RELATED EVENTS
SUMMER OPENING RECEPTION: GUILLAUME LETHIÈRE
June 14, 7:30 pm
Clark Center
Join in a community-wide celebration, enjoy light refreshments, and be among the first to view the Clark’s major summer exhibition.
Free. Advance registration required. Register at clarkart.edu/Lethiereopening or call 413 458 0524.
OPENING LECTURE: GUILLAUME LETHIÈRE
June 15, 11 am
Manton Research Center auditorium
Exhibition co-curators Esther Bell and Olivier Meslay introduce the Guillaume Lethière exhibition, providing an inside look at the development of this ambitious project.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.
MINETTE AND EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH CARIBBEAN MUSIC
June 19, 6 pm
Manton Research Center auditorium
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.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.
CONCERT: DANCING ON A VOLCANO—OPERA LAFAYETTE PERFORMS MUSIC FROM THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH CARIBBEAN
June 26, 6 pm
Manton Research Center auditorium
The soprano Minette was one of the great stars of theatrical life in colonial Saint-Domingue in the 1780s. 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 Minette, 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 the 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.
Free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. This event has been moved into the auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center, out of a desire to provide our audience with the best acoustic experience of the Opera Lafayette's delicate period instruments.
EXHIBITION TOUR: GUILLAUME LETHIÈRE
Twice Daily: July 1–13, July 15–31, and August 1–31 | 10:15 am and 3:45 pm
Meet in the Clark Center lower level
Explore paintings and drawings by one of the most fascinating artists and personalities of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Learn about Guillaume Lethière’s development as an artist and his centrality to a group of Caribbean expatriates in Paris.
Free with gallery admission. Capacity is limited. Pick up a ticket at the Clark
Center admissions desk, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
JULY OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES
July 3, 10, 17 & 24, 6 pm
Reflecting Pool Lawn
Celebrate the French Caribbean with some of the best musicians from Guadeloupe and Haiti. This series of outdoor concerts is presented in conjunction with the Clark’s Guillaume Lethière and Kathia St. Hilaire exhibitions.
July 3
Jacques Schwarz-Bart and Band
Born in Guadeloupe, Jacques Schwarz-Bart has voyaged from neo-soul back to his Caribbean roots. Playing Gwo ka and Vodou jazz, Schwarz-Bart connects jazz music with its Afro-Caribbean and spiritual origins. Schwarz-Bart performs with his quintet.
July 17
Nathalie Joachim Trio
Grammy-nominated performer and composer Nathalie Joachim is a Haitian-American artist whose creative practice centers on a commitment to storytelling and human connectivity while advocating for social change and cultural awareness. In this performance, Joachim sings and plays the flute, joined by her bassist and percussionist.
Joachim is Assistant Professor of Composition at Princeton University and is regularly commissioned to write for orchestras, instrumental and vocal ensembles, dance, and interdisciplinary theater.
July 24
Lakou Mizik
In Haitian Creole, the word lakou carries multiple meanings. It can mean a backyard or a collective place where people gather to play music and dance. It can also be an extended community or a connection to one’s ancestors. As a band, Lakou Mizik embodies a little of each meaning—bringing music, community, and spiritual connection to backyards and festivals across the globe. Lakou Mizik also incorporates elements of Rara, a form of Carnival music based in Vodou, in which drummers and horn players lead joyous processions through the streets.
All concerts are free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. Bring a picnic and your own seating. Rain moves performances to the auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
COMMUNITY DAY
July 14, 11 am–4 pm
Clark Campus
Community Day takes over the Clark once again, and you’re invited! Join us as engaging stories unfold and surprising festivities take place inside the museum and around our campus. All day long, enjoy free admission to the permanent collection galleries and special exhibitions, including Guillaume Lethière, Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires, Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass, Edgar Degas: Multi-Media Artist in the Age of Impressionism, and David Jeremiah: I Drive Thee. Learn about glass, printmaking, and collage through art-making activities and artist demonstrations. Immerse yourself in the themes of our special exhibitions by trying your hand at the technique of live figure drawing. Throughout the day, enjoy live music performances, delicious local food, and surprises for all ages!
