December 5, 2023 

CLARK ART INSTITUTE OFFERS FREE ADMISSION FROM JANUARY―MARCH 2024

“Free for Three” program offers greater access to museum and exhibitions for all

(Williamstown, Massachusetts)—The Clark Art Institute will offer free admission for all visitors from January through March 2024. In its second year, the “Free for Three” program is part of the Institute’s ongoing effort to expand awareness of its programming and to welcome new visitors.  

“We want everyone in our community to feel welcome at the Clark and hope that they will take advantage of our free admission months to explore our galleries, wander our grounds, and get to know the Clark better,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “By offering three months of free admission, our visitors will be able to discover our permanent collection, see three new exhibitions, and participate in a number of free events and programs offered between January through March. 

In 2023, the Clark welcomed nearly 20,000 visitors during the three-month free admission period. 

During the free admission season, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the Clark’s noted permanent collection and to see three new exhibitions, 50 Years and Forward: British Prints and Drawings Acquisitions (open through February 11, 2024), 50 Years and Forward: Works on Paper Acquisitions (open through March 10, 2024) and Paper Cities (opens March 9, 2024). And, on February 10, the Clark will open the latest presentation of contemporary art in its public spaces with an installation by David-Jeremiah. 

50 Years and Forward: British Prints and Drawings Acquisitions is a celebration of British works on paper collected by the Clark over the past fifty years. British art did not constitute a major focus of founders Sterling and Francine Clark’s collecting and despite occasional acquisitions in this area in the early years of the Institute, it was not until the gift of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton’s collection that British art rose dramatically in significance and visibility at the Clark. The Clark’s continuing commitment to collecting British art continues now with exciting recent acquisitions shown here for the first time. This exhibition celebrates the quality and breadth of British works on paper at the Clark, with highlights including Thomas Rowlandson, J. M. W. Turner, Thomas Girtin, H.W. Williams, Samuel Palmer, Thomas Frye, Evelyn de Morgan, Anna Alma-Tadema, and more.

50 Years and Forward: Works on Paper Acquisitions marks another celebratory showcase of exceptional prints, drawings, and photographs from around the world that were acquired between 1973 and 2023. Featuring recent acquisitions and other works never before shown at the Clark, the exhibition celebrates both the growth of classic areas of strength and the emergence of fresh collecting territories. Along with familiar works by artists including Albrecht Dürer, Francisco Goya, Édouard Manet, and Mary Cassatt, 50 Years and Forward: Works on Paper Acquisitions highlights lesser-known parts of the collection, including early twentieth-century art, photographs by Berenice Abbott and Doris Ulmann, and important images of and by Black Americans. With each passing year and decade, the Clark reaffirms its commitment to the storied collecting mission of its founders, modifying and expanding it to meet the needs of a new era.

Paper Cities examines the representations of popular Western European and American cities in prints and photographs produced between the late-fifteenth and early-twentieth centuries. From seemingly objective sites of study to imaginative exercises in capturing a place an artist has never seen, cities take on many different roles when made the subject or partial focus of an artwork. Oftentimes, when artists depict an existing city, they emphasize or conceal certain sites or characteristics to fashion an intentional message about the place depicted.

David-Jeremiah represents an overview of and conclusion to the artist’s cycle of large circular reliefs (or tondos), rendered in enamel and rope on wooden panel, and titled, collectively, I Drive Thee. The installation of contemporary art explores David-Jeremiah’s fascination with the Lamborghini sports car as a kind of muse whose morphology and mythology evoke themes of power, performance, and agency in relation to Black masculinity and ritualized violence. 

The Clark’s grounds, which are always open free of charge, provide miles of walking trails. In winter months, the Clark’s popular Project Snowshoe program offers visitors the opportunity to borrow free snowshoes to explore the beauty of the campus in winter. Snowshoes are available in adult and child sizes on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Clark also offers a wide array of more than sixty free public programs, concerts, and other activities. Details on January through March 2024 programming are available at 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.

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