For Immediate Release
April 22, 2022

CLARK ART INSTITUTE'S RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAM HOSTS ROUNDTABLE ON BLACKNESS 

(Williamstown, Massachusetts)—The Clark Art Institute’s Research and Academic Program (RAP) presents an MCLA Artist Lab Roundtable on Blackness as a Multifaceted Experience and Giving Artists an Opportunity to Interpret the World on Their Own Terms on Thursday, May 12 at 5:30 pm. The event is free and is presented live in the Clark’s auditorium.

Caroline Fowler, Starr Director of the Clark’s Research and Academic Program (RAP), joins a conversation with Conrad Egyir, a Ghanaian artist whose figurative narratives of the African Diaspora blend religious and West African folk iconography with domestic scenes; Joshua AM Ross, a multidisciplinary artist with a research-based practice grounded in archival experiences of photography; and Nathaniel Donnett, a multidisciplinary cultural practitioner whose work engages with the poetics of the everyday and socio-political and cultural concerns. The participants were all in residence in North Adams in 2021–22 as part of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ (MCLA) Artist Lab Residency program.

Prior to the roundtable, attendees are invited to join a reception in the Manton Reading Room at 5 pm.

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. For details on health and safety protocols, visit clarkart.edu/health.

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