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The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute is one of a handful of institutions in the United States that combines a public art museum with a separate series of research and academic programs, supported by a major art history library. As such, The Clark functions as an international center for research and discussion on art as well as its history, criticism, and the institutions that shape and support the field.

The Clark was chartered in 1950 by Robert Sterling Clark and opened its doors in 1955, welcoming the public to a collection of artworks and books that he and his wife had assembled over the course of five decades. The collection is best known for an extraordinary collection of French Impressionist paintings, which take their place within a wider ensemble of masterworks that range from the Renaissance to the late 19th century. Among the highlights are works by Ugolino di Nerio, Piero della Francesca, Fragonard, Corot, Bouguereau, Turner, and an especially strong representation of American artists, including Homer, Cassatt, and Sargent. The Clark is also noted for its fine holdings of decorative arts and old master and nineteenth-century drawings and prints. Its library has grown to become one of the nation's premier resources for the study of European and American art, containing more than 200,000 printed books, bound periodicals, and auction sales catalogues.

The Clark Fellows Program brings leading scholars from universities and museums around the world to Williamstown for up to a year to research and develop ideas focused on art and related to critical historical issues. Its conference and symposium program presents one major Clark conference a year on an issue of importance to the field, as well as symposia, colloquia, seminars, and lectures on a variety of topics. In addition, the Clark houses a master's program in the history of art, the country's foremost program of its kind, which is administered jointly with Williams College.

Located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts, The Clark is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (daily July 1 through Labor Day).

The Clark

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