New Williams Inn Appoints Leadership Team

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Left, Kevin Hurley has been appointed as the general manager of the new Williams Inn, and Kevin DeMarco as the inn's executive chef. Inset: Darcy Lyle has been named the inn's director of sales.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Waterford Hotel Group has announced three appointments at The Williams Inn. Kevin Hurley has been appointed as the inn's general manager, Kevin DeMarco as the inn's executive chef and Darcy Lyle as the inn's director of sales.

The new Williams Inn, located at the corner of Latham and Spring streets in Williamstown, will open on Aug. 15. Owned by Williams College, the inn will replace the current Williams Inn, which will continue to operate through July 31.

Inspired by the architecture of local area farms, the new 58,000-square-foot inn is built of stone and wood, with interior design that is reminiscent of a contemporary New England farmhouse. The inn will feature 64 guest rooms, a fitness center, a full-service restaurant and bar, and a combined 3,200-square-foot meeting and event space that includes a 2,800-square-foot ballroom and an additional 400-square-foot space directly adjacent to the ballroom. Event space reservations are being accepted starting Sept. 1.

The property’s exterior features a 3,500-square-foot greenspace that can be tented for outdoor functions.

The inn will house a 62-seat restaurant, The Barn, featuring a menu filled with locally sourced American classics. The Barn will offer patrons breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as two private dining spaces. During prime weather months, outdoor seating will be available on the rear of the property.


With more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality, Hurley has dedicated his career to the hospitality industry by taking on various roles at several hotels and resorts in the United States in addition to his native Canada. Prior to joining The Williams Inn, Hurley worked as an assistant general manager at the Kimpton
Taconic Hotel located in Manchester, Vt. Additionally, he has held posts at Omni Hotels and Resorts, the storied Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Hurley completed his undergraduate studies at Bishops University in Sherbrook, Quebec and later went on to earn a master certificate in hospitality management from Cornell University. He lives in Greenwich, N.Y., with his wife Amanda and sons William and Louis-Edmond.

A graduate of the famed Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., DeMarco has honed his culinary skills up and down the East Coast over the past 13 years. He joins The Williams Inn team from the Newport Restaurant Group, Newport, R.I. His last post was as chef tournant at the historic and celebrated Castle Hill Inn, a Relais & Châteaux property. DeMarco also worked at Grande's Bella Cucina in Palm Beach, Fla., and Public Kitchen & Bar in Providence, R.I. DeMarco is a SWE certified specialist of wine and spirits.

Lyle brings a wealth of knowledge to The Williams Inn with 28 years of experience in the hospitality and sales industry. Prior to joining The Williams Inn, Lyle worked in sales at the Clark Art Institute. Additionally, she has held positions in operations and sales at numerous hotels throughout the upstate New York region, as well as the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association. Lyle attended Herkimer Community College, where she received a degree in tourist facilities and management promotion. While in school, she interned with
Disney, where she found her passion for the hospitality and tourism industry. Lyle resides
with her husband Allen and daughter Samantha in Hoosick Falls, N.Y.

 


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WCMA: 'Cracking the Code on Numerology'

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) opens a new exhibition, "Cracking the Cosmic Code: Numerology in Medieval Art."
 
The exhibit opened on March 22.
 
According to a press release: 
 
The idea that numbers emanate sacred significance, and connect the past with the future, is prehistoric and global. Rooted in the Babylonian science of astrology, medieval Christian numerology taught that God created a well-ordered universe. Deciphering the universe's numerical patterns would reveal the Creator's grand plan for humanity, including individual fates. 
 
This unquestioned concept deeply pervaded European cultures through centuries. Theologians and lay people alike fervently interpreted the Bible literally and figuratively via number theory, because as King Solomon told God, "Thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight" (Wisdom 11:22). 
 
"Cracking the Cosmic Code" explores medieval relationships among numbers, events, and works of art. The medieval and Renaissance art on display in this exhibition from the 5th to 17th centuries—including a 15th-century birth platter by Lippo d'Andrea from Florence; a 14th-century panel fragment with courtly scenes from Palace Curiel de los Ajos, Valladolid, Spain; and a 12th-century wall capital from the Monastery at Moutiers-Saint-Jean—reveal numerical patterns as they relate to architecture, literature, gender, and timekeeping. 
 
"There was no realm of thought that was not influenced by the all-consuming belief that all things were celestially ordered, from human life to stones, herbs, and metals," said WCMA Assistant Curator Elizabeth Sandoval, who curated the exhibition. "As Vincent Foster Hopper expounds, numbers were 'fundamental realities, alive with memories and eloquent with meaning.' These artworks tease out numerical patterns and their multiple possible meanings, in relation to gender, literature, and the celestial sphere. 
 
"The exhibition looks back while moving forward: It relies on the collection's strengths in Western medieval Christianity, but points to the future with goals of acquiring works from the global Middle Ages. It also nods to the history of the gallery as a medieval period room at this pivotal time in WCMA's history before the momentous move to a new building," Sandoval said.
 
Cracking the Cosmic Code runs through Dec. 22.
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