‘WORD UP’ FAMILY DAY AT CLARK ART INSTITUTE CELEBRATES STORYTELLING

Free admission all day

For Immediate Release
January 21, 2016

Williamstown, Massachusetts—Unconventional, innovative storytelling—whether verbal, visual, digital, or musical—is the theme of the Clark Art Institute’s Word Up Family Day on Sunday, February 7 from 1–4 pm. All activities are free. As part of the Clark’s First Sunday Free program, admission to the galleries is free all day.

Word Up Family Day is a celebration of the artists’ books in the exhibition An Eye for Excellence: Twenty Years of Collecting, explained Ronna Tulgan Ostheimer, director of adult, school, and community programs at the Clark. “The library has an incredible collection of these rare works, and it’s exciting to see such unusual, contemporary work in the main galleries,” she said.

“We’ll be asking visitors to look at the works in the collection and really stretch their thinking about what makes a story and how it can be told,” Tulgan Ostheimer continued.

Activities include:
· Artist bookmaking – Make books inspired by the Clark’s collection using a wide variety of creative materials and techniques such as paper cutting and collage.
· Collective storytelling – Contribute to group narratives at several typewriter stations.
· Paper marbling – Learn the art of paper marbling using ink and shaving cream.
· Musical storytelling – Join a lyrical tour with musician Harris MacDonald, a Williamstown native. MacDonald tells the story of his life's journey as an artist, starting with works he composed as a sixteen-year-old rapper and ending with his current style, encompassing rap to blues to dark pop.
· Artist demonstration – Join local book artist Valerie Carrigan for a demonstration of printmaking techniques.

Family Day is supported by funding from the officers and employees of Allen & Company, Inc.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, 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, consisting of 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 is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20; 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.

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