The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute recently acquired sixteen drawings by the great seventeenth-century French landscape artist Claude Lorrain. This acquisition makes the Clark holder of one of the most important collections of Claude Lorrain drawings outside of Europe. The focused exhibition Claude Lorrain: New Acquisitions, on view January 19 through April 20, marks the first time these 16 drawings will be on view at the Clark.

“The acquisition of these drawings continues the Clark’s tradition of acquiring collections that represent the depth of an individual artist or period,” said Richard Rand, senior curator at the Clark. “Claude is the fountainhead of the European and American landscape tradition, whose legacy is apparent everywhere in the Clark’s collection and in the pastoral setting of our campus.”

The sixteen drawings represent the full breadth of Claude’s draftsmanship, including works made as early as 1630 and as late as 1667. The collection features nature studies of Rome and Tivoli and other identifiable sites, generalized landscape views, and studio drawings with historical subjects that were made as studies for paintings, as well as independent works of art. Claude’s brilliant technique and innovative combination of materials are fully represented as well: there are pen-and-ink drawings combined with wash and white gouache, black and red chalk drawings, and drawings on cream paper and blue paper. Many of the sheets are inscribed by Claude and several are dated.

The drawings have a prestigious legacy, thirteen of them having originated from an album assembled by Claude’s heirs and sold to Queen Christina of Sweden and subsequently belonging to Italian Prince Livio Odescalchi, Georges Wildenstein, and Norton Simon. They were assembled in the 1980s by New York collector Peter Sharp, who acquired three more, including one from the collection of Lord Kenneth Clark, the famous art historian and former director of the National Gallery in London. The Clark acquired the drawings from the heirs of Peter Sharp. The drawings join two oil paintings and several etchings by Claude already in the Clark’s collection.

Born in the Duchy of Lorraine in present day France, Claude spent the majority of his career in Rome, making landscape paintings for prominent collectors across Europe. He drew incessantly, making both studies of nature in the open air and elaborate preparatory drawings for his paintings. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Claude was most popular with British collectors, especially aristocrats on the Grand Tour. He was a hero to landscape painters like Camille Corot in France and John Constable and J.M.W. Turner in England. The acquisition of this magnificent group of Claude drawings perfectly complements the Clark’s recent gift of the Manton Collection.

In 2008, the Clark will open the Stone Hill Center, the first phase of its expansion and campus enhancement project. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, the wood and glass 32,000-square-foot building will house new intimately scaled galleries, a meeting and studio art classroom, an outdoor café, and the Williamstown Art Conservation Center (WACC).

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November 1 through May 31. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.

Article by Dave Read

Rev up your magic carpet and head to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute for an evening of music and dancing, exotic snacks and drinks, out-of-the-ordinary activities, and late-night encounters with art, as a new season of Clark After Dark kicks off on Friday, January 25 with The Sultan’s Palace. Held 8 pm to midnight, admission is $10 ($8 for members), and you must be 21+ to enter.

DJ Tigerbeatz sets the mood as you dance the night away to the sounds of Turkish funk and psych, electrogypsy, Bollywood, Arabic, and nu disco. Her extensive vinyl collection offers the best of ethno beat sounds and will keep the dance floor hot throughout the night. Dancing of another kind, bellydancing, is offered by Sahidi Sisters from Bennington Beledi Tribal Bellydance. This dynamic group of four will perform American Tribal Style Bellydance and provide basic instruction to get you moving.

The Sultan also offers tastes of traditional Turkish delights. Try falafel with yogurt dip, mini shish kabobs with yogurt cumin dipping sauce, bastilla (chicken with spices in filo pastry), grilled eggplant rolls, herb hummus with baba ganoush and pita chips, sharma (stuffed grape leaves), baklava, almond-stuffed dates, and Turkish delight candy. A cash bar features specialty cocktails such as pomegranate martinis and other libations, as well as Turkish coffee and sweet tea.

Get in the mood for bellydancing by creating a ribbon and bell bracelet reminiscent of those worn by traditional dancers. Or create an evil eye charm using nazar boncugu (evil eye beads) that ward off evil or bring good luck.

Complete your evening with a visit to the print room and discover how Orientalism expresses itself in the Clark’s collection.

Gear up for the Sultan’s Palace by watching The Sound of Istanbul on the Clark’s big screen at 6:30 pm. In this 2006 film, Turkish-German director Fatih Akin follows Alexander Hacke (guitarist of the avant garde German band Einstuerzende Neubauten) as he scours the streets of Istanbul, microphone in hand, with the aim of capturing the diversity of Turkish music and the range of cultural influences that give rise to it. From whirling dervishes to breakdancers to the “Elvis of Arabesque,” this film is an introduction to a rich musical landscape, as well as to the splendor and color of one of the most historic cities in the world. “Crossing the Bridge is a musical tour of Turkey with a funky guide,” wrote Manohla Dargis of the New York Times.

A sure cure for the winter blues, the Clark After Dark trio of hip happenings transports you through time and place with dancing, live music and entertainment, exotic snacks, and specialty drinks. Inspired by the mystery of the Orient, the Liverpool beat, and the Jazz Age, these parties give you reason to look forward to winter. Mark those calendars: Get ready for “British Invasion” on February 29 and go back to “The Roaring ’20s” on March 28.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November through May. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.