Free. Refreshments and select activities available for purchase. Held rain or shine.
Family programs are generously supported by Allen & Company.
DANCE PERFORMANCE: JEAN APOLLON DANCE TROUPE
August 17, 4 pm
Fernández Terrace and Reflecting Pool Lawn
The Boston-based Jean Apollon Dance Troupe (JAE) is a Haitian contemporary dance company combining modern technique and Haitian folkloric dance. JAE fulfills its mission to preserve Haitian folkloric culture while constantly enlivening the art form in accessible, inspiring, and educational ways. JAE combines drumming and Haitian folkloric dance in this performance, in celebration of the Guillaume Lethière and Kathia St. Hilaire exhibitions.
Free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. Bring a picnic and your own seating.
Rain moves the performance to August 18 at 4 pm.
OUTDOOR CONCERT: THE KNIGHTS ORCHESTRA
August 31, 4 pm
Fernández Terrace
The Knights return to the Clark! To celebrate the Guillaume Lethière exhibition, the orchestra plays a double violin concerto by Lethière’s contemporary Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George. A new composition by Kyle Sanna, featuring renowned Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh as guest soloist, rounds out this very special musical experience.
Free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. Bring a picnic and your own seating.
Rain moves the performance to September 1 at 4 pm.
This performance is presented through the generous support of the Sea Island Foundation.
FAMILY CONCERT: THE KNIGHTS ORCHESTRA
September 1, 11 am
Manton Research Center auditorium
The Knights present a family-friendly concert for younger audiences that complements the Guillaume Lethière exhibition. This program, which follows the Knights’ large-scale outdoor concert on August 31, is intended to provide a fun and engaging introduction to classical music. Audience participation activities highlight musical details and showcase the way instruments can tell a story.
Free. Accessible seats available. Advance registration required. Register at clarkart.edu/events.
This performance is presented through the generous support of the Sea Island Foundation.
BOOK LAUNCH: EMMA KOHLMANN—WATERCOLORS
September 3, 6 pm
Lunder Center at Stone Hill, Lower Lawn
Emma Kohlmann (b. 1989, Bronx, New York) is an internationally recognized artist who lives and works in Florence, Massachusetts. Emma Kohlmann: Watercolors, published by Anthology press, is a survey of the artist working intuitively to generate representative possibilities that are playfully otherworldly and thrillingly free. Kohlmann and her sister, Charlotte, present a conversation about the monograph, which features hundreds of works from 2011 to 2021 created using sumi-e ink washes and other techniques to capture the contours and nuances of embodied moments with exquisite sensitivity, celebrating a sensuality freed from analysis and gender norms.
Free. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524. Copies of Emma Kohlmann: Watercolors will be available for purchase at the event and in the Museum Store. A book signing follows.
WRITING AND REVOLUTION
September 4, 11, 18 & 25, 4–6 pm
Fernández Terrace
As part of the free Wednesday evening hours this summer, and in connection with the Guillaume Lethière exhibition, join us for a drop-in writing program exploring how creative writing can be used for political and social change. Just as artist Guillaume Lethière depicted themes of revolt and revolution in his paintings and drawings, participants will discuss the power of words to create change, and gather together to write and share words of change in a casual workshop setting.
Free. Open to all ages; recommended for ages 12+. Pick up writing prompts at the Clark Center admissions desk. From 4–5 pm, workshop participants have free access to the Guillaume Lethière exhibition. From 5–6 pm, reserved Fernández Terrace seating is available for participants to share their writing. Rain moves the workshop to the Family Room, located in the Clark Center.
FILM SHOWING: LETHIÈRE—OATH OF THE ANCESTORS
September 12, 6 pm
Manton Research Center, Auditorium
Lethière: Oath of the Ancestors is a new film by French activist, writer, and filmmaker Claude Ribbe. Ribbe’s work focuses on the history of colonialism in the Caribbean. In this documentary, he tells the complex and compelling story of Guillaume Lethiere’s Oath of the Ancestors, one of Haiti’s most important paintings. Lethière: Oath of the Ancestors becomes a window not just into the historical moment it commemorates, but the history that comes afterward. (Run time: 50 minutes)
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.
