For Immediate Release
July 1, 2024
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS OPENING LECTURE
ON FRAGILE BEAUTY: TREASURES FROM
THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS
Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Saturday, July 20 at 11 am, the Clark Art Institute hosts a lecture by exhibition curator Kathleen Morris, Sylvia and Leonard Marx Director of Collections and Exhibitions and curator of decorative arts, in conjunction with the opening of Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass. The event takes place in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
For thousands of years, glassmakers have combined sand, chemicals, minerals, heat, and air to create functional and decorative objects. Drawn from the vast collection of the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, Fragile Beauty explores how makers from across time and around the globe have taken inspiration from the natural world to create dazzling works of art. These objects range in date from antiquity to the present and show a remarkable breadth of color, technique, form, design, and function. Some were made for practical use, such as drinking glasses, vases, and pitchers. Others are purely decorative, from a life-size lemon to a giant flower. Together they suggest the range of creative expression glass artists have achieved.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Kathleen Morris, Sylvia and Leonard Marx Director of Collections and Exhibitions and curator of decorative arts.
Generous support for this exhibition is provided by Robert D. Kraus, Doris Fischer Malesardi, the S & L Marx Foundation, and Carol and Richard Seltzer.
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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