CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY AT THE CLARK

For Immediate Release

May 03, 2013

Williamstown, MA—Saturday, May 18 is International Museum Day, and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute is celebrating by allowing the public special access for a bird’s-eye view of the construction activity underway on the campus.

Visitors will enjoy the view from the top floor of the Manton Research Center, where they will be able to see the progress being made on the Visitor, Exhibition and Conference Center (VECC), the Clark’s second building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando.

Features of the VECC include 10,000 square feet of galleries available for special exhibitions, doubling the current space available; a multi-purpose conference and exhibition space; a family area; a café; and a new Museum Shop. The campus expansion program also incorporates the renovation of the existing museum building and Manton Research Center. A glass entry pavilion will link the Museum building to the new VECC and to outdoor terraces that will overlook a new water feature that is the highlight of the sweeping landscape design for the campus. Expected completion of the expansion project is July 2014.

International Museum Day was organized in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) as an effort to underscore the positive impact museums have on society and is sponsored in the U.S. by the Association of Art Museum Directors. Today, some 30,000 museums in 100 countries participate in the event. This year’s theme highlights the positive role museums play in their communities. Clark members – and those who become members on Museum Day – will receive a special commemorative gift.

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, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303. The Clark’s library will be closed for renovation June 1 through September 3, 2013.

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