WRITINGS OF HENRY DAVID THOREAU THE THEME OF STONE HILL HIKE AT CLARK ART INSTITUTE

For Immediate Release
July 27, 2016

Williamstown, MA—Mark C. Taylor, professor of religion at Columbia University and co-curator of the Clark Art Institute’s summer exhibition, “Sensing Place: Reflecting on Stone Hill,” leads a hike of the Clark’s trails on Saturday, August 13 at 10:30 am. Taylor focuses on the writings of Henry David Thoreau throughout the moderate hike. Hikers should meet at the entrance of the Lunder Center at Stone Hill and should wear shoes appropriate for hiking varied terrain. Free with paid admission.

In an essay entitled “Walking,” written a few months before he died in 1862, Thoreau mused, “I have met with but one or two persons in the course of my life who understood the art of Walking.” For Thoreau, walking, or “sauntering” as he often called it, was a ritual that recalled pilgrims from the Middle Ages going to the Holy Land. In July 1844, Thoreau climbed Mount Greylock and spent the night; the next morning, he climbed an observation tower built by students from “Williamstown College,” where he had a transformative experience.

While exploring Stone Hill, Taylor and participants reflect on Thoreau’s writings as well as the literary heritage of the Berkshires.

Sensing Place and its accompanying programs are generously supported by Herbert A. Allen, Jr.

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, 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 is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open daily in July and August, 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.

Press contact:
413 458 0471
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