Events

In conjunction with Sugaring Off: The Maple Sugar Paintings of Eastman Johnson, the Clark is offering a wide range of programming for visitors of all ages. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For information and tickets, call 413-458-0524. 

gallery Talks and lectures

Looking at Lunchtime:
An American Portrait of a Norwegian Painter
Thursday, January 8, 12:30 pm
Curator of Education Michael Cassin will speak about Portrait of Eilif Peterssen by William Merritt Chase.

Sugaring Off Gallery Talk
Sunday, January 25, 2:00 pm
Katie Price, curatorial assistant, will give a gallery talk in the special exhibition.

Looking at Lunchtime:
John Singer Sargent:
An American Artist in Venice
Thursday, February 12, 12:30 pm
Curator of American Paintings Brian Allen will speak about the artist John Singer Sargent.

Americana in the Clark Collection
Monday, February 16, 2:00 pm
Brian Allen, curator of American Paintings, will give this Presidents' Day gallery talk.

Sugaring Off Gallery Talk
Sunday, February 22, 2:00 pm
Michael Cassin, curator of education, will give a gallery talk in the special exhibition.

Tapping the Sweet Memory of the Sugarbush:
Historic and Contemporary Perspectives on Native American Maple Sugaring
Sunday, February 29, 2:00 pm
Archaeologist Matthew M. Thomas of the University of Wisconsin at Madison will give a public lecture about the Native American tradition of maple sugar making.

Looking at Lunchtime:
The American West
Thursday, March 11, 12:30 pm
Assistant Curator of Paintings Sarah Lees will speak about the painting Dismounted: The Fourth Trooper Moving the Led Horses by Frederic Remington.

Making the Sugar:
Changes in New England Sugaring in the Nineteenth Century
Sunday, March 14, 2:00 pm
Daniel Gade will speak about the culture and technology of maple sugar making in the nineteenth century. Gade is professor emeritus at the University of Vermont in Burlington and an expert on cultural-historical geography and cultural ecology.

Looking at Lunchtime:
The Alma-Tadema Piano
Thursday, April 8, 12:30 pm
Curator of Education Michael Cassin will give a talk about the nineteenth-century grand piano designed by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema.

"Classic yankee" film series

The Crucible (1996, 123 minutes) and
The Last of the Mohicans (1992, 114 minutes)
Sunday, February 8, 2:00 and 4:15 pm
This double feature program stars Daniel Day Lewis, first in a scrupulous adaptation of Arthur Miller's play about the Salem Witch Trials, then in Michael Mann's retelling of James Fenimore Cooper's tales of the French and Indian War.

The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941, 106 minutes) and
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939, 100 minutes)
Sunday, February 15, 2:00 and 4:00 pm
Celebrate Presidents' Weekend with two films about great American statesmen. Walter Huston stars as the devil in the film version of the Stephen Vincent Benet short story at 2:00 pm, followed by Henry Fonda starring as the young Lincoln in John Ford's masterpiece.

Two Versions of Little Women (1933, 107 minutes; 1994, 118 minutes)
Sunday, March 7, 2:00 and 4:00 pm
Enjoy two versions of the Louisa May Alcott favorite about a New England family during the Civil War. First, Katharine Hepburn stars as Jo in the 1933 film directed by George Cukor. At 4:00 pm, Winona Ryder leads an excellent ensemble under the direction of Gillian Armstrong.

Ethan Frome (1993, 107 minutes) and
The Bostonians (1984, 120 minutes)
Sunday, April 11, 2:00 and 4:00 pm
This pairing explores late-nineteenth-century Massachusetts through the eyes of Edith Wharton and Henry James. At 2:00 pm, Liam Neeson and Joan Allen star as the Fromes in this film set in the Berkshires. At 4:00 pm, Vanessa Redgrave and Christopher Reeve star in the Merchant Ivory adaptation of James's novel set in Boston.

