For Immediate Release
October 23, 2024

CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS A ONE-DAY SYMPOSIUM ON TRANSFORMATIVE FUTURES: BLOCKCHAIN AND THE ARTS SYSTEM

Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Friday, November 22 from 1:30 to 6:00 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts a one-day symposium on the new connections between blockchain and the arts system. This free event takes place in the Clark’s Michael Conforti Pavilion. 

Blockchain—defined as a shared, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a network—stands to offer solutions to long-standing inequities in the arts and culture sector. This symposium explores the potential of blockchain to create greater equity within arts' systems by bringing together practitioners at the forefront of these developments to discuss their work, assess new possibilities for blockchain’s use throughout the art market, and to engage with community members interested in understanding blockchain and its applications. 

Participants include Frances Liddell (University of Edinburgh), Amy Whitaker (New York University), Destinee Filmore (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Rhea Myers (artist), Tina Rivers Ryan (Artforum), Yayoi Shionoiri (Powerhouse Arts), Kelani Nichole (TRANSFER), Cheryl Finley (Cornell University), Lauren van Haaften-Schick (Teachers College, Columbia University), and christian reeder (Mariane Ibrahim Gallery). Following the presentations, Filmore and van Haaften-Schick moderate an open forum for community members to pose questions, offer comments, and to further discuss projects and initiatives led by the convening participants. 

Free. Visit clarkart.edu/Research-Academic for the full program schedule. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. This event will not be recorded or livestreamed.

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.

Press contact: [email protected]