WILLIAMS COLLEGE PROFESSORS DISCUSS MAGNA CARTA, SHANGHAI EXHIBITIONS IN A FREE LECTURE AT THE CLARK ART INSTITUTE

For Immediate Release

September 8, 2014

[Digital image available upon request]

Williamstown, MA—In the first of a series of four free lectures celebrating the Clark Art Institute’s exhibition Radical Words: From Magna Carta to the Constitution, Williams College professors Christopher Nugent and Edan Dekel hold a conversation about a wide range of themes related to the objects in the Radical Words exhibition, as well as the exhibition Cast For Eternity: Ancient Ritual Bronzes from the Shanghai Museum. The lecture will be held on Thursday, September 18 at 5 pm in the auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center on the Clark’s campus.

From the inscriptions cast on the Shanghai bronzes to the hand-written parchment of Magna Carta and the first printed texts of the American founding documents, the preservation and distribution of language has always been closely intertwined with the development of writing materials and techniques. Nugent and Dekel’s lecture topics include the authority of language, the interplay between orality and writing, and the material conditions across two millennia and three continents.

Nugent teaches Chinese literature and language at Williams College. His research focuses on the literary culture of fifth through tenth century China, with a particular focus on poetry and manuscript culture. Dekel is associate professor of classics and Jewish studies at Williams College. His teaching and research interests include Greek and Latin poetry, biblical studies, Jewish folklore, medieval literature, classical and biblical reception, and the history of the book.

The Radical Words Speaker Series, held by the Clark in conjunction with Williams College’s “The Book Unbound” initiative, features presentations by faculty and students, exploring the dynamics of language and what “radical words” may mean—historically, politically, culturally, and from the perspectives of different academic disciplines.

Additional presentations in the series are as follows:

October 2: “Radical Rewording: Olympe de Gouge’s Declaration of the Rights of Women in the French Revolution” by Annelle Curulla, assistant professor of French, Williams College

October 9: “Radical Encoding: Seeing Is Remembering” by Brent Heeringa, associate professor and chair of computer science, Williams College

October 16: “Radical Callings: Social Transgressions and the Black Sermonic Tradition” by James Manigault-Bryant, chair and associate professor of Africana studies, Williams College

All lectures are held at 5 pm. A reception in the Museum Pavilion follows each presentation, and galleries will remain open until 8 pm.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute 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, open to the public with more than 240,000 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 opened its expanded facilities on July 4, 2014, unveiling new and enhanced spaces that accommodate the continued growth of the Institute’s programs. Included in this final stage of the project are the new 42,600-square-foot Clark Center designed by Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, expansion and renovation of the original Museum Building and the ongoing renovation of the Manton Research Center by Selldorf Architects, and a sweeping redesign of the grounds by Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture. The first phase of the campus expansion project was completed in 2008 with the opening of the Lunder Center at Stone Hill, a striking conservation and exhibitions facility also designed by Tadao Ando.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Opening season hours: Galleries open daily from July 4 through October 13, 2014, 10 am to 5 pm (Tuesdays until 6 pm and Fridays until 7 pm in July and August). From October 14, 2014 through June 30, 2015: Galleries open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20 through October 31, 2014 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.

Press contact:
Amanda Powers
The Clark
[email protected]
413 458 0471