WCMA to Host Musicians as Part of Summer Series

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williams College Museum of Art will present the second program in the "Construct Your Own Meaning" summer series, an exploration of the museum's permanent collection through the lens of local musicians, on Thursday, July 20, at 5 p.m. 

In collaboration with museum staff, Andrea Belair, co-owner of Belltower Records in North Adams, Mass., has selected musicians from a range of musical backgrounds who will each compose five- to 10-minute pieces inspired by an artwork in Remixing the Hall. Featured musicians include: Mirabel Thompson Boyer (Williamstown, Mass.), Wednesday Knudsen (Austerlitz, N.Y.), Lemuel Marc (Boston), Father Hotep (Hadley, Mass.), and Carlos / REC – Humble Monarch Media

Objects that inspired the musicians include a 10th-11th century sandstone sculpture of a head of a devotee from central India, and a Costa Rican terracotta whistle in the form of a jaguar from the Post-Classic Period of 1000-1500; as well as three contemporary works: Sam Gilliam's large fabric drape Situation VI - Pisces 4; Louise Nevelson's sculpture Sky Wave; and Torkwase Dyson's painting In The Middle Of The Ocean (Water Table).

Together the musicians will make a collective concert as they guide the audience through the exhibition, followed by a brief Q&A. DJ Taraka Larson will perform a set inspired by the exhibition at the reception from 6 to 7 p.m.

The series continues on Aug. 3, when a group of youths from the community will present a public tour of Remixing the Hall. The youths will participate in a week-long intensive fellowship, in which they will get a behind-the-scenes look at the museum's collection, hear about different museum careers, and learn methods for interpreting artwork. At the culmination of the program on Aug. 3, the fellows will give a collaborative guided tour of Remixing the Hall designed for kids and adults from their communities. Opening remarks and tour will be from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by a reception featuring foods selected by the fellows in collaboration with Anne Kennedy, WCMA's event and program coordinator, from 6 to 7 p.m. 

The series concludes on Aug. 17 with cake artists showcasing their original cakes that interpret an artwork in Remixing the Hall. Featured artists include Edward Cabral (New York City), Cakes For No Occasion, Magnet, and Alli Gelles of cakes4sport (New York City). From 5 to 6 p.m., the cake artists will share about their selection and creation process during a moderated conversation alongside images of their creations and the artworks that inspired the cakes. From 6 to 7 p.m., there will be a reception to taste the cakes alongside iced coffee and tea.

WCMA is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

 

 

 


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Clark Art Lecture On Queer Art And Artists in Medieval Europe

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Tuesday, April 11, the Clark Art Institute's Research and Academic Program presents a talk by Karl Whittington (The Ohio State University) titled "Queer Making: Artists and Desire in Medieval Europe."

This free event takes place at 5:30 pm in the Manton Research Center auditorium.

According to a press release: 

Whittington asks: what role does desire play in the making of art objects? Art historians typically answer this question with reference to historical evidence about an artist's sexual identity, personality, and relationships, or with reference to particular kinds of imagery in works of art. But how do we think about desire in the case of anonymous artists or in works whose subject matter is mainstream? We know little about the lives and personalities of the makers of most works of art in Europe in the Middle Ages, but this should not hold us back from thinking about their embodied experience. This talk argues that we can "queer" the works of anonymous historical makers by thinking not about their identities or about the subject matter of their artworks but rather about their embodied experiences working with materials. Through considering issues of touch, pressure and gesture across materials such as wood, stone, ivory, wax, cloth, and metal, Whittington argues for an erotics of artisanal labor, in which the actions of hand, body, and breath interact in intimate ways with materials. Combining historical evidence with more speculative description, this talk broadens our understanding of the motivations and experiences of premodern artists.

Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. A 5 pm reception in the Manton Research Center reading room precedes the event. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events

 

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