For Immediate Release
August 5, 2024
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS NEW MUSIC SERIES, DJS AT SUNSET
Williamstown, Massachusetts—This September, the Clark Art Institute presents a series of free DJ sets featuring Haitian electronic musicians who blend traditional Haitian music forms with contemporary rhythms as the sun sets in celebration of the Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires exhibition.
The lineup includes:
LDER
September 4, 6 pm
Fernández Terrace
Ludjy Derisier, also known as LDER, is a Haitian-American music producer from Boston. Drawing inspiration from the electronic drum and bass beats of Cartoon Network’s anime block Toonami, LDER blends upbeat percussion and melodic sounds with samples of beeps and blips. He was the organizer of East Meets Beats at EMW Bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently organizes the "Beats on the Beach" program for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in Boston.
GARDY GIRAULT
September 11, 6 pm
Fernández Terrace
Innovative Haitian DJ, music producer, and singer Gardy Girault built his reputation in the mid-2010s with a distinctive merging of Afro-Haitian forms like rara, konpa, and rasin with progressive and deep house beats. His singular style has taken him from Port-au-Prince to Art Basel and New York Fashion Week, and now it brings him to the Clark for this must-see performance.
KATHIA ST. HILAIRE CLOSING FESTIVAL
September 13, 7 pm
Lunder Center at Stone Hill, Moltz Terrace
Join an evening celebration of Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires before the exhibition closes on September 22.
Ashley Solage, also known as Ashley Venom, is a Haitian-American artist, DJ, writer, and cultural producer. Solage has performed for Boiler Room Miami, Puffy Radio on NPS 012, naafi*, Beatport, and BLITZ Music Club, among other international venues.
Rayven Heath, also known as DJ RAYVINO, is a Haitian-American DJ and event producer. They organize the Boston-based event Blair B*tch Project and have performed for the ICA Boston, Lynn Museum, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
This celebratory evening includes free late-night access to the exhibition. Custom beer by Hot Plate Brewing and food from Bezzle’s BBQ will be available for purchase.
VAL-INC
September 18, 6 pm
Fernández Terrace
Val Jeanty, also known as Val-Inc, is a Haitian electronic music composer, percussionist, and turntablist. Descendent of composer and pianist Occide Jeanty and Vodou priestess GranMe Shoun, Val-Inc incorporates African Haitian musical traditions and acoustics with post-modern electronics to evoke her dreamlike realm of Afro-Electronica, also called Vodou-Electro.
All events are free. Bring a picnic and a blanket. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524. Rain moves the September 13 event to September 14 and all other performances to the Clark Center lower level.
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.
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