All Roads Lead To The Clark's Roman Holiday Family Day
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Embark on a Roman holiday at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute during a free, fun-filled family day celebrating the exhibition Steps off the Beaten Path: Nineteenth Century Photographs of Rome and its Environs.From noon to 4 pm on Sunday, November 8, participate in activities that focus on Rome and the exhibition. Learn to photograph architecture, try jousting, make an amulet or mosaic frame, organize family photos into a scrapbook, and discover Rome in the Clark's collection. All activities and admission are free.
Learn to photograph architecture with local photographer Gillian Jones. Budding photographers will shoot different angles of buildings on the Clark campus. Jones will provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. Participants can reshoot if they choose and then print their favorite photo. Appropriate for anyone old enough to enjoy photography and for all ability levels. Bring digital cameras and USB cords.
Grab photos from a recent trip or family event and organize them into a scrapbook to take home. No time to gather photos? Create a scrapbook and place the photos in them at home. All materials will be provided.
Mosaic has been used as a decoration on walls, floors, and columns for over 5,000 years, flourishing in Rome. Use a variety of tiles, glass pieces, and stones to create mosaic designs on wooden picture frames and add a little Rome to your home. Ancient Romans believed amulets could protect against evil spirits. Make amulets consisting of a handmade bead with a hidden, personalized message of good luck/strength. All materials will be provided.
Costumes and props will be provided for those who wish to dress the part and try their hands at "jousting." Two gladiators at a time can challenge each other in a padded arena.
Discover Rome in the Clark's collection during family gallery talks. Heroes and heroines, myths and legends, and all kinds of wonderful stories are told about ancient Rome. Join Clark staff for a look at how the city of Rome and roman culture have been seen by artists over the centuries.
Catch a free screening of the 1953 Oscar-winning film Roman Holiday (118 minutes, not rated) at 3 pm. Watch as a European princess (played by Audrey Hepburn) embarks on an official tour through Rome.
Hand dipped gelato and Italian ices will be available for purchase.
Through 100 photographs taken between 1850 and 1880, Steps off the Beaten Path encourages a "walking tour" through Rome with recognizable sites among the out-of-the-way scenes nineteenth-century Romans and Europeans encountered in their daily lives. During the 1860s and 1870s, Rome was becoming a modern city and the capital of a unified Italy and photography was becoming more portable, opening up new possibilities and encouraging artists to envision their art in a new way. The fleeting images they captured record the charm of Roman side streets, in contrast to the conventional picture postcard views of their peers. Many of the scenes they documented were then swept away by modern development.
A visit to the Clark is a rewarding family experience year-round with 140 acres of scenic meadows and trails providing ample opportunities for families to hike, run and play, spot the many birds inhabiting the area, and try geo-caching. The Clark's grounds are open to the public free of charge. Free admission to the galleries is always offered to children 18 and under and students with valid ID.
The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, MA. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and under, members, and students with valid ID. Admission is free November through May. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit clarkart.edu.
