For Immediate Release
October 3, 2023

CLARK ART INSTITUTE SCREENS SANKOFA

Presentation is Final Installment in Research and Academic Program/Clark Conference Film Series: The L.A. Rebellion 

Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Thursday, October 12, the Clark Art Institute concludes its four-part film series examining the L.A. Rebellion, presented in celebration and anticipation of the Clark’s 2023 Conference, “The Fetish A(r)t Work: African Objects in the Making of European Art History, 1500–1900.” The Clark shows Sankofa at 6 pm in its auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.

Directed by Haile Gerima, Sankofa (1993; 2 hours, 4 minutes) was developed from twenty years of research into the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the experiences of African slaves in the New World. The film represents complex characters and empowering moments of resilience that assert humanity in the face of subjugation. Unlike Hollywood’s depiction of slavery, Gerima presents the often-suppressed history of slave resistance and rebellion and represents the enslaved as agents of their own liberation. The film’s narrative structure follows the concept of “Sankofa,” an Akan word that signifies the recuperation of one’s past in order to comprehend the present and find one’s future.

Free. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.

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 some 300,000 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. Admission is free January through March and is $20 from March through December; admission is free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is also 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.

Press contact: [email protected]