Family events

"Maple Madness" Family Day
Sunday, February 1, 1:00-4:00 pm
Celebrate New England traditions of maple sugar making with indoor and outdoor activities related to Sugaring Off. Kids can snowshoe around the Clark property looking for sugar maples or participate in art-making activities inside. The day will include gallery talks, granola making, farm songs, and a marionette show.

School Vacation Week Open House
Monday, February 16, through Friday, February 20, 1:00-4:00 pm
During February vacation week, the Clark will host maple-related art-making activities for kids in connection with Sugaring Off.

"Sugaring-Off" Family Day
Sunday, March 28, 10:00 am-4:00 pm
An afternoon of family activities will feature a re-creation of the traditional New England "sugaring-off" party as seen in the Sugaring Off exhibition. Arrive early (10:00 am to 1:00 pm) and help gather sap for the boiling kettle, which will operate from
1:00 to 4:00 pm Family gallery talks will be offered at
1:15 and 2:15 pm

Music

Garnet Rogers
Friday, January 30, 8:00 pm
Part of the Songs and Stories Concert Series
Folksinger and songwriter Garnet Rogers, called "one of the major talents of our time" by the Boston Globe, is known for his smooth baritone voice and quick wit. Special guest Rachael Davis will open. Tickets are $20 ($18 for members).

Patty Larkin
Friday, February 20, 8:00 pm
Part of the Songs and Stories Concert Series
Singer-songwriter Patty Larkin will play music from her acclaimed new CD, Red=Luck, hailed as "beautiful" (Vanity Fair) and "an absorbing listening experience" (Washington Post). Special guest Bernice Lewis will open. Tickets are $20 ($18 for members).

Gordon Bok
Saturday, March 13, 8:00 pm
Part of the Songs and Stories Concert Series
Gordon Bok has been a leader in preserving, collecting, creating, and sharing a rich tradition of folk music. A master of six- and twelve-string guitars, as well as his trademark cellamba, Bok is one of folk music's most cherished artists. Tickets are $20 ($18 for members).

Richard Shindell
Friday, March 26, 8:00 pm
Part of the Songs and Stories Concert Series
Folk-rock artist Richard Shindell is critically acclaimed for his eclectic songwriting ranging from lighthearted ballads to diatribes that skewer politics, prejudice, war, and religion. Tickets are $20 ($18 for members).

New England Sampler
Saturday, March 13, 1:00-5:00 pm
This showcase will feature local musicians performing traditional music of New England with continuous concerts throughout the afternoon. Artists will include the Flying Garbanzos, Luthien, Mark Erelli, Jeffrey Foucault, Kris Delmhorst, and the Housatonic Philharmonic.

Till It Echoes Through Our Nation:
Popular Music from the Time of Eastman Johnson
Sunday, April 18, 2:00 pm
Michael Lasser, host of the National Public Radio show Fascinatin' Rhythm, will explore American life between the 1850s and 1870s through popular song in a performance combining music and lecture.

Special events

Pancake Brunch
Sunday, January 18, 11:30 am-1:30 pm
Celebrate the opening of Sugaring Off with an old-fashioned New England pancake brunch! Cost is $12 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under ($10/$8 for members).

Sugar Smack! Valentine's Day Party
Saturday, February 14, 8:00-11:00 pm
In the great New England tradition of the sugaring-off party, enjoy traditional fiddle music, dancing, and magic both indoors and out. Admission includes decadent desserts and complimentary wines. Cash bar is also available. Ticket prices range from $35 to $100.

Signs of Spring Hike
Sunday, April 4, 2:00 pm
Andrew T. Jones, manager of Hopkins Memorial Forest in Williamstown, will guide hikers up Stone Hill and point out the changes in the forest that indicate the coming of spring.

MLK weekend celebration

Film: Glory
Friday, January 16, 4:00 pm
Denzel Washington stars in this historical drama about the 54th Massachusetts, the first black volunteer unit in the Civil War (1989, 122 minutes).

Lecture:
Eastman Johnson, Winslow Homer, and Abolition
Sunday, January 18, 2:00 pm
Brian Allen, curator of American paintings, will speak
about these two important American artists and their
abolitionist views