Clark After Dark season opens Jan. 25 with The Sultan’s Palace
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.