For Immediate Release
April 8, 2022
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS FILM SERIES IN CONJUNCTION WITH EXHIBITION ON ARTISTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF WAR
(Williamstown, Massachusetts)—Throughout May, the Clark Art Institute presents the As They Saw It Film Series, a three-part program of talks and films in conjunction with the Clark’s special exhibition As They Saw It: Artists Witnessing War. The film series is free, but each event requires advance registration.
Representing War in Print and on Film
Thursday, May 5, 6–7:30 pm
Clark Auditorium
The series kicks off with a talk hosted by Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, and Will Schmenner, head of public programs, exploring how the representation of war differs depending upon the medium. Clips from war films will be compared with examples from the exhibition. The conversation will explore how the potential and limits of these reproducible media shape the stories they tell about war. The event includes a screening of The Battle of San Pietro, the short WWII propaganda film directed by John Huston that was famously rejected for use by the U.S. military.
Register at clarkart.edu/events.
Chimes at Midnight
Wednesday, May 11, 7:30–9:30 pm
Images Cinema, 50 Spring Street, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Wars, real and fictional, shaped Orson Welles's peripatetic career, from War of the Worlds to The Third Man. Chimes at Midnight, a masterpiece of his later period, combines the destruction of war with Welles's fascination with Shakespeare's ultimate rapscallion, Sir John Falstaff. A disorienting, frenetic battle anchors this monumental film's center.
Tickets are $5 ($3 for members). Reserve tickets at imagescinema.org or by calling 413 458 5612.
The Burmese Harp
Wednesday, May 25, 7:30–9:30 pm
Images Cinema, 50 Spring Street, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Often called the greatest Japanese war film, The Burmese Harp tells the story of a surrendering regiment of Imperial Japanese soldiers. Exquisite black-and-white photography from Minoru Yokoyama illustrates this quiet meditation on the death and destruction of war.
Tickets are $5 ($3 for members). Reserve tickets at imagescinema.org or by calling 413 458 5612.
As They Saw It: Artists Witnessing War presents four centuries of war imagery from Europe and the United States and is on view at the Clark through May 30, 2022. Spanning European and American art from 1520–1920, the exhibition of prints, drawings, and photographs shows how artists have portrayed periods of military conflict, bringing war off the battlefield and into the homes and lives of those who were often at a far remove from the scene. The exhibition is on view in the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery of the Clark’s Manton Research Center.
As They Saw It: Artists Witnessing War is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs.
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 285,000 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. Its 140-acre campus includes miles of hiking and walking trails through woodlands and meadows, providing an exceptional experience of art in nature. Galleries are open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday, from September through June, and daily in July and August. Advance timed tickets are strongly recommended. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.
Visitors age five and older are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to entering the Clark’s facilities and are required to wear face masks at all times while indoors, and outdoors when social distancing is not possible. For details on health and safety protocols, visit clarkart.edu/health.
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