CLARK ART INSTITUTE PARTNERS WITH IMAGES CINEMA FOR FRENCH FILM SERIES
May 24, 2018
Williamstown, Massachusetts—In honor of the Clark Art Institute’s special exhibition, Women Artists in Paris 1850–1900, the Clark and Images Cinema present “Spotlight on Agnès Varda,” a three-part series featuring films spanning the remarkable career of the acclaimed Parisian director known as the “queen of the French New Wave.” On Tuesday, June 12 at 7 pm, the series kicks off with Le Bonheur (1965), inspired by Jean Renoir’s film Picnic on the Grass and by the pastoral paintings of the French Impressionists. All films will be shown at Images Cinema, located at 50 Spring Street, Williamstown.
Tickets for each film can be purchased at the Images box office. Tickets are $10 general adult admission, $5 Clark and Images members, $8 senior and student admission, $6 Williams students with ID, and $5 children 12 and under.
Le Bonheur is a wry social satire that subtly questions the ideal of the modern, happy family. In a deceptively cheery color palette, Varda depicts a handsome young carpenter (Jean-Claude Drouot) living contentedly with his wife and children (portrayed by Drouot’s actual family), until he meets a pretty young clerk and the two begin an equally satisfying affair. Run time is 1 hour, 19 minutes.
Other films in the series include Cléo from 5 to 7 (1961) on June 19 at 7 pm and Faces Places (2017) on June 26 at 7 pm.
About the director: Affectionately known as the “queen of the French New Wave,” Parisian Agnès Varda claims that she had seen virtually no other films before making her directorial debut, La Pointe Courte (1956). Instead, she was inspired by literature, photography, and, most importantly, painting. Inheriting the legacy of the women living and working in Paris during the time period reflected in Women Artists in Paris, Varda’s engagement with art has never wavered throughout her remarkable sixty-year career.
Women Artists in Paris, 1850–1900 is on view at the Clark June 9–September 3, 2018.
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 270,000 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, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, 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. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; Bank of America Museums on Us; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.
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