Clark Art Institute

Amazing, a real gem especially for such a small town. Definitely check out their permanent collection, it’s remarkable and could never be assembled today given how expensive fine art had become.

If you have not been since the renovations, you must go. The café has delicious food, grounds are fantastic and now you can see all the beautiful impressionist’s works in a light filled room.

Me and my wife spent Sunday at the Clark. We were very pleased with the collection. The staff was pleasant and helpful. We spent ²¹⁄₂ hours in the museum. More time can be spent if you walk along there vast trail system and exhibits. The only drawback we found is the lack of handicap accessible doors. My wife had to keep getting up from her wheelchair to hold open large glass doors to get in to the main area of the museum.

This museum has a collection of paintings, and the paintings I liked best are «Dismount» by Frederick Remington, and the one of Napoleon on horseback.

I live locally so I have the opportunity to go often. I love this place. There’s a very modern looking entryway and pool, but this segues into an historic mansion where the art is displayed. I’ve been fortunate enough to see many traveling exhibits here, and I bring my children on a regular basis. The only thing I don’t like is that the bulk of the items in the gift shop are far out of my price range; if I see something I like, I can usually find it online much less expensively.

The recent Van Gogh exhibit was stupendous and wonderful.
The Clark’s collection is nothing short of amazing for a museum its size.
But… the recent renovations make it far less user-​friendly than it was. The people in charge refuse to put in visible signage. They «compromised» with some white lettering on clear glass, waist-​high and easy to miss with people in the way…
This new Clark is more about style than substance, more about being considered chic than making a schoolkid comfortable.
The gift shop is full of baubles unrelated to the Clark.
And people used to be able to go free all winter, making it accessible to most, and now it is only free on the First Sunday of the month in the winter. This is going to make it far less accessible to many.
Overall, after two visits, the renovations sadden me.

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute opened in 1955 in a Greek revival gallery building just a few blocks from Williams College in Williamstown, MA, featuring the art collection of the couple who founded it along with a limited number of other donations. Decades back it was a quiet place where one strolled the galleries and picnicked on the grass. Then in 1973 an addition was built, a restaurant and special exhibit galleries appeared, and since then the Clark has sometimes seemed to be as much about new buildings as art. These new buildings now allow it to host major traveling exhibitions; this summer it featured a blockbuster with dozens of canvases by van Gogh as well as Whistler’s Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1 (aka, Whistler’s Mother) on loan from the Musee d’Orsay. In preparation for a show of recent acquisitions opening next month they report that almost 25% of the objects in the collection have been acquired in the last 20 years.
The highlights of the original collection, which continue to be a key attraction for many visitors, focus on European and American Academic and Impressionist canvases, along with a select number of Renaissance masterworks, such as Piero della Francesca’s Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angles (ca 1470) and Domenico Ghirlandaio’s Portrait of a Lady (ca 1490). There are also a number of sculptures and pieces of decorative arts. The Clark continues to be famous as a center for art research, education and conservation. With its most recent expansion in 2014 it has cafes at two locations on the campus and a lesser food service at a third. It also offers nature trails through the woods with views of the Berkshires. On busy weekends (and even weekdays!), especially during the summer, the crowds can be quite dense and the parking lots fill up, although shuttles are run between lots and the different buildings which are designed to be accessible and have facilities.

THE ART — I recently visited The Clark for the first time, prompted by the Van Gogh exhibition, which was OUTSTANDING. Really, I think it was the best special exhibition I’ve ever seen, and one of my most memorable museum experiences. It was amazing to walk through the galleries and seeing Van Gogh’s evolution as an artist, and I really enjoyed the additional information provided by the guide (though I wish it had covered more than just 10ish paintings). I didn’t make it to any other parts of the museum, but my husband spent a few hours exploring the permanent collection, and was really impressed.
THE FOOD — We got lunch from Francine’s. It was so bad! We ordered veggie sandwiches, and when we opened them, we first thought they had forgotten to add the veggies because there was barely anything on there. The grain salad had a weird, chemical-​y taste to it. I would suggest bringing your own food, or maybe trying one of the other cafes.
THE GROUNDS — We walked around the grounds a bit, and enjoyed our lunch outside by the reflection pool. It’s truly a beautiful campus. The day was too hot for hiking, but I look forward to further exploring the grounds in the fall.
THE AMBIANCE — This is what made me sad. I’ve never had such a loud museum experience ever before. It seemed like people were treating their time in the gallery as social hour, loudly regaling their friends/​family with their «knowledge» of art, or just reading every single plaque out loud. I regard museums as places where you keep your voice down, enjoy the art, and allow fellow patrons to do the same. To make it worse, the gallery attendants were chatting and laughing with each other, adding to the noise instead of requesting for people to keep it down.
I look forward to returning to The Clark (with my own picnic packed!) to enjoy the art. Hopefully the next visit will be a quieter and more peaceful experience.

A couple years ago, I had hoped to check out an exhibit with a focus on Pissarro, which sadly, I had never made it up for. So when I read about their current Van Gogh exhibit, I made a point of finally making it up there.
Set on a large piece of land is this modern looking building that houses the Clark. The area that has the current Van Gogh exhibit is part of an addition that completed somewhat recently. And that specific exhibit was quite good, with dozens of Van Goghs as well as some other works from related inspirations to the theme of the show.
The permanent collection itself is impressive with works from Winslow Homer, Gauguin, Monet, Mary Cassatt, Renoir and many more. There is also a good amount of work from lesser known artists to round things out.
Outside, there are a few walking trails and the reflection pool, both with fantastic views. Along the walking trails, you can go to a separate building with additional art work or just get a little bit of a workout. While this place can be a bit of a hike to get to for many folks, it is very much worth checking out.

