Clark Art Presents Book Talk

08:13AM / Tuesday, January 30, 2024Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 pm, the Clark Art Institute presents a book talk by noted art historian Laure de Margerie about her new book "French Sculpture: An American Passion."

The book is based on de Margerie's research as the founding director of the French Sculpture Census, the first comprehensive catalogue of French sculpture (1500–1960) in American public collections. This free event takes place in the Clark's auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.

According to a press release:

"French Sculpture: An American Passion" unveils the story of the American taste for French sculpture and of the collectors, dealers, decorators, and curators who championed these works. De Margerie considers the role and meaning of French sculpture in America's ever-changing society, ranging from public monuments with their sometimes-controversial symbolism to the stories of the French women and men who shaped the American artistic landscape.

The book details the fascinating saga of American interest in French sculpture, ranging from 1792 when celebrated French artist Jean-Antoine Houdon first sculpted George Washington's likeness, to the monumental gift of the Statue of Liberty nearly 100 years later, through to the 1900s when artists like Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brancusi, and Marcel Duchamp were championed by U.S. museums.

De Margerie was head of the Sculpture Archives at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris from 1978 through 2009. During her tenure, she was part of the team that installed the Orsay's sculpture collection for the museum's 1986 opening, co-authored the Musée d'Orsay's collection catalogue, and curated numerous exhibitions.

A 5 pm reception in the Manton Research Center reading room precedes the event. Copies of French Sculpture: An American Passion will be available for purchase at the talk and in the Museum Store.

Free; advance registration required at clarkart.edu/events. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. Admission to the Clark is free through March 2024.

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Williamstown Finance Committee Begins FY27 Budget Review

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:49AM / Tuesday, February 24, 2026

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Finance Committee last week began its review of an "unexciting" fiscal year 2027 budget while continuing to monitor an unappealing trend line that could see the town facing a Proposition 2 1/2 override as soon as FY29.

Town meeting will have the levy capacity to approve the FY27 budget as drafted and presented by the town manager on Wednesday, partly because the spending plan for the year that begins on July 1 includes just one noteworthy increase in discretionary municipal spending.

As drafted, the FY27 budget would result in a projected 7.69 percent in the property tax levy from the current fiscal year — pending the final numbers from the town's largest cost center, the Mount Greylock Regional School District, which will not finalize its assessments to its member towns until March 19.

The town hall side of spending is up by about 2.8 percent in the proposed budget. Most of that is attributable to cost-of-living increases for current employees and fixed costs, like the town's contribution for employees' health insurance.

"The one thing I would say is apologies for bringing a boring budget forward that doesn't have a lot of excitement," Town Manager Robert Menicocci told the Finance Committee. "But with this audience, it's, 'Hey, we brought something really exciting to you guys. The growth is modest given all the pressures that are out there.'

"We're maintaining services as we know them. I think that's really strong news given the pressures that are out there. There's no erosion of services. There's no erosion of staff. We haven't had to go through a cut exercise. Still, that's at the expense of relying on the taxpayer to pay more taxes this upcoming year."

Finance Director David Fierro Jr. told the Fin Comm that most of the increases in expenses are because of the town's negotiated cost-of-living adjustments. He also included an estimated 9 percent increase in the assessment from Mount Greylock and a 10 percent increase in the much smaller assessment from the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District (McCann Technical School).

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