THE CLARK CONCLUDES 'HOMERICANA' FILM SERIES WITH 1987 FILM THE WHALES OF AUGUST

For Immediate Release

August 15, 2013

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA—On Monday, August 26 at 3 pm, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute concludes its “Homericana” film series, which celebrates films that complement the Clark’s current exhibition Winslow Homer: Making Art, Making History, with the 1987 film The Whales of August. The screening is free to the public.

The Whales of August follows the relationship of two elderly sisters who return to their family’s summer home in Maine after many years apart. The two sisters, played by Bette Davis and Lillian Gish, reflect on their relationship and their lives while attempting to heal the rift that has grown between them. The film, directed by Lindsay Anderson, was made on location on Cliff Island, Maine, just a few miles north of Prout’s Neck, where Winslow Homer created some of his best-known paintings.

The film is also notable for being Lillian Gish’s final film. Gish was one of the best known names in early American cinema, due in large part to her role in D.W. Griffiths’ The Birth of a Nation, one of the most important—and controversial—films in the history of cinema. Gish starred in dozens of feature films throughout her eighty-year long career, earning her the moniker “The First Lady of American Cinema.”

Bette Davis had a career nearly as long as Gish’s, and was featured in films such as the seminalNow, Voyager (1942). Though both women were titans of American cinema, The Whales of Augustwas the first time they appeared together on screen.

About the Clark

Set amidst 140 acres in the Berkshires, the Clark is one of the few major art museums that also serves as a leading international center for research and scholarship. The Clark presents public and education programs and organizes groundbreaking exhibitions that advance new scholarship. The Clark’s research and academic programs include an international fellowship program and conferences. Together with Williams College, the Clark sponsors one of the nation’s leading master’s programs in art history. The Clark receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open daily in July and August (open Tuesday through Sunday from September through June), 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $15 June 1 through October 31; free November through May; and free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. For more information, visitclarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303. The Clark’s library is closed for renovation through September 3, 2013.

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