AUTHOR OF NEVER SAY DIE PRESENTS FREE LECTURE AT THE CLARK

For Immediate Release

August 06, 2013

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA—James C. Nicholson, author of the 2013 book Never Say Die: A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry, presents a free lecture and book signing at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute on Saturday, August 10 at 3 pm.

In 1954, a quarter of a million people—including Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Winston Churchill—braved cold and damp conditions at Epsom Downs in Surrey, England to witness a Kentucky-born chestnut colt named Never Say Die gallop to a two-length triumph at 33-1 odds, beginning an important shift in the world of thoroughbred racing. Never Say Die relates the tale of this thrilling victory as well as its surprising and far-reaching consequences. The book traces the champion's bloodlines and history, including the thirty-five years of investment by Robert Sterling Clark in the bloodstock of the Bluegrass state.

Nicholson is also the author of The Kentucky Derby: How the Run for the Roses Became America’s Premier Sporting Event, winner of the Kentucky Literary Award for non-fiction. He earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Kentucky.

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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PRESS CONTACT:

Amanda Powers
pr@clarkart.edu