTION OF BRITISH ART AND THE GIFT OF GEORGE INNESS PAINTINGS BY FRANK AND KATHERINE MARTUCCI.THE CLARK ALSO ORGANIZES SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS IN COOPERATION WITH LEADING MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE. RECENT EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE: TOMM EL-SAIEH: IMAGINARY CITY (WINTER 2022/2023), AS THEY SAW IT: ARTISTS WITNESSING WAR (SPRING 2022), RODIN IN THE UNITED STATES: CONFRONTING THE MODERN (SUMMER 2022), TAUBA AUERBACH AND YUJI AGEMATSU: MEANDER (SUMMER/FALL 2022), JOSE GUADALUPE POSADA: SYMBOLS, SKELETONS AND SATIRE (SUMMER/FALL 2022), ON THE HORIZON: ART AND ATMOSPHERE IN THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY (FALL 2022/WINTER 2023), PROMENADES ON PAPER: EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH DRAWINGS FROM THE BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE (WINTER 2022/2023), PRINTED RENAISSANCE (SUMMER 2023/FALL 2023), HUMANE ECOLOGY (SUMMER 2023/FALL 2023), PORTALS: THE VISIONARY ARCHITECTURE OF PAUL GOESCH (SPRING 2023/SUMMER 2023), EDVARD MUNCH: TREMBLING EARTH (SUMMER 2023/FALL 2023), AND ELIZABETH ATTERBURY-ORACLE BONES (WINTER 2023/WINTER 2024). UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE: 50 YEARS AND FORWARD-BRITISH PRINTS AND DRAWINGS ACQUISITIONS (FALL 2023/WINTER 2024), 50 YEARS AND FORWARD: WORKS ON PAPER ACQUISITIONS (WINTER 2023/SPRING 2024), DAVID-JEREMIAH: I DRIVE THEE (WINTER 2024/WINTER 2025) AND PAPER CITIES (SPRING 2024/SUMMER 2024).MAJOR EXHIBITIONS ARE AUGMENTED BY WEB-BASED MICROSITES, GENERAL AND CUSTOMIZED GALLERY TALKS, MULTIMEDIA GUIDES, IN-GALLERY INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS, LECTURES, AND FILM SERIES. SEASONAL FAMILY DAYS, SUMMER OUTDOOR BAND CONCERTS, FALL AND WINTER ART COURSES, AND MUSIC PERFORMANCES FURTHER THE CLARK'S EFFORT TO INVOLVE INTERGENERATIONAL AUDIENCES AND SUPPORT LIFELONG LEARNING. THE CLARK HAS A ROBUST DIGITAL PROGRAMMING INITIATIVE INCLUDING LIVESTREAMED AND PRE-RECORDED PROGRAMS ENCOMPASSING LECTURES, CONVERSATIONS WITH ARTISTS AND ART HISTORIANS, AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCES; EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITY SHEETS; AND A PODCAST SERIES. CLARK SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS HAVE A COMBINED FOLLOWING OF MORE THAN 79,000, AND THE CLARK WEBSITE RECEIVES MORE THAN 1.7 MILLION UNIQUE PAGEVIEWS ANNUALLY.SPECIAL EFFORTS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO THE CLARK INCLUDE FREE ADMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND STUDENTS AT ALL TIMES, A FREE PASS PROGRAM OFFERED THROUGH OVER 140 REGIONAL LIBRARIES, AND PARTICIPATION IN THE CARD-TO-CULTURE PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES FREE ADMISSION TO ANYONE WITH AN EBT CARD, AS WELL AS PROVIDING FREE ADMISSION TO ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY. FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL, HELD IN JANUARY-MARCH, FIRST SUNDAYS FREE, HELD OCTOBER-DECEMBER AND APRIL-MAY, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY DAY AND OTHER SPECIAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING - FREE EVENTS WHICH INCLUDE MUSEUM ADMISSION, FAMILY-FRIENDLY GALLERY TOURS, PERFORMANCES, AND HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES THAT ATTRACT OVER 10,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY, INCLUDING MANY LOCAL FAMILIES WHO WOULD OTHERWISE NOT VISIT.

SEE SCHEDULE O FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS.EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: THE CLARK CONDUCTS A FULL SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE A WIDE RANGE OF AUDIENCES TO EXPLORE, UNDERSTAND, AND ENJOY THE VISUAL ARTS IN GENERAL AND THE CLARK'S COLLECTIONS IN PARTICULAR. THESE OFFERINGS INCLUDE GUIDED GALLERY TOURS, FAMILY ACTIVITY GUIDES, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS DESIGNED FOR DIFFERENT AGES AND STAGES. DIGITAL AND WEB-BASED PROGRAMMING IS CREATED FOR GENERAL AUDIENCES AND SCHOOL AUDIENCES (INCLUDING CURRICULAR SUPPORT RESOURCES); THESE PROGRAMS ARE UPDATED REGULARLY. RECENTLY, TWO INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS FOR INDEPENDENT VISITOR ACTIVITY AND LEARNING WERE DEVELOPED, INCLUDING ART LAB, A SPACE THAT ENCOURAGES EXPLORATION OF A VARIETY OF ART CONCEPTS FOR ALL AGES AND A POSTCARD STATION, WHERE PEOPLE CAN MAKE, WRITE AND SEND A POSTCARD TO SOMEONE THEY KNOW. THE CLARK'S PEDAGOGY EMPHASIZES INTERACTIVE ENGAGEMENT AND CONVERSATION RATHER THAN THE MORE TRADITIONAL ONE-WAY FLOW OF INFORMATION FROM PRESENTER TO AUDIENCE. THIS ENGAGEMENT APPROACH IS DESIGNED TO BE FLEXIBLE, SO AS TO RESPOND TO THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND DESIRES OF DIFFERENT AUDIENCES, AND IT ENCOURAGES CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND HISTORICAL AWARENESS THAT CARRIES BEYOND A PARTICULAR WORK OF ART AND/OR ANY ONE PERSPECTIVE. THE CLARK'S GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A DYNAMIC AND MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE FOR THE MUSEUM VISITOR.