For Immediate Release
July 10, 2024
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS BOOK TALK
WITH CLARK FELLOW AND AUTHOR OF A NIMBLE ARC:
JAMES VAN DER ZEE AND PHOTOGRAPHY EMILIE BOONE
Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Wednesday, July 31 at 6 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts a talk by Emilie Boone, summer 2024 Clark Fellow and author of A Nimble Arc: James Van Der Zee and Photography (Duke University Press, 2023). Boone speaks with Sara Houghteling, special projects coordinator at the Clark, about the overlooked facets of Van Der Zee’s photographic legacy. The event takes place in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
In A Nimble Arc, Boone positions Van Der Zee at the intersection of art and the vernacular, reshaping our perception of this iconic figure and the role of photography in the tapestry of everyday Black life. Boone is a finalist for the National Book Critic's Circle first book award for scholarship on Van Der Zee.
Emilie Boone is an assistant professor of African American/African Diaspora Arts in the department of art history at New York University. She researches the art and visual culture of the African Diaspora with a focus on vernacular photography and global encounters. Following her first book A Nimble Arc: James Van Der Zee and Photography, Boone will advance her second manuscript as a 2024 summer fellow in the Research and Academic Program at the Clark.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. A book signing follows the talk. Copies of A Nimble Arc: James Van Der Zee and Photography will be available for purchase at the talk and in the Museum Store. 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. Open 10 am to 9 pm on Wednesdays from June 19 through September 25, with free admission from 5 to 9 pm. 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]