UPDATE: As announced in the New York Times on Wed. Jan. 9, Mr. De Montebello is retiring from the the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the end of the year.

Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will present the lecture “Museums, Why Should We Care?” on Wednesday, January 23, at 7 pm. Admission is free.

De Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1977, has been acknowledged throughout the museum world as one of the field’s most influential and articulate champions of integrity, authority, education, and public access. During this lecture, he will discuss why in this age of virtual reality, museums still fulfill the Enlightenment promise of education and inspiration.

De Montebello is the eighth, and longest-serving, director in the Metropolitan’s 135-year history. Under de Montebello’s leadership, the museum has nearly doubled in size, vastly increasing its exhibition space. It has acquired significant collections and masterpieces, mounted acclaimed international loan exhibitions, developed wide-reaching educational programs, and reinstalled much of its permanent collections in new and refurbished galleries.

Lecturing on museum issues throughout the world, de Montebello, the author of several influential op-ed pieces in the New York Times and other publications, is a ubiquitous commentator on art and museological matters in the broadcast media. In 2003 the President of the United States awarded him The National Medal of Arts.

Born in Paris, de Montebello became an American citizen in 1955 and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1958. After serving as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, he received an advanced degree from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. With the exception of four-and-a-half years (1969-1974) as director of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, de Montebello has spent his entire career at the Metropolitan Museum. He joined the Met as a curatorial assistant in 1963, rising to associate curator in the Department of European Paintings. In 1974, de Montebello was appointed vice director for Curatorial and Educational Affairs, a post he held until he became director in July 1977.

This lecture series continues on Thursday, April 17, at 7 pm, when Michael Govan, chief executive officer and Wallis Annenberg Director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will be joined by Michael Conforti, director of the Clark, for a discussion of timely issues in the museum world.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November 1 through May 31. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.

Experience the fun of the English countryside at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute during a free family afternoon on Sunday, January 20 from 12 to 4 pm. The Manton Collection will inspire art-making, a film, “make your own” high tea, a sheep and shepherdess on the grounds, manners lessons with an instructor from the Emily Post Institute, and much more. All activities and admission to the galleries are free.

Local shepherdess Hallie Walker will introduce you to her Shropshire sheep, Izze, and talk about the art of sheepherding. Pet Izze and use Izze’s wool to create sheep mobiles.

Ever wonder what all the fuss is about with British high tea? Chef Steve Wilkinson will cover the basics and Michael Cassin, director of the Center for the Education in the Visual Arts, will talk about his personal experience with this tradition. As you make your own tea sandwiches, tea will be passed. Sessions will be held at 1, 2, 3, and 4 pm; seating is limited.

You’ve been told to sit up straight and not to chew with your mouth open. What is the big deal? Take an entertaining look at why good manners really matter with an instructor from the Emily Post Institute. Get the straight scoop on cell phone usage, mealtime manners, and tips such as when to write thank you notes and how to introduce yourself. Sessions will be held at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 pm; seating is limited. Geared toward ages seven through twelve.

At 1:15 and 3:15 pm, explore British art in the Clark’s collection during entertaining family gallery talks with Michael Cassin. From J.M.W. Turner and John Constable to Sir Thomas Lawrence and Thomas Gainsborough, Cassin will introduce families to British art at the Clark.

At 3 pm don’t miss the quintessentially British and universally appealing film Nanny McPhee (99 minutes, rated PG) on the big screen. In this entertaining family fantasy, Mr. Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) has just lost his wife and is now left with his seven children who misbehave so much that all the nannies have run away. A mysterious voice tells him that he should hire Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) who is a magical woman with special powers.

A visit to the Clark is a rewarding family experience year-round with 140 acres of scenic meadows and trails providing ample opportunities for families to cross-country ski, snowshoe, sled, or spot the many birds inhabiting the area. The Clark’s grounds are open to the public free of charge. Free admission to the galleries is always offered to children 18 and under and students with valid ID.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, MA. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November through May. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and under, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.

The Colonial Carriage and Driving Society will hold its annual sleigh rally January 10, 2010, with a no snow date of January 17, 2010 at Orleton Farm in Stockbridge, MA. Step back into Yesteryear for a picturesque winter day of sleigh competitions (featuring the beautiful Currier and Ives class and the sleigh Dog class.)

The rally will start at 11 am with 20 horse drawn sleighs competing throughout the day. Food and sleigh rides available. Come early and enjoy the bonfire. Admission: Adults – $5.00; Children 12 and under $3.00; 5 years & under free. Here is Colonial Carriage and Driving Society’s announcement (PDF) with complete 2010 Winter Classic Sleigh Rally schedule details.

Click the map marker to get printable driving directions to/from Orleton Farms, Stockbridge, MA.
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Held at Orleton Farm in Stockbridge, Directions: Mass Pike exit 2, 5 miles west on RT 102 to center of Stockbridge. Take a right onto Pine Street, bear left on Prospect Hill Rd go 2 and ½ miles to Orleton Farm on left. (31 Prospect Hill Rd)

The Berkshire Museum will be closed for renovation from January 1 through March 28. The Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation will be unveiled when the Museum reopens. Public receptions will be held to mark the new gallery as well as re-installations of the permanent collections and to celebrate the 105th anniversary of the Berkshire Museum.