For Immediate Release
June 3, 2024

FREE SUMMER HOURS, FREE SPECIAL EVENTS, AND FREE TRANSPORTATION ENHANCE SUMMER 2024 AT CLARK ART INSTITUTE

Williamstown, Massachusetts— Summer 2024 at the Clark Art Institute brings new opportunities to discover some of its special exhibitions, plenty of opportunities to visit for free, a host of free events and activities, and even free bus transportation between Williamstown and North Adams. 

FREE EVENING HOURS

The Clark is adding extended evening hours and free admission on select dates this summer. Beginning June 19, the Clark offers free admission from 5 to 9 pm on Wednesdays through September 25, 2024. Visitors can enjoy free evening access to two of its special exhibitions, Guillaume Lethière and Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass. The Museum Store is stocked with new merchandise and will be open during the evening hours. Food service will also be available on Wednesday evenings. 

FREE BUS SERVICE

Through a special arrangement, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) and the Clark have partnered to offer extended bus service on BRTA’s popular Route 3 line that runs between Williamstown and North Adams. On Wednesday evenings from June 19 through September 25, bus service departing from the Clark to North Adams will be extended, with the last bus leaving at 9:05 pm. Bus service departing from the Clark at 7:45 or later is free of charge. Connecting bus service in North Adams runs until 10:30 pm. 

Support for the free bus fare is generously provided by Adams Community Bank and Allen & Company. 

FREE ADMISSION DAYS

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Tadao Ando-designed Clark Center and the grand reopening of the Clark following its campus expansion program, the Clark offers free admission for all on July 4. The Clark is open from 10 am to 5 pm on Independence Day. 

On July 14, the Clark’s beloved Community Day program offers another opportunity to enjoy free admission for all. The Clark’s galleries are open from 10 am to 5 pm. A full slate of special activities is planned from 11 am to 4 pm. Visitors can learn about glass, printmaking, and collage through art-making activities geared to all ages. Live figure-drawing sessions will happen throughout the day, along with live music performances, and fun surprises for all ages! A wide variety of food service offerings from the Clark’s Café 7 and other local vendors will be available throughout the day. This event happens rain or shine. 

FREE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Wednesday evenings this summer are filled with a wide array of free special events, including:  

MINETTE AND EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH CARIBBEAN MUSIC
JUNE 19, 6 PM

Kaiama L. Glover, professor of African American Studies and French at Yale University, discusses the theatrical life of the eighteenth-century French Caribbean, focusing on artists of African descent, including the noted violinist Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George, and celebrated soprano Minette. Glover’s talk is illustrated by short musical performances by the American-Brazilian soprano Ariana Wehr, who sings excerpts from works that Minette would have performed, accompanied by the harpsichord. This event celebrates the vibrant culture of colonial France and the vital contributions of Black performers.

CONCERT: DANCING ON A VOLCANO—OPERA LAFAYETTE
JUNE 26, 6 PM

The soprano Minette was one of the great stars of theatrical life in colonial Saint-Domingue in the 1780s. But unlike almost all the actors and actresses of the time, she was a woman of African descent. The title of Marie Chauvet’s novel about her, Dancing on a Volcano, aptly suggests the tensions swirling around this contemporary of artist Guillaume Lethière and composer Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George.

Soprano Ariana Wehr joins musicians of Opera Lafayette to present music from the operas of Gluck, Philidor, Gretry, and others (which Minette performed in the years leading up to the Haitian Revolution), as well as music from the Chevalier de Saint-George.

OUTDOOR CONCERTS
This year, the July Outdoor Concert Series celebrates the French Caribbean with some of best musicians from Guadeloupe and Haiti. All concerts begin at 6 pm and are held rain-or-shine. Concerts take place on the lawn of the Clark’s reflecting pool. Bring a blanket or chair for seating and bring along a picnic and your favorite libations to join the party spirit. 

JACQUES SCHWARZ-BART AND BAND
JULY 3

SONNY TROUPÉ AND BAND
JULY 10

NATHALIE JOACHIM TRIO
JULY 17

LAKOU MIZIK
JULY 24

OUTDOOR MOVIES

Throughout August, the Clark offers a series of Wednesday evening film screenings, all with a decidedly French flair. All films begin at dusk. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and picnic on the Clark’s reflecting pool lawn.

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG
AUGUST 7

MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
AUGUST 14

RATATOUILLE
AUGUST 21

AMÉLIE
AUGUST 28

Family programs are generously supported by Allen & Company.

For further information on Clark events, visit clarkart.edu/events

For detailed information on BRTA bus service, routes, and fares, visit berkshirerta.com

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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