INSIDE LETHIÈRE’S MONOGRAPH
September 12, 12 pm
On Zoom
What went into creating the first major monograph on Caribbean-born artist Guillaume Lethière? Join this exclusive virtual event with Roy Brooks, publication designer at Fold Four, Inc.; Anne Roecklein, managing editor at the Clark; and Sophie Kerwin, former curatorial assistant at the Clark, as they recount their ambitious journey from concept to 432-page catalogue.
Free. A Zoom link to join the conversation will be posted on the event webpage. Check back closer to the event!
WRITERS IN CONVERSATION: EDWIDGE DANTICAT
September 14, 3 pm
Manton Research Center, Auditorium
Edwidge Danticat is a powerful figure in contemporary literature who has written more than twenty books, along with short stories and essays. She is a preeminent voice for the Haitian-American experience and has received numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the American Book Award. She will be in conversation with Kaiama L. Glover, Yale Professor of African American Studies and French. Kaiama L. Glover’s work focuses on the literature of the Francophone Caribbean. Danticat and Glover will discuss what it means to create art while in exile from Haiti as well as the challenges of telling the history of the Caribbean, contextualizing the contemporary significance of the Clark’s current exhibition Guillaume Lethière.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.
RACE AND CELEBRITY IN HISTORICAL FRANCE: EXAMINING THE CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGE
September 21, 11 am
Manton Research Center, Auditorium
Christy Pichichero, Associate Professor of History, French, and African and African American Studies at George Mason University, explores race and celebrity in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century France, connecting Guillaume Lethière to his contemporary, Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George. An expert on eighteenth-century France and the French Empire, Dr. Pichichero is also writing an experimental biography on the Chevalier de Saint-George.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.
DUMAS FILM SERIES
September 26, October 3 & October 10, 6 pm
Manton Research Center, Auditorium
This series highlights one of Guillaume Lethière’s compatriots of Caribbean descent, famed author and playwright Alexandre Dumas. Dumas’s many books (including The Three Musketeers) have been captured on film dozens of times. His father, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a revered French general and close friend of Lethière, inspired many of his swashbuckling characters.
September 26
La Reine Margot (1994)
Directed by Patrice Chéreau and based on the Dumas novel of the same name, this film won five Césars and the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. There’s no more vivid introduction to the sixteenth-century French wars of religion. (Run time: 2 hours, 42 minutes)
October 3
The Three Musketeers – Part I: D’Artagnan (2023)
An unbelievable hit when it was first published, The Three Musketeers has been filmed over thirty times. Celebrate the idealism and political intrigue that marked nineteenth-century French and French Caribbean history with the first part of the latest adaptation, directed by Martin Bourboulon. (Run time: 2 hours, 1 minute)
October 10
The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady (2023)
This film was shot back-to-back with its prequel. Part two of Martin Bourboulon’s adaptation of The Three Musketeers promises more epic adventure. (Run time: 1 hour, 55 minutes)
All films are free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.
GUILLAUME LETHIÈRE SYMPOSIUM
September 27, 9:30 am–6:30 pm
Manton Research Center auditorium and Clark Center lower level
Join us for a symposium in celebration of Guillaume Lethière. The exhibition, organized in partnership with the Musée du Louvre, will be the first to investigate Lethière’s extraordinary career. This one-day conference invites renowned scholars and the public to examine Lethière’s considerable body of work, as well as the presence and reception of Caribbean artists in France in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
The full program will be posted in advance of the date.
Free. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524.
NEW CHAMBER BALLET PERFORMANCE: QUADRILLE
October 13, 4 pm
Manton Research Center, Auditorium
In Quadrille, New Chamber Ballet’s six dancers and one cellist perform tightly woven contemporary dances in Miro Magloire’s in-the-round choreography, subtly channeling the abstract symmetries of folk dances from the choreographer’s Haitian heritage. The music is by Pulitzer Prize winner Tania León, whose Four Pieces for Cello references traditional Cuban Santeria music; and Guadeloupean-born Alyssa Regent, whose Fortis Meam for cello will be paired with the world premiere of a composition commissioned by the Clark. A brief conversation with composer Alyssa Regent and choreographer Miro Magloire follows the performance.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.