The Clark just gets better and better. The recent renovation is outstanding. But, the new exhibits are very well done. Today, I saw Van Gogh and Nature. What a treat. I experienced and learned so much.
The Clark is a world class museum in a glorious setting. Highly recommended.

The Berkshires is very lucky to have such a fantastic museum. The special exhibits are always really great. Last year seeing the Magna Carta was very special. The van gogh exhibit is phenomenal and the permanent collection is always a pleasure to see. One mustn’t miss this while in the Berkshires. Neighboring Williamstown is also very lovely to walk through.

Art is 5 but it is hard to get around if you are disabled. Ask a person in green shirt and they will help. Big Van Gogh exhibit there but don’t miss decorative arts; grounds also lovely for walking and views.

The Clark is famous for its collection of Impressionist and Old Master paintings on 140 acres in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. On this visit the special exhibitions is Van Gogh and Nature. It is beautifully landscaped with a gorgeous new reflection pool over stones. It is one of my favorite museums.

Awesome museum. Van Gogh, Whistler, amazing.
Perm collection of impressionists was my favorite. Early American section also nice. Interesting «Super Bowl» piece (you gotta go to get it).
Oddly enough there were a couple «guards» who were a little too aggressive. Of note, one female «guard» (in Van Gogh, early morning, yesterday, second/​third section) was a straight up ass. Couldn’t wait to order people around about how to carry purses. Raised her voice at an elderly woman and then my pregnant wife. Also stood a little too close for comfort. If it wasn’t a museum I would have put her in her place but we let it slide and chalked it up to her being a small stain on a beautiful canvas. Seriously though, someone needs to train these people better…

I drove up to Williamstown specifically to see the exhibit of van Gogh’s work. It was mind-​blowing. I downloaded the Clark app and had a private tutor in my ear. Then went to the building with the regular collection. It was so much more than I had expected. Magnificent! It truly rivals the museums of New York and Paris!
Beautiful grounds.

I’ve been here about 20 times, and I have to say that this museum is now the best it has ever been.
Although they have a crazy confusing parking lot filled with underpaid art majors pointing you in the right direction, they have all kinds of new buildings to house their amazing art.
NEW:
–There is a new building by a Japanese artist way up the hill.
–And several steep hiking trails cutting through the gorgeous mountain.
–And a whole new building for traveling exhibits (just saw the Van Gogh that had lots of his early work paired with many of his original influences).
–And a new outdoor café so you can stop and talk about what you’ve seen before you get to your art over-​saturation point.
–They are still constructing a place for visiting lecturers.
OLD:
–And then they have the tried and true. The older collection includes Degas, Sargent, Renoir, Homer, and a bunch more.
–Old but not forgotten: I will say that they used to have an amazing bookstore and gift shop that has been overly slimmed down. Two steps forward…
–They used to offer free entry to all Berkshire residents in the winter months. Sadly, this will no longer be true starting Fall 2015.
–Mr. Clark said if the building burned down, the important thing was to save Renoir’s Onions, so definitely check it out and see if you agree.
Given only one afternoon, I’d probably choose Mass MOCA over Clark, but both are worth a visit.
Note that it’s $ 20 minimum for adults. (Free for students).
Finally,

One of my favorite museums in the world. The new renovations are exquisite and compliment the original galleries beautifully. The reflection pool outside is stunning. Then there’s the art! Sargent, Monet, Degas, an amazing European Middle Ages collection, Homer, I could go on and on.

Amazing artwork on display.
This collection of impressionist paintings are incredible to look at. Take a good amount of time to look at all the paintings in the collection.
The main entrance has also been renovated with beautiful glass windows and a nice front desk.
You get the option of using an Ipad to take on your visit to explain the works in more detail if you choose. I highly recommend this museum to anyone willing to take the gorgeous drive out to the Clark Institute.

Impressive collection in a gorgeous setting. Tucked away in a corner of the Berkshires, the museum building and grounds alone are worth the visit, especially the reflecting pools.
The collections inside are really world-​class. Renoir, Monet, Toulouse-​Lautrec, Pissarro, Degas, Manet, Constable, Turner, Van Gogh, Homer, Sargent… Even if you’re not terribly knowledgeable about art, you’ll recognize many of the pieces, and you’ll discover many more. John Sargent’s Fumee d’ambre gris is just one of the many paintings that stand out for me.
There are great sculpture pieces as well, including Rodin, as well as a range of decorative arts in glass, silver, porcelain, and more. The ornate piano is not to be missed, but you’d have a hard time missing it.
This is a great museum to visit even if you’re not the greatest lover of art museums. It’s small and manageable, so not overwhelming, but it has absolute gems that you’re sure to recognize, and others that you’ll be thrilled to discover for the first time.

GET YOURSELF TO THE CLARK, STAT: FREE ADMISSION THROUGH THE END OF 2014!
Gorgeous art museum in a tranquil setting with an impressive collection, especially for a small town rural art museum (though to be clear, the Clark is not some little community museum; it’s a national-​caliber art museum). The impressionist and American collections were especially excellent, with particularly large numbers of works by Renoir, Homer, and Sargent. A few Degas bronze sculptures really spoke to me. That said, it’s not the Met and it’s not the MFA, but the collection is still pretty darn impressive — and to think a lot of it came from one family!
The new (2014) Tadao Ando-​designed building is really beautiful, in a Japanese minimalist kind of way, but it works with the original adjacent museum building. Plan to take some time to sit out by the reflecting pool and to walk the trails on the grounds.
Combined with a visit to the nearby Mass Museum of Contemporary Art, the Clark is well worth a trip from Boston or NYC.